The Crisis of Identity
Jo, when faced with self doubt and an agressive creative slump almost diverts towards a path that is not of her hearts desire. She puts on society’s mask and plans to accept Theodore’s proposal, disreguarding herself in an attempt at regaining controle of her future.
When faced with fears of inadequacy, uncertainty and lack of purpose we subconsciously are driven to our lowest common denominator of possible pursuits. Often these are the things society expects of us and not necessarily the ones we want or reguard as important in any way, shape, or form. We settle. In doing so we hide away a part of ourselves that translates our identity to the world. The message is broken. By enacting only a fraction of who we truly are or can be, we are no longer whole. We become imposters to ourselves. Not only do we feel this but is shows.
Redemption
It is when this path is ripped from beneath her before any irreversible or consequential commitment that Jo is jolted back into the waiting arms of pen and paper. Theodore resurfaces from abroad now engaged to Jo’s sister Amy whom he had accompanied to Paris. Though a part of her is hurt by this as any future course curtailed would, it is both the fuel and the chaos she needed to reconnect with what truly mattered to her – that which she was hiding from all the time she was grooming herself to be a wife. In a cathartic frenzy of grief and impulse she steps back into her work space and rewrites her forgotten script from scratch all the way to its completion.
Our true talents and callings, as long as there is enthusiasm and vitality in us, are always waiting for us to return. Though we may drift, once we take them seriously and put in the diligent work again it is revealed to us that we still have it. Like reuniting with an old friend, the secrets, the language, and the memories, come flooding back. The love resurfaces. The future dawns again and the opportunity to fulfill our purpose takes flight. Sometimes it takes a wake up call in the form of a deeply transformative event if we are lucky to be woken at all. If by self reflection we can revive our internal fire without such a catalyst, then the better.
Cheerleaders
Jo is reminded of the belief her baby sister Beth had in the magic of her work. Her ethic, her unrelenting voice and the power in her words. Words she did not realise could empower a demographic of young women who identified with her characters. Young women eager, just as she, to be more than just commodities to be married off. Losing her magnum opus and meeting disappointment with publishers was debilitating yet in her period of crisis it is the words of her dear little sister, the youngest of her siblings, that gives her charge. To encourage her to write again Beth says,
“Do what Marmee taught us to do. Do it for someone else.”
– Beth, Little Women (2019)
Even though the meaning of these words comes to Jo much later, the truth is inexpendable.
When in the throes of failure and great obstacles the company of those who spur us on is the single most vital component to our return to form. We must dig deeper into what others see in us. The value of our talents and skills may seem non existent to us in the moment but it is often measurable beyond the surface complements we recieve from our patrons. If we seek we might find that we are not as alone as we might think in our existence and that what we have to give affords life to those who share and empathize with our journey, and those who are touched by our works. When we cannot find the strength to do it for ourselves that ought to be purpose enough.
Ones Own Advice
Before the events that spark her return to writing, on her ill sister’s bed, Jo whispers between tears,
“Don’t go quietly. Fight! Please fight till the end, be loud! Don’t just quietly go away.”
– Jo, Little Women (2019)
These words as pointient to the living as to the dying. Words that identify with Jo as much they do with her sister. If Jo could hear and head the power of her own words she could find the strength to break her rut. Beth who herself was a piano prodigy sadly succumbs to her illness and does not get to live out what may have been a magnificent career. Eventually, and to our elation, Jo regains the fight and finds her way back to her own path. In doing so she finally honors herself along with the memory of her sister.
We know what we must do. We know what we want. We know what gives us immense joy and gives us life each day. We must fight the temptation to take another path; fight the temptation to give up all hope in our calling. Love and die for that pursuit. Work and suffer for the happiness it brings for it is not theirs but our happiness on the line. Afterall, we dont know how long we have to leave our imprint.
“Don’t just quietly go away.”
Welcome to NOTES FROM A FILM. If you read this far then this series is for you. I will be posting up notes, poetry and/or insights gathered from film viewings where I was moved to scribble my musings down. I kept the format reflective but not so assumptive that those who have not seen the films cannot read and glean from the writings. It is also meant to inspire you to watch the films yourselves if you have not. I highly recommend all the films I write on. I can only hope you enjoy these and the accompanying films as much as I did. Cheers!
Still Water Reeds 