Notes on Chocolate: Containing Many Topics

Here are some of my notes and ideas about the film Chocolate. Everyone should write their own new post about the film. You may take one or some of these ideas and elaborate on some aspect of it. Main topics include:
--various disabilities, overcoming challenges, additional hardships for people with illnesses or disabilities.
--symbolism in the film.
Of course, there may be others!
In addition to the new post, please comment on at least two posts by other students. If you write more posts or comments, you will be eligible to receive extra credit. Make sure your posts are also paragraph-length! Have fun!

"Misachi loves things containing imperfections."

Zen focuses on small things.
What are the crystals she keeps finding?
They are like tears.

She doesn't understand what's happening but she may be able to do something about it.

How is hair symbolic in the movie?
--the idea of "lots" or of money at all.

"Hey fatty!" Is Mike's weight condition a handicap? He gets picked on, & this seems to play a role in his getting adopted by Zin & Zen. Could a handicap be a benefit?

the idea of "normal"--what about the concept of various social conventions?
--illness, disability, and prejudice

symbolism.
toes.
knives.
"Losing your big toe can change your whole life forever."

What about the little crystals?
They are clear, round, light.
These turn out to be the beads from a bag of that silica gel stuff put inside packaging to remove moisture. This is a discarded piece of nothing, a non-product included in products to preserve them.

Money owed for what?
--This money is part of the protection racket the mean gangster runs.

Ice
Wooden pallets in the warehouse.
Meat
Flies.
--Flies are basically harmless, but stand as an obstacle she cannot overcome without Mike's help. Despite her great abilities, she is rendered helpless by something most of us would perceive as harmless.

This basic system of reality--the needs for this or that, which seems to apply to this film, may symbolize other elemental aspects, as well. Do the most basic things in life present immensely strong obstacles to people with disabilities?

"One is dying & the other's mentally challenged."
"The people, those in the book." MIke goes to collect the money from.
Mike asks Zin if she's in trouble.

Molly Wan shoots Mike.
Misachi is her husband? I thought they had a fling. I didn't realize they had gotten married.

The toe as a symbol? What is the meaning of the losses? Disability?
What are these women? Some people asked about them being cross-dressers.

Is there something about a clash of cultures?
Misachi is Japanese, while Zin & the gang are Thai.

Is this whole film a symbolic representation of the challenges faced by autistic children as they must accomplish everyday, "normal" activities? Is the challenge of destroying her parents' tormenters symbolic of the obstacles thrown in the way of parents with special needs children? Relatives, friends, places of employment, insurance. The reality that "medicine is expensive" recurs often in the film. The great deal of medical care required by children with disabilities adds another obstacle to the lives of parents and children.

Zin's cancer could be symbolized by the evil gangster. He cuts Zen's hair, just as cancer makes Zin lose her hair. Cancer hurts her, weakens her, and eventually kills her, just as the evil gangster drives away her husband, cuts off her toe, and kills her. Zen's battle with all these forces: medical bills, finding a place in society, earning money, protecting herself, helping her family, and surviving is a continuous struggle against all odds.

She faces the same challenges everyone else does, but she's born with a handicap, so her heroics, in this case portrayed as superhuman, are indicative of the effort needed for her to succeed simply in living.