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Response to "Splendor in the Grass"

Reaction Under pressure

Ocean

          When facing a dilemma, the ways people choose to confront it usually differ from one to another.  For example, suicides have been happening in an endless stream recently, and it is also one of the ways for some people to resolve the problem, but in a relatively negative way.  As far as I am concerned, one of the reasons why people react poorly to the problems in their entangled life may be traced to their different family backgrounds and individual personalities.

          The film, 「Splendor In The Grass」 tells about about the many pressures laid on the puppy love between the leading characters, Deanie and Bud, including the interference and autocracy of Bud』s father, the sexual repression between themselves and their families』 education, how they reacted and choose the way to go on with their own life respectively.  While Bud's sexual desire was getting higher and higher, in contrast, Deanie, due to the established virginity complex that her mother had instilled in her for so long, could not bring herself to satisfying his desire.  Bud finally chose to leave Deanie in order not to hurt her. It then became the most severe hurt in Deanie』s heart.  When suddenly faced with this blow, not knowing what to do, Deanie was under terrible pressures from herself, her family, and people at school the most.  She could not eat, drink, study, let alone go to school as before.  All she could do was figure out how to win back Bud』s heart.  She cast away her pride, virginity complex, even her family members in order to satisfy Bud, yet she found that Bud still could not accept her.  In such a dilemma, she could find no way out and she was stricken with hysteria.

          This sort of example is not merely part of the movie plot but also part of our daily life.  For example, a friend of mine called Jo once had a similar experience.  One afternoon, When Jo was chatting with friends happily at choir practice as she used to do, her eyes fell on a good-looking new-comer.  Jo could not turn her gaze away from that young man.  She felt the urge to go over and have a little chat with him, but she couldn』t: she was too shy to  take the initiative to talk to him.  She felt the struggle within and was torn between the thought of chatting with him or giving up the idea.  It was getting close to practice time, and her inner struggle kept getting stronger.  As the choir started to sing, she could not handle the pressure anymore.  Her body began trembling violently; and nobody knew what had happened.  Her body system had simply shut off as a reaction to the problem in front of her.  She completely lost control of herself; the quiver was a solution as well as an escape to the problem at hand.

          In my opinion, while facing a difficult situation, we must realize that there are many other solutions besides the best way out.  To avoid undesirable reactions such as committing suicide or getting hysteria, may be one of the solutions to the  problem was to put off the problem or even leave it to someone else.  We need to learn to meet the difficulties head-on and try hard to resolve it, or, just leave it and get on with our lives.  

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