English Studies 12 - Inquiry Project
How do the varying aspects of one’s identity influence their actions, perception of the world, and the way others perceive them?
Amélie
Amélie takes place in 1977 in Paris and was originally published in Canada during 2001, directed by Jean-Pierre Junet. It tells the story of a young women whose childhood was suppressed by her father's unnecessary concerns of a heart defect and who finds joy in simple pleasures of life. During the movie, she dedicates herself to helping others.
Amélie and Identity
1
How do the different aspects of Amélie's identity influence her actions?
Amélie is a compassionate, introverted and creative individual with a unique and bright outlook on life, finds pleasure in the simple things and faces isolation at times. Her introverted and shy nature has led her to avoid recognition or attention, but rather watch the consequences of her good deeds unfold from afar. Her unique outlook on life causes her to approach situations with curiosity and uses her intuition to guide her when making decisions. After she realizes that she enjoys dealing with her loneliness through helping others, she spends most of her time doing so.
2
How does her identity influence her view of the world?
Her loneliness at the beginning of the movie caused her to pay extra attention to those who had close relationships and friendships. She perceives others as people who could use some help, rather than, for example, people to be taken advantage of and sees the good in others. She doesn't understand certain ways of life that wouldn’t align with her values and preferences. Because of her curious nature, she sees the world as a magical place and pursues her interests and curiosity no matter where they take her.
3
How does her identity influence the way others perceive her?
Amélie would be perceived as different, perhaps difficult to talk to because of the way she would close herself off from the world at times. The people who experience her good deeds would describe her as kind-hearted and empathetic. The people in her life see her as someone who is approachable and open-minded, always willing to see the goos in others and open to new experiences and opportunities.