A Realistic Character Arc
A realistic character arc which embodies personal growth is that of the protagonist of Spirited Away, Chihiro, a 10-year-old Japanese girl.
In the beginning of the film, Chihiro is an ordinary, albeit a bit annoying, child. She is upset about moving to a new neighbourhood, as evidenced by her sulky facial expression and constant whining. When Chihiro and her parents enter the tunnel to the spirit world, she holds on tight to her mother as she feels frightened. After her parents turn into pigs, though Chihiro realises that she must save them by working in Aburaya, she remains to be naïvely persistent and lacking in manners, such as when she forgets to express gratitude to Kamaji for helping her.
Nonetheless, as the story progresses, Chihiro becomes more mature. When Yubaba takes away her name and Chihiro becomes Sen, she begins to act in a more self-sufficient manner. She works alongside other spirits who share the same rank with her, mopping the floor to the best of her ability, insisting on completing the task even when she is lagging behind. In addition, we also witness Chihiro becoming braver. When staff in Aburaya are horrified after No Face eats two workers, Chihiro willingly faces him alone before luring him to chase after her to the tram station. It is worth noting that this does not mean Chihiro completely loses the character traits of being a child. In one scene, she breaks into tears after seeing her parents as pigs in the farm.
Chihiro’s character arc demonstrates personal growth, yet, it does not simply jump from her being sullen to being hard-working and mature. Here lies the element of realism in Chihiro’s characterisation; though she appears to be strong in working her way through this spirit world, we see Chihiro’s vulnerability. We are reminded that she is only a 10-year-old girl, trying her best to save her parents in a foreign world. Regardless of age, we could not but applaud her courage. The fact that Chihiro’s motivation (and therefore the source of changes within her character arc) is saving her parents also adds to the authenticity as one’s attachment to one’s parents is easy to echo with.
Human Beings as Social Animals
Realism proposes that “men and women are social animals whose identity arises from active participation in the lives of others” (Nichols 183). In the case of Spirited Away, apart from Chihiro and her family, all characters are not humans. Yet, as most characters closely resemble human beings in their appearances, or at the very least, possess recognisable personalities and needs, we are able to recognise them as people just like ourselves. Since they appear in the form of humans, they are indeed constructed as social animals, that is in accordance with the realist approach.
To illustrate, let us look at the motivations of two characters: Haku and No Face.
In the beginning of the film, Haku lost his name to Yubaba and could not recall it. However, he remembers Chihiro’s name as he once saved her life when Chihiro was younger. Consequently, Haku’s identity arises as he saves Chihiro’s life, which explains the greater significance of Chihiro’s name over Haku’s own name to himself.
On the other hand, No Face’s character is more extreme in his desire to participate in the Chihiro's life. He is terribly lonely; Chihiro is the only person to have shown kindness and care to him by opening the door for him to enter Aburaya. As a result, he goes to great lengths to repay Chihiro; he helps her obtain tags, gives her gold and ultimately, grows to be obsessed with her by chasing after her. His identity arises from being “good” to Chihiro, even though what he does is not always in line with what Chihiro wants. This is especially evident when Chihiro refuses his offer of gold. No Face appears to be confused and collapses as he fails to fulfil the purpose of paying back Chihiro’s kindness, which in turn causes a break-down of his identity.
From Haku and No Face, we could discern character motivations that are familiar in our daily lives. The joy in helping others and the desire to escape loneliness is common sentiment among the general public regardless of age.
Through Chihiro's character arc and the portrayal of characters as social animals, Spirited Away incorporates characters that are largely relatable to the audience, as a product of its realist approach. This in turn enables spectators across various age groups to identify with the characters as well as furthering the immersiveness in the film experience.
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