Plato: Rebel Without a Cause
Created By: Glen
Plato's Traits
From the movie, I noticed that Plato was lonely, obsessive, and crazy. He was lonely because he didn't have any friends and he instantly started hanging around Jim. He told Judy that Jim was his best friend, and he told Jim he doesn't have anyone to really talk to. Plato is obsessive because of how he wants a father figure and he told Jim he could be his dad. He follows Jim everywhere. Basically he saw Jim and Judy as his parents. Plato is also a very crazy person. He killed puppies, shot a kid, and shot at a cop which ended up getting himself killed.
Plato's Causes
Plato had a lot challenges and problems facing him. His parents were never their for him, his mom was always gone and his dad was out of the picture. The fact that he didn't really actually have parents, led him down a troubled path. Plato made a lot of bad decisions, from killing puppies, shooting a kid, shooting at a cop, and just getting involved with the wrong people. All though all he was looking for was someone close, he just couldn't find that hope for someone to be there.
Change
Plato really did not change or learn any lessons through the movie. Although he found a friend(Jim). Plato did not understand things and he was consumed by finding a parent figure. He didn't think things through and he seemed paranoid. He shot a kid, although the kid most likely wasn't going to kill him. He wouldn't come out when Jim tried getting him too. Then he ended up shooting at a cop which when he later came out with the gun, he was shot. He had a very hard life, and there was no way out of it for him.
The Chickie Run
The symbol of the chickie run was to see who would jump first, therefore being a chicken. Jim wasn't a guy to stand down and get called something. Buzz and Jim both went at it and ended up racing to the edge of the cliff. Jim technically jumped first as Buzz drove off the cliff, but Buzz got his coat stuck and really if you look closely, Buzz tried jumping before Jim. Buzz was the real chicken, but Jim wasn't going to die to prove anything.
Main Theme
I think the main theme could be standing up for yourself. Like Jim was raised to always let his parents fix his problems by avoiding things. He was never happy or had friends. But when he finally decided to stand up for himself and take things into his own hands. He found who he really was and could be. This allowed him to prove himself and his reputation.
Group Question
Why do you think Plato's parents were never there for him? I honestly think his father did leave the picture, but his mom just doesn't want to deal with him. Plato seemed to be looking for a parent figure, and clearly his mom was never there for him nor his dad. I think his parents just didn't want to deal with their son at all, which is sad. I also think Plato has some issues, possibly mental issues, where it makes it harder for him to be social and normal like the other kids. Because he when he found Jim, he was instantly attached, which was kind of odd.