Maria gets caught up in everything wonderful, the sky that is so blue, the grass that is so green, the fragrance of the mountains. She wants to live a life in the Abbey, a life that is not 100% hers. She has learned what she needs to know. She knows what she is supposed to be doing, that is finding what is the will of God. But she has trouble doing so without getting lost, without expressing herself . . . honestly. When asked what honesty is, Maria responds "terrible." This idea of conforming with the society in Austria during the 30's was big. Maria was responsible for doing only as she was told. As a young women, she was expected to do what she was told, and only what she was told. This idea in society morphed her mind to believe that all the "different" things that she felt were terrible and wrong. She worked to be "normal" and that was not right. (Though as the movie progresses, she quickly loses that need to conform.)
Greetings-
ReplyDeleteI think you might want to talk about how Captain Von Trapp changes throughout the film. He starts out as being pro- Austria, but then he leaves it. What does this mean?
In the end, there is a dilemma between those who want things to remain as Austrian and those who are in favor of Germany and The Third Reich. How does this change throughout the course of the film? Also, check out the song "Edelweiss." What do its lyrics mean in terms of Austrian identity and how this is changing?
Also, Maria (as you point out) is an excellent sample here. She is a non- conformist. She does not want to change in order to make people happy. What does this show us about the time period in Germany wanting to take over all of Europe? What hope do the non- conformists have in a world that is becoming more conformist, more standardized?
Final point: Captain Von Trapp as a father is an interesting topic. The idea of parental responsibility: Is it more now that parents enjoy having kids or are kids seen as more of a responsibility?
All best.
Mr. Kannan