Rebel without a cause
Alex Campbell
Jim Starks Traits
Jim stark was a troublesome young boy growing up with a troubled family. He has many different traits, some are good, some are bad. His first trait is that he has a drinking problem. In the beginning of the show, he is picked up on the side of the road by police men because he is causing problems and public drunkenness. His parents are also aware of him doing this because he has done this before.
Another trait of Jim's, is that he is peer pressured and a troublesome kid. This trait is shown throughout the whole show because he always seems to be getting into some trouble or anther person is. This was probably his biggest trait. A time in the show where he showed this was when him a buzz played chicken because he was peer pressured into it and he actually wanted to do it.
Causes
Jim really is a rebel, he does what he wants whenever he wants too. The main reason he acts like a rebel is because of the way he was raised and also the fact that his parents let him do whatever he wants and lets him act however he wants. Jim hates being called a chicken because i believe he wants to fit in and have friends and not be afraid of anything. They said in the show that he has moved before, I believe it was because of his bad reputation of getting in trouble and not being a chicken about anything. The main cause of his actions was his parents fault with there poor parenting.
Learning lessons
Jim Stark went through a lot in his young life, yet learned so much. He was troublesome and alone at first, but then realized there's more to life then just getting in trouble, getting drunk, or acting stupid. After buzz crashed and died is when he realized it. He also finally got his fathers respect and his father stood to his word and they actually talked about things. I think that Jim's biggest lesson was that you don't have to be popular to get somewhere in life.
chicken run
When him realized what had happened to buzz after the chicken run, i think he actually realized that bad things can go wrong really fast. He finally realized that life isn't a game and it should be treasured and been lived well. I think his whole attitude on life changes after he realizes this which symbolizes that Jim is growing up.
Theme
The main lesson for all the characters in the show, is that although it might seem rough and hard at some points in life, sometimes its just time to grow up and act more mature, For instance, Judy was sixteen years old and acting like she was five to her dad. All she wanted was his attention. It just shows she had no respect and was not growing up at all. But they all learn from there mistakes and try to do better in life after some experiences kind of like us now in high school.
Question
My question was, "what was the biggest thing that Jim learned about life?"
My answer: The biggest thing that Jim learned was that he didn't have to be a chicken to prove anything to others and that he could be himself.