Journey Of Self-Discovery In A Monster Calls By Patrick Ness

“A Monster Calls” is a novel written in 2011, published by author Patrick Ness. The book discusses the process and journey of self discovery while analysing the overcoming of suffering. A film that explores a similar theme is “Coco (2017)” directed by Adrina Molina. The film displays a theme of self discovery after being held back by his family. Self discovery is a small section of personal growth and development, when you feel connected to yourself you can live a more meaningful life. The journey of self discovery and the learning process is more impactful than the destination itself. The discovery of self is not something achieved easily or quickly but a long process that has ups and downs.

Throughout this book we see the protagonist “Conor

Within the book we see Conor heal his broken family and most importantly heal his broken self. Conor’s mother suffers from an illness with no hope of her surviving, this puts Conor in a position where that is all he thinks about. He lies to himself in denial of the truth and in disbelief of his mother’s critical condition. During the book, Conor gets visited by a monster, this monster teaches Conor lessons and assists him in his self discovery journey using three impactful stories and one final truth, it should be recognised that the monster did not discover Conor, but inspires him to discover himself. “Belief is half of healing” this quote indicates an important step towards acceptance and self journey. It implies that there is more than just believing and it is a small part of something,

Similarly, Conor discovers himself through acceptance, while Miguel discovers himself through passion. They both explore the importance of family while also on the journey of self discovery. When Miguel becomes more confident in music and himself, he rejects his family and rebels against the strict rules they have. “Nothing’s more important than family.” He states this when he realises that Hector is his great grandfather, he is willing to give up his devotion for music and sacrifice it for family. Not only do words display emotion but so do film techniques like different shots, camera angles, lighting and sound effects. Different camera angles are used to show perspective and different viewpoints. High camera angles are used to show weakness or vulnerability. We see an example of this when Miguel gets thrown into the hole. Low camera angles are used to display authority and power, which is mostly used around the villain. The colouring plays an important role in the film as it can tell a story. Vibrant colours are used mostly throughout the film in the ‘Land of the dead’, to portray a fun and party-like experience. However, when we see Hector’s friends, the lighting becomes dim to show the depressing mood. In the film and book we see many comparisons between the themes and lessons they both