投稿類別：英文寫作類

篇名： 青少年的《攻其不備》觀後感 Love and Courage in The Blind Side

呂昕樺。員林家商。外三乙班 柯儀琳。員林家商。外三乙班 黃婉柔。員林家商。外三乙班

指導老師： 黃襦慧老師

Love and Courage in The Blind Side

I. Introduction

According to the Scholastic Children’s Dictionary, the definition of love is a strong liking for something, and the definition of courage means bravery or fearlessness. Nowadays, our connection with each other is tighter and tighter but it seems that love no longer lives in our life. Most people care only about themselves, which causes a lack of love in our society. We start to forget how to love and it is paradoxical to say love and express our love. In addition, courage is an important part in our life. Life is not easy for everyone; therefore, each of us needs to be equipped with courage. Just as Leigh Anne treats with love and courage no matter what happens to Michael. As a consequence, we decide to discuss love and courage based on the movie The Blind Side in order to explore the thoughts of teenagers.

II. Thesis

II-A. An Introduction of The Blind Side

picture1: the gallery of The Blind Side http://www.theblindsidemovie.com/dvd/index.html#/Gallery

The Blind Side is an adapted movie based on a true story of a struggling man. It is about a boy named Michael Oher. Since Michael is big, everyone calls him “big Mike.” However, he does not like this offensive nickname. Michael, one day, comes up with Leigh Anne Tuohy in the street. At that time, he only wears shorts and T-shirt in winter, and he does not know where to go. Leigh Anne notices that Michael is one of her daughter’s classmates; therefore, she takes Michael back to her home without any hesitation. Since then, Michael has stayed tightly with the Tuohys. Although Michael is black, the Tuohys do not look down on him. Instead, they treat him well. Both Michael and the Tuohys learn a lot from each other. They prove that love and

1 Love and Courage in The Blind Side courage break down the wall of the color of skin.

II-B. An Analysis of Characters in The Blind Side

II-B-1. Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron)

Nobody cares about Michael Oher until he meets Leigh Anne Tuohy. Quinton Aaron makes his debut in The Blind Side a big success. Aaron also plays in episodes of "Law & Order" and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." In other words, Aaron is paving his way to stardom little by little.

II-B-2. Sean Tuohy (Tim McGraw)

Sean Tuohy is mainly responsible for supporting the Tuohy family. Tim McGraw is one of the most successful artists in the music industry. He has sold more than 40 million albums and had over 30 chart-topping singles worldwide. McGraw has earned three Grammy Awards, fourteen Academy of Country Music Awards, eleven Country Music Association Awards, ten American Music Awards and three People's Choice Awards.

II-B-3. Leigh Anne Tuohy ()

Sandra Bullock is one of the main characters in this movie. Because of her excellent performance, she wins the best actress in the Academy Award. In The Blind Side, she is such a kind woman that she helps Michael a lot and regards him as her child. For the Taiwanese audience, she has been a household name since her cooperation with Keanu Reeves in Speed in 1994. Sandra Bullock is one of the Hollywood's most popular leading ladies.

II-B-4. Sean Tuohy Jr. (Jae Head)

Sean Tuohy Jr., or S.J., is a little boy who likes Michael and considers him as his big brother. He is really an interesting character in the movie. Jae Head wins the best young actor in the Critics’ Choice Award. As a young Hollywood actor, Jae Head has worked in both films and television.

II-B-5. Collins Tuohy (Lily Collins)

2 Love and Courage in The Blind Side

Collins is the older sister in the Tuohy family. She is Michael’s classmate. She views Michael as her family though Michael is welcome with nobody. Lily Collins is a rising young actress, as well as a teen host and journalist. In 2008, Lily Collins received the Best International Model Award at the 2008 Spanish Glamour Awards in Madrid. She was also presented with the One to Watch Award at the 2008 Young Hollywood Awards.

II-B-6. Miss Sue ()

Miss Sue is a teacher who helps Michael with his schoolwork in order to get him into a good college. She unselfishly helps Michael a lot. Kathy Bates has been honored many times for her work on movies and television. She won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe on Misery, based on Stephen King's novel. In 1999, she received Oscar, Golden Globe and won a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Critics Choice Award for her performance in Mike Nichols' Primary Colors.

