Individual Film Analysis Essay DUE DATE: April 17, 2022 THE SYMBOLIC MEANING OF MOTHERS IN PARANORMAL FILM For this assignment you are tasked with the analysis of meaning behind mothers or mothering as a symbol. Symbols denote concepts (liberty, peace, etc.) and feelings (hate, love, etc.) that they often have nothing to do with. They are used liberally in both literature and film, and finding them uses a similar process. Ask yourself for example: 0 What objects or images are repeated in multiple instances to depict mothers? 0 How are these symbols or signs used to construct characters? How do they relate to the relative role ofthose characters, or the relationships between multiple characters? HERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW SYMBOLS ARE USED: In Frozen Elsa’s gloves appear in multiple scenes. In what context do they appear? Her gloves are first given to her by her father to restrain her magic. She continues to wear them throughout the coronation scene, before finally, in the Let It Go sequence, she throws them away. Again, the method of semiotic analysis in film is similar to that of literature. Think about the deeper meaning behind objects or actions. What might Elsa’s gloves represent? Elsa’s gloves represent fear of her magic and, by extension, herself. Though she attempts to contain her magic by hiding her hands within gloves and denying part of her identity, she eventually abandons the gloves in a quest for self-acceptance.

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