Elise Gunteski Thoughts and Theories

 After class on both Thursday and Tuesday, I had some thoughts, theories, and observations about the Boy and the Heron. This blog will be mainly focused on the part from Tuesday. First, a few thoughts on the warawara and their journey. When they start to float up into the sky, they form almost double helixes. As a biology student, I found it fascinating that the souls dancing through the sky took on the shape of our DNA. Also, I related their unfortunate burning to the beginning of the movie. The warawara were being viciously attacked and eaten on their flight when Princess Himi appeared and shot fireworks through the flock of hungry birds. While the birds were driven off, many warawara were burned as well. Mahito was distraught, but he was reassured that it was for a purpose. Those few warawara had to die in order for the other souls to find life. This reminded me of Mahito's mother. In the beginning of the movie she was burned, but this tragedy has allowed Mahito's soul to develop deeper. While Mahito is grieving he can't see her making room for him to grow. Second, I wanted to speak on the scene where Mahito enters his aunts room. The paper streamers start waving and cutting wildly. The way that they wrapped on both Mahito and his aunt reminded me of burial clothes, signaling some form of death or rebirth. I thought that it was interesting how his aunt reacted so violently and how it seemed like the papers had prepped them for burial before Mahito's mother stepped in. One final thought is about the identity of the Heron. This whole movie has the steps of the Hero's Journey. The Hero turned goblin reminds of a trickster role. Someone who can delay the mission, but ultimately causes growth from the hero.