Eksempeltekst: langsvar (SF)

Dealing with other people's expectations can be difficult. Sometimes our friends, our family, or others want us to take on roles that do not suit us. Write a text where you present two characters from literature, computer games, or film who have had to deal with other people's expectations. Discuss what we may learn from these characters.

Why can it be so hard to tell the people closest to you who you really are? We are faced with other people’s dreams and expectations for us from the moment we are born. Some of these expectations are easy and comfortable, while others may fly in the face of who we feel we are. Two characters who had to deal with difficult expectations were Paikea Apirana from the film Whale Rider (2002) and Joe Cooper from the film Pride (2014). This text will explore what expectations these two characters faced, how they dealt with these expectations, and what we can learn from them.

In the film Whale Rider, Paikea Apirana is born together with her twin brother. Her grandfather has longed for a grandson who can grow up to be a great leader, but Paikea’s twin brother dies together with her mother. Her father grieves so much that he decides to leave home, and Paikea stays with her grandparents. Paikea’s grandfather does not think that a girl can lead the tribe, so he starts to look for the next chief among the boys in the tribe. He thinks Paikea is just a girl, and that she should learn women’s traditions from her grandmother. When Paikea wants to learn how to be a chief together with the boys, it makes the relationship between her and her grandfather very difficult.

Joe Cooper also has problems because of his family's expectations. In the film Pride, Joe lives at home with his parents, who do not know that he is gay. His parents expect Joe to go to cooking school and to live an ordinary life. Joe goes to London to attend a gay pride parade, and he makes friends who are activists and who start the movement Lesbians and Gay’s Support the Miners, LGSM for short. When Joe takes part in the group’s activities, he pretends to his parents that he is away at school. The truth is that Joe is not able to keep up with school and that he is kicked out.

While Joe tries to hide who he is from his parent’s judgement, Paikea faces her grandfather head on. Paikea does all the tasks that the grandfather sets for the boys much better than they do, but he sees only disrespect in her attitude. It is not until she rides on the back of a whale and disappears out to sea that the grandfather realises that this is the chief he has been praying for, but it seems he has lost both his granddaughter and the new chief to the sea. Luckily, Paikea survives riding on the whale, and she is allowed to take her rightful place as chief.

Joe’s secret is revealed by accident. His mother finds his clipbook about the work he has done with LGSM. His parents are angry and upset, but also fearful. His mother tells him "it’s such a terrible life" and that she does not want that for him. Joe is very sad and hurt, but he finds the courage to tell his parents that he is who he is. He leaves home rather than compromise about whom to love or how to live his life. He finds his calling as a photographer and activist, and he does what he must do to lead the life he wants to lead.

Paikea is a good role model. She never gives up, even when times are tough and her heart is breaking. There is a lot to learn from her attitude. When her grandfather rejects her, she continues to show him love and respect, and she is always true to herself. Joe, on the other hand, seems a bit more cowardly at first. He hides who he is and sneaks around. However, through the support and love of his friends, he finds the strength to show the world who he really is, and to stand up even to his family. From Joe we can learn that if we find ‘our tribe’, people who love us for who we are, then we do not have to change to suit other people's expectations.

Sources

Caro, N. (Director). (2002). Whale Rider [Film]. Pandora Film.

Warchus, M. (Director). (2014). Pride [Film]. Pathé Distributions.