Rebel Without A Cause Essay Response

Molly Lorenz

Dr. Venuti

College Prep

September 16^th, 2009

Rebel Without A Cause Essay Response

            The three teenagers were brought into the juvenile station at different times in the night all close together for three very different reasons, though their motives were similar.  Jim was arrested because in addition to being publically drunk, he was also underage.   He was angry, and felt alone because both of his parents went out to a party without him, leaving him completely by himself because he was an only child, had no nanny or house keeper, and he had just moved there, so had no friends yet.  Judy, however, was brought in because she was out past curfew, and she was dressed conspicuously, being suspected of being a prostitute.  Judy is frustrated because she too is lonely, although family and friends surround her.  She was trying to attain attention for herself, but the attention she received was her father rubbing the lipstick off of her lips too roughly.  Lastly, John (aka Plato) was brought in because he shot some puppies, killing them.  John’s father left them early into his life, and his mother is hardly home, leaving him alone with their housekeeper, who is paid to be there.  He feels abandoned and alone, and takes it out on the puppies.

            In Judy’s family, Judy and her father have a lot of tension between the two, as both seem to be in an awkward stage in their relationship.  She gives him a kiss on the cheek before dinner started, and he slapped her, saying that she had gotten too old for that sort of thing, and that he should have put a stop to it years ago.  The mother, afraid to go against the father’s word, does not stick up for Judy at all, and agrees with the father. 

            The teenagers in the neighborhood seem to be getting into trouble mainly because they are able to get into trouble.  Their parents are either working hard to provide them with a good life, maintaining their social life, or just not available to their kids.  The teens are bored, and quite possibly able to get into trouble because of the affluent lifestyle their parents created for them.  The same reasons apply to why Buzz, although stating that he liked Jim, went along with the “chickie run” [sic].  In addition, he had already declared this event with Jim, and to back out now, it would be a worse punishment than losing the run, at least, in the warped view of the teenagers.

            Plato’s serious psychological problems stem from a number of factors.  As previously stated, his father is an absent member in his life, and his mother is rarely around.  These problems come into view in the movie in numerous ways, first at the police station, where it is revealed that he shot innocent puppies.  He also suffers from delusions, telling Judy that he and Jim were the best of friends, as opposed to the mere acquaintances they were.  He seems unstable, and even shoots at two people by the end of the movie.

            The most memorable scene to me is the opening scene, because of not only what is revealed, but also how it is revealed.  Jim’s humorous behavior as a drunk is an unusual beginning to a more serious movie, while Judy’s stoicism startled me, as she appears to handle her problems better than Jim.  Lastly, Plato’s disturbed rocking and silence captured my attention, and I immediately was hooked.

            Jim, Judy, and Plato were able to find a temporary happiness in the deserted mansion because it was a fake happiness.  Their faux family could not last very long, and it was all just a fantasizing.  Jim was fantasizing about being the strong male figure that his father was not, Judy was fantasizing about having someone to love, who would love her back, while Plato was fantasizing about having a man and woman to love him and take care of him.  It was ideal, because it was all just an idea. 

            Mainly, Judy loves the fact that Jim, though he has a desire and strong will to be a strong man, is also open with his feelings, like his moments in the deserted mansion with Judy.  He does not resemble Judy’s father, but he is everything that she wants her father to be.  In addition, Jim is generically sensitive, nice, and even befriends the unpopular and off kilter Plato.  It was an unusual thing to do, and it stuck out in Judy’s mind.

            The significance of jackets and coats in this film seemed to resemble a wanting to help.  At the beginning, Jim sees Plato, and relates to his loneliness, and wants to do something nice for him, constantly offering him his jacket, which Plato did not take at that point.  At the end, Plato takes Jim’s jacket, and when he was loaded on the stretcher, Jim zipped up the jacket, as if to keep Plato warm.  After that, Jim’s father puts his own suit jacket around Jim’s shoulder, leaving the viewer with the impression that Jim’s father was going to step up and take on the responsibility of being Jim’s strong, responsible male figure.

            Jim tried so incredibly hard to save Plato possibly because he relates to him, seeing himself in Plato’s shoes possibly.  He feels like he is lonely just as Plato is, in addition, they are both abandoned, and especially, without a strong male role model.  Jim plays the strong role model to Plato to prove to his own self that he is not like his father, but ultimately, Plato needed more help than Jim could provide.