Wall-E Scares Us Into Change Essay
Wall-e takes the idea of sustainability to a whole new level with dramatic appeal to the viewer’s pathos, lothos, and ethos. The story follows a small robot, Wall-e, as he tries to clean up the mess on earth that is left by humans.
We assume that this tale takes place in the future and can interpret this as a prediction of what will come to be according to the author. Though clearly an overstatement, Wall-e sends chills to the viewer through its powerful message. Wall-e takes American consumerism to new heights by exaggerating what may come to be if Americans continue with their current lifestyle, using fear as its driving force.Wall-e has a very clear message on American consumerism. The way in which is portrays humans as unhealthy, lazy and indulgent beings paints a picture of filth as far as the human race goes. It is the consumerisms of the humans that put them into the situation that they are currently in. they over-ate, over spent, and ultimately over-wasted leading to the mass pollution of the plant.
Wall-e implies that had Americans not been so consumed with “wanting it all now” that the universe would be in a different place.It seems that in the world of Wall-e the opposite of consumerism would be sustainability. In response to their consumerism and lack of care for the environment, the world had no natural resources left and they must all retaliate to space to seek shelter while robots are left to clean up the mess that is left behind. This is symbolic for the way in which people are currently treating the earth in response to current threats of global warming and other sustainable issues. While consumerism is taking too much, sustainability is focused on preserving what means you have.This is clearly the theme of the movie.
If nothing else , the director of Walle wants for us to feel a need to change our lifestyles after watching the movie. We have established that the message of Wall-e is to combat consumerism through sustainability, and the movie does this by appealing to our emotions. The movie uses fear as its greatest weapon in making its point. Though the movie itself is not a horror, the sight of the human condition is so devastating, that any normal person feels emotionally distraught at the sight of it.
Though it seems impossible, one can not help but wonder if that is how people are going to end up one day if things keep going the way that they are. It is the fear of the unknown in the face of a current danger that drives the movie home. Another small portion of the movie that helps to make the move towards sustainability is the significance of the green leaf. What seems so minute in out world plays such a critical world in the foundation of new life on earth in the movie that we cannot help but feel moved to appreciate the nature that we have outside more.By helping us to appreciate nature in its essence, one would assume that people would be more likely to make the move towards sustainability. The film also uses the characters in the movie to relate to characters in contemporary US society.
The people in the movie are over weight and increasingly lazy. These are two major issues that the US is facing and currently working towards fixing. However the movie clearly exaggerates what human characters there are. Indeed they are trying to make a point, but do not mistake their interpretation of the current state of people for what it actually is.In the end it is the heroism of the captain that saves the day, which is a truly human characteristic after all. Wall-e is a powerful movie, which pushes sustainability in a combat against consumerism in the USA. Through appeal to the viewer’s emotions the tale sends a powerful message based on fear in a hope to see a reaction.
If this movie is successful in its mission, after seeing it people will be more inspired to preserve what resources they have and not be so consumed with materials.