II-C. A Discussion of Love and Courage

II-C-1. Love

According to a dictionary, love is being unconditional and limitless. In The Blind Side, Michael displays his love by saving S.J. from a narrow escape. To welcome Michael, Leigh Anne and Sean buy a car for him. He drives with S.J. and sings happily. To their surprise, they have an accident. After a while, the police tell Leigh Anne that S.J. is very lucky. Those kids are hit by airbags and therefore, they are easy to have an injury even die due to the power of the sudden blow. Fortunately, Michael stops it. In our opinion, normal people protect themselves first in any emergency. But, Michael chooses to protect S.J. from upcoming danger. His action is based on love, so he would get hurt himself instead of S.J. Another example is Mother Teresa, a Catholic nun. Throughout her life, she does what she can do to help those in need, such as the poor, the homeless, the sick and so on. She inspires the whole world that love goes beyond anything. As a result, Michael tells us a lesson of unconditional and limitless love.

II-C-2. Courage

According to a dictionary, courage is being brave and able to deal with difficulties. It is easy to say than to do. For example, Michael in The Blind Side wants

3 Love and Courage in The Blind Side to be a great football player, so he practices more than others. Although the process is toilsome, he never says no. He believes that he will reach his goals. Nowadays, lots of teenagers and youth are criticized as Strawberry Generation, as weak as strawberry and not courageous to achieve objectives. For instance, those who like to sing just look at Susan Boyle and Chang Yu-hsia (張玉霞). Boyle has a good voice but she does not have a model-like appearance. However, she is brave, fights all the difficulties in the British TV talent show, and earns a contract. For the blind street performer Chang Yu-hsia, she is a registered as a low-income resident in New Taipei City, is courageous to take part in the China TV talent show, and attracts a tremendous attention either in China or in Taiwan. In a word, Michael tells a lesson of being brave to stand up to frustration or obstacles.

II-D. A Comparison of The Blind Side with Its Counterparts

II-D-1. The Bind Side vs. Holes

Everyone needs friends, especially teenagers. In The Blind Side, Michael wants to study in the library. When he enters the library, most of white people gaze at him scornfully, except Collins. As a friend and family member, she does not care what her friends say and tells Michael to feel like at home. What is more, Collins organizes a cheerleading squad to praise him for a good balance between studies and football practices.

Similarly, in Holes, Hector Zeroni is despised and nicknamed as Zero, implying nothing inside his head. Stanley thinks otherwise. Mr. Pendanski’s first introduces Zero and Stanley shows his friendliness by smiling back and playfully shaking Zero’s shoulder (Sachar, 19). After getting along with Zero, Stanley understands that Zero is not stupid and that he has a talent for math. So, Stanley teaches him to read and even keeps him concentrated by spelling when he is on the verge of coma in the Big Thumb. In our opinion, everyone is special in this world regardless of skin color or family background. Finally, Collins and Stanley approve the meaning of friendship, “A friend in need is a friend indeed.”

II-D-2. The Blind Side vs. The Help

The world will be increasingly worse if some people are not doing right things without asking reward. Leigh Anne Tuohy of The Blind Side and Skeeter of The Help are examples. When everyone is astonished at Leigh Anne’s plan of adopting Michael

4 Love and Courage in The Blind Side and thinks it ridiculous, she is very sure and serious about it. Michael is not totally understood and he is worth being treated well. In the end of the movie, she touches every heart by saying that “Michael changes my life.” Her sincere response is moving and she knows that time proved and will prove it.

As for Skeeter, she is raised by a black housekeeper. Unfortunately, in the 1960s, America was full of invisible scorn at the black, especially the south. Skeeter is a college graduate and goes back to her hometown, Mississippi for a job. So, Skeeter is very angry at why the black do not deserve equal treatment. To voice justice for the black, Skeeter starts to write a book on “The Help.” She interviews many black helps and shares their ups and downs. After the release of her book, Skeeter faces overwhelming criticism. Friends consider her to be enemy and her boyfriend breaks up with her. However, Skeeter does not step back. She believes that she just does a right thing and that the public have to reflect upon this issue. Finally, Leigh Anne and Skeeter approve that if we think it right and get it done, we are well-prepared to receive either success or failures and that if we fail, we do not regret.

