Response Essay for ‘Brave’

   When I first came to know about the movie, I thought it was just a mere children’s movie. However, this movie had more things within it; there were messages much deeper to convey.
   Fate is a word that was continuously repeated in the movie. Fate, most of us think, is something we can’t change at all. Merida’s fate to marry one of three princes from each surrounding clan seemed so, too, at first. Merida wanted to change her mother’s mind to change her fate, but her mother changed into a bear! She changed this situation again so that her mother turned back into a human and the tradition that bound her got broken. The point is that fates can be changed, but you should be responsible for it. Merida took responsibility for her change of fate, although a prince from a long time ago didn’t and became Mor’du. Fates can be changed depending on what you do.
   Unity is another thing the movie wanted to talk about. In the movie, two relationships were united: one between Merida and her mother, and another between the four clans. This was possible because they cured scars from the past. A bind once torn many years ago came to be united, like the torn tapestry being sewn. Even the worst relationships can be united once again when the scar is healed.
   True bravery is an important message that happens to be related to the title of this movie. Merida is the one who shows this. She stood up against tradition that princesses should be “perfect” and should marry someone no matter what they thought. She also showed great bravery in trying to turn her mother back into a human. Everything she intended to do succeeded. She indeed tells us that with true bravery, there’s nothing you can’t do.
   Some people say that Merida is different from previous characters in Pixar movies. Yes, I agree; she certainly is a princess with a difference.