Notes on the movie "Babe"

based on the book by Dick King-Smith

Connections to Stellaluna:

       --dual mother structure
            1) Babe is separated from mother by masculine force
            2) first mother is nurturing but powerless, second mother is somewhat violent, but her power with respect to the symbolic order is what Babe needs if he is going to survive
       --both Babe and Stellaluna get in trouble for not behaving properly, according to the rules of their new homes 
       --develop strong mirroring relationship with peers
       --strong message of accepting differences (Babe is described as having an "unprejudiced heart" and he vows "never to think badly of another creature," Stellaluna and her bird friends decide that being different is a mystery, but that they are friends no matter what)
       --both Babe and Stellaluna realize that their mirroring relationships aren't perfect, and they need to understand the difference between Imaginary ideals, where they actually believe they are the same as the ones they are mirroring, and Symbolic identifications, where they realize that they are playing a role, and that role has limits. When Babe tries to herd the sheep for the first time, he tries to be a dog, and they laugh at him. When Stellaluna tries to land on the branch, she fails.

Significance of language:

     --Babe says his first words, as does Stellaluna, after separating from mom.
     --Babe gets cooperation from the sheep by talking to them.
     --The farmer saves Babe's life by singing to him, "If I had words to make a day for you, I'd sing you a morning gentle and true...."

Patriarchy:
       Rex represents the patriarchal structure of the world through his position in the life of the farm. His name means "king," he is in charge of all the animals, everyone is slightly afraid of him. He is also responsible for the smooth functioning of things.

      When Babe and Ferdinand behave in ways that suggest they are not sticking to their proper places within the farmyard, Rex delivers a stern lecture, stating that from now on, everyone should know his place and be happy with it. Why is he able to make such a statement? Well, because the status quo works for him. He has an important job to do, and he has power over all the other animals. The two animals who challenge his authority are the ones most at risk under the current system--both are kept only to be eaten.

     The stages Rex goes through during the movie roughly parallel the stages that men as a group have gone through since early in the 20th century. At first, they resisted the liberation of women, and the granting of civil rights to minorities. Many men responded with anger, just as Rex does--lynchings, increasing domestic violence, etc. Then separatist movements became popular, and what might be called a sedation of the white male. White men disappeared into corporate America, leaving the life of the family to the women. Because of the imbalance their absence creates, the social environment of children has reached a crisis.  Two large movements, the Promisekeepers and the Million Man March, urge men to return to their commitments to God and the family, honoring their wives and taking care of their children  as worship to God. Rex experiences a similar recommitment experience under the same motivation--desire for his God (Farmer Hoggett) and his woman.  In the end of the movie, the efforts of the whole family are what bring glory to Farmer Hoggett.  

       Another point: The role of the (symbolic) father is to limit the possibilities of identity, as in Rex's speech.  Just as the mother initiates the structure of trust, the father provides for the possibility of focus. Because the father is someone to be feared, and someone you want to impress, you are always aware of his presence "out there." You want to know where he is, what he's doing, and what he thinks of you. This makes him a focal point, and a focalizing force in your life. Correspondent with the phenomena of absent fathers is the sharp increase of attention deficit disorders. The psychoanalytic explanation for ADHD links it to the failure to internalize the symbolic father.  Remember, everything depends on balance.

The Role of the Arts in our lives:

    In order to save Babe's life, Farmer Hoggett sings and dances.  His song insists on the importance of words (or the literary arts). Without the arts, we are left with the plain fact that we are here to eat our food and die. The arts relieve the banality of our existence, and help us resolve our existential crisis (the knowledge that life may in fact be meaningless, that we may, as the Cat says, have no purpose).