II-E. Issues Related to The Blind Side

II-E-1. The Issue of Racial Discrimination

It is said that every human being is granted upon rights by God, no matter which sex or complexion they have. We never know what a book is until we open it and read it thoroughly. Likewise, we can not judge a person only by their appearance, skin color, gender, weight, disability or any outer trait. The Blind Side, to some degree, warns that history should not repeat itself since we have experienced tragedies.

II-E-2. The Issue of Bully

Bully is a serious and ubiquitous problem. The government and the public should pay full attention to it because many students are suffering. A bully is someone who does something mean to others intentionally or unintentionally. There are three common forms of bully. One is verbal bully. We can hear a lot of people saying bad words in public or in private. Bad words are depressing and people are easy to totally deny themselves. We had better be careful about whatever we say and after all, bad words may have a lifelong influence and people may be forever tortured by this mental nightmare. Second is social bully, which happens at schools, working places and everywhere. Victims of social bully usually suffer from social isolation and they

5 Love and Courage in The Blind Side think themselves unwelcome or unworthy. What is worse, cases of suicides hit headlines. Another example is cyber bully, a byproduct of E-generation. Because of the convenience of the Internet, social networking sites or other immediate on-line functions, cyber bully is more common and serious. For example, a CBS WKBT TV anchor, Jennifer Livingston, has an on-air response to an anonymous e-mail attacking her weight. At the end of her public statement, she loudly appeals to those who suffer from bullies: never let these bullies define our self-worth and what they say is nothing because they do not know who we are. Consequently, The Blind Side indirectly indicates that the problem of bully calls for more concern and that a sense of belonging in a group is not associated with others’ judgment.

II-F. A Survey on Teenager’s Opinion of The Blind Side

To find out what is teenagers’ feeling about the movie The Blind Side, we deliver a questionnaire to the sophomores of Applied Foreign Language Department at National Yuan-lin Vocational High School of Home Economics and Business to investigate their thoughts.

II-F-1. If a person of a different background is accepted

80 70 60

50 40

40 people 30 19 20 14 4 10 3 0 definitely accept no comment hard to extremely accept accept hard to accept

Nowadays, all of us have a tight connection with each other. Because of different backgrounds, some people are not accepted in a certain group. However, according to the chart, most students think that accepting people from different backgrounds is not difficult, but others do not think so. In the movie The Blind Side, the skin color of Michael Oher is black. He is isolated because he is regarded as an inferior. Otherwise, Leigh Anne thinks all men are created equal. Everyone has their advantages and it is not fair to judge a book by its cover.

II-F-2. If I run into difficulties, I am courageous and capable of dealing with challenges.

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5% 11% 19%

true of me 14% usually true of me somewhat true of me not true of me never true of me

51%

Some of the youth are criticized as fragile as strawberry nowadays. Teenagers are believed to give in to obstacles easily. In the movie, The Blind Side, the main character, Michael Oher, deals with what is against him, either studies or relationships. From this chart, it tells that some of teenagers want to break the belief of “youth is unreliable.”

II-F-3. Whether I have love and am always patient with others or not

13%

20% yes no no comment 67%

In our daily life, we need love to support our mental problems. To know how many people have love and patience, we have an investigation. According to the chart, most teenagers have love and patience with others. In fact, we can not live without love; furthermore, we have a sense of security when we are surrounded by love. A great personality of human is composed of enough love and patience. We need to learn how to give others a hand and be friendly to others. By doing so, we have a better society.

III. Conclusion

It is true that movies have a great impact on people. Because of movies, some

7 Love and Courage in The Blind Side issues, common but neglected, inspire us and help us think over it. According to The Blind Side, it reminds us of the importance of love and courage. Everyone’s life is filled with ups and downs. Sometimes, we face lots of challenges, but we should not give up easily. We should cherish what we have and regard the weaknesses as the gifts of God.

In our opinion, Australian Nick Vujicic is another perfect example. He was born without hands and legs. When he was young, he had no confidence to live on and he wanted to die. Fortunately, his parents surround him with tremendous love and support. Although he is born to be physically challenged, he lives with this “difference” with love and courage. Eventually, he becomes a world-known inspiring speaker. It proves that love and courage are two cure-all pills for everyone and everything.

IV. Reference

1. 維基百科之「霸凌」。2013.03.09，http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ijime 2. Official site of The Blind Side. 2010.02.26， http://www.theblindsidemovie.com/dvd/index.html 3. Scholastic Reference (2007). Scholastic Children’s Dictionary. New York: Broadway.

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