Stuart Little Promotes Tolerance Of Difference
2(c) Prove or disprove the following statements by finding appropriate evidence from Stuart Little
Stuart Little is a film that promotes tolerance of difference.
Evidence may be a quotation (spoken), it may entail a discussion of the narrative events or strategies of presentation, or something else that you feel is applicable. In films, for example, voices and accents can be used as evidence, as can costumes and choices of particular actors who are famous for other roles.
Make sure you give enough contextual information about when episodes or speeches occur in Stuart Little.
The film Stuart Little (1999) embraces and promotes tolerance of difference.
In order to achieve this goal the film highlights difference in many and varied forms. From the issue of a birth child/family to an adopted child/family, a mouse to a cat, a house cat to an alley cat, a cat to a dog, a mouse to a rat, a mouse to a human, pets and family, the rich and the poor, winning and losing and lets not forget the big and the small. There would also seem to be some irony in Nathan Lane (from the film “Mousehunt”) being the voice over for Snowbell.
Initially the film opens with only Mr and Mrs Little accepting the differences of adopting a mouse rather than a child. Their son George and cat Snowbell are horrified at the …show more content…
idea. Slowly tolerance of difference is integrated into the film. The first outsider to accept Stuart as a family member would be the vet who treats Stuart as a sick child and visit after Stuart’s ordeal of ending up in the washing machine. After overcoming the initial shock of difference, the extended family at the gathering to welcome Stuart, also come to accept Stuart. Such acceptance is portrayed by their desire to play ball with Stuart despite his size difference and George’s distain of the situation. The shopping expedition where dolls clothes are purchased for Stuart is symbolic of adapting the world of difference so it appears the same, just smaller. Even the police, when called in on the abduction of Stuart seem to accept a mouse as a missing child of the family.
Interestingly, despite children’s natural response to complain about inequity, there seems to be no objection, in the boat race scene, to George having the only boat that is not remote controlled and instead is being captained by Stuart. It is this boat race scene where Stuart and George are finally united as Stuart assists George with his fear of losing and wins the race.
Despite their emotional investment into Stuart, even the Little’s agree to let Stuart go, with whom they believe are his natural parents. The Little’s understanding of the difference between mice and men show their acceptance of the need for Stuart to be with mice like himself. Even though Stuart is unhappy about leaving with the Stout family, and he sees many differences between himself and them, he accepts them as they are family. When Stuart learns they are not really his family Stuart shows acceptance of their plight.
Snowbell begins to show signs of acceptance towards Stuart when he believes the alley cats will kill Stuart.
Later in the scene Snowbell says “He’s not just a mouse, he’s family” showing his reluctant tolerance towards Stuart. Soon after in the same scene Stuart acknowledges Snowbells ambivalent by announcing to the alley cats “Is that what you think, you have to look alike to be family. You don’t have to look alike, you don’t even have to like each other, look at Snowbell, he hates me”. This scene culminates in mutual tolerance of many differences when Snowbell and Stuart rescue each other from the alley cats and Stuart rides bareback home on
Snowbell.
There has been suggestions that Snowbell and Stuart may be represented as gay personas. If this is true it would seem that these characteristics are integrated and accepted by not only the Little’s but also the alley cat community. It is accepted that attributes are noteable however no glaring reference is made to them in order to highlight or show intolerance of such a difference.
The film climaxes by reinforcing moral and thematic concerns with tolerance and difference. The adoption allows the film to explore its predominant theme, a lesson in embracing diversity. The whole Little clan, must learn to accept Stuart as a true Little, to deny his difference and see him as they do themselves, an undisputed member of the family, even though he doesn't look anything like them. Even Snowbell overcomes a cat’s “natural” antipathy to a mouse by realizing the family ties are more important and seems to be content with being a mouses’ pet cat.
Stuart Little is a film that promotes tolerance of difference.
Evidence may be a quotation (spoken), it may entail a discussion of the narrative events or strategies of presentation, or something else that you feel is applicable. In films, for example, voices and accents can be used as evidence, as can costumes and choices of particular actors who are famous for other roles.
Make sure you give enough contextual information about when episodes or speeches occur in Stuart Little.
The film Stuart Little (1999) embraces and promotes tolerance of difference.
In order to achieve this goal the film highlights difference in many and varied forms. From the issue of a birth child/family to an adopted child/family, a mouse to a cat, a house cat to an alley cat, a cat to a dog, a mouse to a rat, a mouse to a human, pets and family, the rich and the poor, winning and losing and lets not forget the big and the small. There would also seem to be some irony in Nathan Lane (from the film “Mousehunt”) being the voice over for Snowbell.
Initially the film opens with only Mr and Mrs Little accepting the differences of adopting a mouse rather than a child. Their son George and cat Snowbell are horrified at the …show more content…
idea. Slowly tolerance of difference is integrated into the film. The first outsider to accept Stuart as a family member would be the vet who treats Stuart as a sick child and visit after Stuart’s ordeal of ending up in the washing machine. After overcoming the initial shock of difference, the extended family at the gathering to welcome Stuart, also come to accept Stuart. Such acceptance is portrayed by their desire to play ball with Stuart despite his size difference and George’s distain of the situation. The shopping expedition where dolls clothes are purchased for Stuart is symbolic of adapting the world of difference so it appears the same, just smaller. Even the police, when called in on the abduction of Stuart seem to accept a mouse as a missing child of the family.
Interestingly, despite children’s natural response to complain about inequity, there seems to be no objection, in the boat race scene, to George having the only boat that is not remote controlled and instead is being captained by Stuart. It is this boat race scene where Stuart and George are finally united as Stuart assists George with his fear of losing and wins the race.
Despite their emotional investment into Stuart, even the Little’s agree to let Stuart go, with whom they believe are his natural parents. The Little’s understanding of the difference between mice and men show their acceptance of the need for Stuart to be with mice like himself. Even though Stuart is unhappy about leaving with the Stout family, and he sees many differences between himself and them, he accepts them as they are family. When Stuart learns they are not really his family Stuart shows acceptance of their plight.
Snowbell begins to show signs of acceptance towards Stuart when he believes the alley cats will kill Stuart.
Later in the scene Snowbell says “He’s not just a mouse, he’s family” showing his reluctant tolerance towards Stuart. Soon after in the same scene Stuart acknowledges Snowbells ambivalent by announcing to the alley cats “Is that what you think, you have to look alike to be family. You don’t have to look alike, you don’t even have to like each other, look at Snowbell, he hates me”. This scene culminates in mutual tolerance of many differences when Snowbell and Stuart rescue each other from the alley cats and Stuart rides bareback home on
Snowbell.
There has been suggestions that Snowbell and Stuart may be represented as gay personas. If this is true it would seem that these characteristics are integrated and accepted by not only the Little’s but also the alley cat community. It is accepted that attributes are noteable however no glaring reference is made to them in order to highlight or show intolerance of such a difference.
The film climaxes by reinforcing moral and thematic concerns with tolerance and difference. The adoption allows the film to explore its predominant theme, a lesson in embracing diversity. The whole Little clan, must learn to accept Stuart as a true Little, to deny his difference and see him as they do themselves, an undisputed member of the family, even though he doesn't look anything like them. Even Snowbell overcomes a cat’s “natural” antipathy to a mouse by realizing the family ties are more important and seems to be content with being a mouses’ pet cat.