'Rebel Without a Cause'Film Review - Essay Example

13 December “Rebel without a Cause” Journal In the film, “Rebel without a Cause,” there are several issues surrounding masculinity. When trying to figure out why Jim’s mother is so controlling, most of it relates to the fact that she is in conflict with Jim’s father’s mother who is very domineering. Jim’s mother is really immature and she is completely upset with her mother-in-law’s existence. She married Jim’s dad who is not the person she thought she had married. Jim’s father has always been controlled by his mother and made him dependent on her for almost everything.

It affects his ability to even think for himself so between his own mother and his wife, he just goes along with whatever he is told to do. Jim’s mother is completely disappointed with how her life is and takes it out on her husband and Jim. ‘Being chicken’ in this film relates to the fact that Jim’s role model has been a man who was not quite tough enough because he caudles to his mother and wife. Jim has a hard time figuring out what being masculine means and he is more of a tender man because of it though he is a bit sarcastic to make up for it and defiant of authority.

His parents have made his life frustrating and due to his dad’s behavior, he does not know how to be manly and Jim wishes that he would just knock her out just once to shut her up. He easily gets upset because they contradict each other and he acts out in frustration but then it also comes out in tears.