Stuart Little The Movie example essay topic

484 words
Based on E.B. White's children's classic "Stuart Little - the Movie" is quite different from the original story. The most important difference is that in the book Mrs. Little gives birth to Stuart, whereas in the movie the Littles adopt him. I guess the thought of adopting a talking, suit-wearing mouse is less appalling than the notion of giving birth to one. The film also toys with a very big adoption issues, like "the empty space" many adoptees speak of when they struggle to construct an identity out of life from which pieces are missing (Berk, 1997). Stuart questions his belonging to the Little family. As any adolescent he experiences "curiosity about his roots" (Berk, 1997).

And soon he tells his adoptive parents that he would like to know about his real parents". I feel an empty space inside me and I want to know what was there before". It would be very nice if the real parents just came (after so many years) and asked to meet Stuart. Instead the Stouts demand that Littles hand Stuart to them. They claim that Littles would never be able to give Stuart what the real parents can. "You may feel he's family, but he " ll never really be family...

There's something you " ll never be able to give him... It's a place that you can never fill". What is amazing though is that Littles wring their hands, shed a bittersweet tear and hand Stuart over to Stouts against his will. "Dear, we just want what's best for you". They do not bother to make a phone call to find out who Stouts are and if they are really Stuart's birth parent.

This perpetuates a stupid myth about adoption that is so popular in movies and TV programs -that the adoptive family is not really the adoptee's family, and that "blood claims can be evoked at any time" (Berk, 1997) and take precedence over ties of adoption no matter what, no matter when. Stuart is then returned to Stouts, with whom he lives for a while before finding out that they are fakes. It is a terrible and confusing message for an adopted child to see. However, this means that Stuart can now return to the Littles, where he is happy. The movie ends happily, with a strong statement about how families do not have to look alike to be families. Stuart is accepted as a true Little even by Snowball, "He is not just a mouse.

He is family". Stuart also memorably notes, "You don't have to look alike to be family. You don't even have to like each other". The ending tells us that family will be there for one another no matter how different they are.