Robert_Frost

The three texts I have chosen relate to Robert Frosts poem ‘The Road Not Taken’ include: Sally Morgan’s autobiographical text My Place, James Mangold’s film ‘Girl interrupted’, and Anthony Kiedis’s autobiography Scar Tissue. These texts have all outlined the features in the process of an inner journey which are essential for reaching a destination, and have all conveyed such a process in unique ways. My Place is Sally Morgan’s journey to understanding both herself and her place in the world. It depicts her mother Gladys, her grandmother Daisy and her own emotional and ‘spiritual pilgrimage’ to uncover their aboriginal identities. Sally’s reluctance to ‘leave the past buried’, as well as her personal characteristics of determination and rebelliousness, and her dynamic decision to not ‘stay silent’ are qualities which become essential in reaching her destination of self discovery and a sense of belonging. Her earlier sense of being ‘different’ was further demonstrated to her, with her discovery that she was aboriginal. This catalyst left her ‘feeling that a vital part of (her) was missing’ and prompted her to set about digging up the past to uncover her and her family’s identity, however, this quest was to be fraught with obstacles. Gladys and Daisy’s reluctance to admit their aboriginality was understandably an act of protection, considering the pain and racial torment they had both suffered in the past. Daisy explains the problems she had and other aborigines endured through her use of animal imagery, commenting that they ‘were owned back than, like a cow or a horse”, ‘treated like an animal’. Through this imagery, we are given insight into the harsh and degrading effect to this experience which is a mental obstacle for Daisy, preventing her from reaching her destination. It is only through Sally’s determination and perseverance that Daisy is able to feel ‘a sense of value as a human being’, and eventually open up to tell her story. For Gladys, the trip to Corunna Downs was a turning point in her journey to self discovery, where she is finally able to feel a sense of pride and embrace her Aboriginality. This is conveyed through her dialogue in which she states ‘I feel embarrassed now to think that once I wanted to be white’, a statement which verifies the fact that she has reached her destination. Sally too reaches her destination after her visit to Corunna, making the realisation that her family would have been ‘deprived’ had they have ‘been willing to let things stay as they were’, she now feels a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction upon learning the truth. Through Morgan’s contrast of present time in the latter part of My Place, she reveals her new found insight and the fact that she ‘now’ has a greater understanding of her aboriginal heritage; she ‘now’ has a place. By going through the vital process of a journey, which included overcoming emotional obstacles, making courageous decisions and demonstrating determination, all three women were able to grow and eventually reach their spiritual destination. Thus it was the process which was critical in the arrival at the destination. Similarly to My Place, James Mongold’s film ‘Girl Interrupted’ depicts a journey of self discovery, in this case, for the protagonist, Susanna. Admitted to a psychiatric hospital in the 1960’s after a half hearted attempt, Susanna finds herself grappling with the notion of insanity. Through a montage of flashbacks in the beginning of the film between Susanna’s hospital and pre-institutional life, the audience is able to visually understand the transactions of her confused, yet gifted mind. This is further conveyed through the dialogue with a voice over in which Susanna questions the motives behind her actions, ‘maybe (she) was just crazy, or maybe it was the sixties, or maybe (she) was just a girl…interrupted’. Susanna is quickly diagnosed with a ‘borderline personality disorder’ in which she is ‘torn between two opposing courses of action. She must decide whether she will ‘stay or go’, and question whether she is ‘sane or crazy’. As she contemplates these enormous questions and decisions which are essential in determining the outcome of her journey, her confusing and hesitation are conveyed through a close up camera shot of her face, emphasising her wide eyes and gulping throat, indicating that she is both nervous and terrified of making these life changing choices. A catalyst for change is Susanna is when she is confronted by the stern and well-respected nurse Valerie who comments that Susanna is not insane, but rather ‘a spoilt, self-indulgent little girl who is driving herself crazy’. After this incident, Susanna is forced to re-evaluate her life and question whether she is ‘throwing it away’. Through making courageous choices, Susanna transforms herself from a depressed, angry suicidal young girl, into a vital woman who finds peace, a reason to live and the ability to lead her own successful life. Like Sally Morgan in My Place, her journey is one of decision making, learning, and finding reason and contentment with her life, and more importantly, within herself. Anthony Kiedis’ autobiography Scar Tissue depicts the many journeys which he has taken in his life, the physical journey of the formation and success of his band, his spiritual journey to India where he met the Dalai Lama, but more importantly, it portrays his inner journey to overcome his mind and drug addiction. Since an early age, Anthony had ‘uncontrollable urges to do drugs’, setting the stage for a lifetime of struggles with substance abuse. The ideas of choice and decision making involved in a journey are evident in Scar Tissue, in which Kiedis grapples with the decisions of drug use and sobriety, conveyed through his enrolling into many stints at rehab which left him feeling ‘optimistic, healthy and happy about (his) life’, and also the numerous relapses which prompted ‘the whole cycle to (begin) again’. Kiedis explains that he would often try to ‘rationalize with (his) inner psyche’, telling himself that he would do ‘just a little bit more ‘ drugs before quitting for good, but this cycle would become more and more frequent, and the idea of his taking control of his mind seemed impossible. Through the use of a metaphor Kiedis describes the heroin which he would constantly be ‘reawakened’ to as ‘the eight hundred pound gorilla’, highlighting its threatening, aggressive and dominating effect. His use of the simile, ‘like a walking skeleton’ highlights the frail lifeless nature which would corrupt him after his many drug runs. The many years of torment, heartbreak and struggle which Kiedis suffered as a result of his drug addiction eventually forced him to make the final, courageous decision to quit and not ‘throw it all away again’, and it was this decision which steered him to a successful outcome in his journey. Kiedis’ quest to gain control of his mind and ‘urges’ has been a valuable learning experience for him. He describes is as ‘ugly’, one which ‘hurts so bad’, but one which ‘wouldn’t trade for a minute’. This fights to gain control of his mind runs parallel with Sally Morgan’s fight to her identity in My Place’ with both having to make courageous decisions and preserve in order to achieve what had previously seemed insurmountable difficulties. It appears that to reach a destination in which one can discover and redefine themselves, and achieve a more satisfying outcome, one must experience a period of growth, confront challenges with courage and make decisive choices, which are vital features in the process of an inner journey. Thus it is ultimately the process which channels the eventual destination. Each of these three texts relate to Frost’s poems as the each are based around choice and decision making. All of them involved contemplating what path (road) to take, to bring them closer to their final destination.