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Bend It Like Beckham Hero's Journey Essay

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Bend it Like Beckham Versus A Hero’s Journey
By: Mack Ritz

Have you ever been faced with a choice between following your dreams, or staying loyal to your parents? A hero on a quest will face many decisions like this, and will be confronted with many challenges on their way to their final goal. Jess’ epic journey in Bend it Like Beckham, directed by Gurinder Chadha, is extremely similar to that of the Hero’s Journey. She faces many obstacles on her way to becoming a soccer player, reaches a significant low point, and then is reborn. The movie teaches us to never give up on our dreams. These elements in the Hero’s Journey and Bend it Like Beckham directly impact what I will be talking about. In the Hero’s Journey, the hero must deal with …show more content…

In Bend it Like Beckham, Jess is reborn when her dad finally lets her play in her final soccer game, after he saw how much she wanted to go, and how passionate she was for the game. Jess is relieved because she gets to play in the final, and does not have to deceive her parents anymore. She experiences a mental change as she now goes out of her way to be truthful in everything she does. Jess now wants to start to honour her parents, whereas before, she would easily slip into misleading them. This new attitude, and fresh change of mind, helps her excel in her soccer game. Every hero is reborn, with a new change of mind, and heart. Jess’ change not only helps her ease her conscience, but also helps her succeed in her tournament final.
The Hero’s Journey closely resembles Jess’ own journey in Bend it Like Beckham to become a soccer player. Both heroes face challenging obstacles, reach a significant low point, and are physically and/or mentally reborn. Jess chooses to keep pushing through the challenges she faces, and to not give up on her dream. Jess also adopts a new state of mind, in which she chooses to not deceive her parents. This persistent effort, and her mental rebirth pays off for Jess, and she reaches her ultimate goal of becoming a soccer

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