Judy
Rebel without a cause
Lonley
Judy is lonely even in her large group of friends because she doesn't really fit in with them. She is more mature than the rest of her group of friends. She feels sorry for Jim even from the start and looks worried when Jim and Buzz get in a fight.
Insecure
Judy is extremely insecure and unsure of who she is. She has to be with someone at all times and doesn't really stand up for herself. You can tell she feels uncomfortable when the other kids are bullying Jim but she never says anything. She also can't be her own person without her boyfriend and she tells Jim she loves him only two days after her boyfriend dies in the "Chickie Run."
Family Problems
Judy has a pretty normal family with a Father, Mother, and little brother. The only problem is that her dad is pulling away from her because she is growing up and he doesn't want to show affection because she is a young woman now. Judy just wants to feel close to her Father again and grow up at the same time. But he wont show affection for a young woman who wears makeup and is acting like an adult.
Changes
Judy does change a lot throughout the movie. She starts as a child who throws tantrums and is needy. And progresses into a young woman and almost a Mother figure towards Plato. She is truly in love with Jim and it has greatly matured her into a woman her dad can hopefully respect and love.
The Mansion
The Mansion is very symbolic of a safe place for all of the rebels. It is the place where they found what they had been looking for throughout the movie. Judy and Jim found true love and a place where they belong. Judy finally had a man in her life who knew how to show affection for her and Jim felt like a real man himself. Plato had the family he had been yearning for with Jim as a figurative father and Judy as the mother.
Theme
I think the theme was overcoming struggles. All of the rebels had a reason to rebel and had hardships in their families. They were all faced with the option of giving into these hardships and being defined by them or to rebel and find themselves and become who they want to be. In the end Judy especially found real love for herself and a family she really cared for and who cared for her.
Why does Jim never back down?
Jim never backs down because his father is so feminine and never stands up for himself or takes responsibility for his actions or makes Jim take responsibility for his. Jim wants to be a respectable man that people look up to. He wants to be good. That's why he wants to turn himself in and confess to what happened to Buzz because he thinks that is what a real man would do not what his father wants him to do. If he were to back down from something then he would be just as bad as his father.