Man Vs. Nature: The Reaction Between Man And Nature

In the film, man and nature were portrayed in a way which depicted co-existence equality. There was no clear distinction showing that one is superior to the other. Throughout the film, there was a constant interaction between the characters and nature. (SUSS, 2017) The images of granny working in agricultural fields, Mei playing with the tadpoles and getting dirty, their house being surrounded by climbers, tree tunnels and untamed wilderness work as reminders to remind us of the time when man and nature were inter-dependent. They worked together to sustain eco-relationship and to seek protection for the country and its people from the nature spirits. (Yuen, 2012)

In the earlier part of the film, the girls faced an encounter with dust-bunnies and they did not seem scared. Instead, they were brave enough to try and scare them. Although it may be something we are not familiar with in reality, the girls were curious to learn more about it. When the girls’ father asked the granny if it was a ghost, the granny answered by saying not to be afraid and that these dust-bunnies were in fact, soot-spirits. This soot-spirits were believed to inhabit in old empty houses and not cause any harm. Since granny is an elderly person,
In this film, nature has been embodied by Totoro while men has been embodied by Satsuki and Mei. Satsuki and Mei’s relationship shows the traditional representation of how the young learns from the elders, emphasizing on the importance to educate children since young about the relationship between man and nature. However, this relationship of co-existence and inter-dependence has changed in the present times, mainly due to urbanisation and development, contributing to the separation in the bond which man nature once