Storytelling Output Report

for

"Rebel Without a Cause"

Comments:

Rebel Without a Cause focuses on teens and their angst ridden peer/parental relationships which makes it an excellent subject for the objective story goal and concern of "being" as well as the objective story problem of "test" and objective story solution of "trust."

"Behind the screen" note:

The monkey that Jimmy is playing with at the beginning of the film is a relic of footage that was lost when, early on in the production, Warners decided to do the film in colour. [Nicholas] Ray had already shot . . .a scene to go before the existing opening with an old man being mugged by [Buzz and his gang] who burn the parcels he is carrying. The monkey was the only one of his purchases left strewn on the street. (Van Gelder 216) This explains what Judy is referring to in her first scene with Buzz and the kids when she says "I heard about it. You're lucky he lived" (Stern 33), a comment that otherwise has no context.

 

ANALYSIS INFORMATION :

Analysis Sources:

• General Storytelling: Complete
• Act Order Storytelling: Complete
• Character List: Complete
• Build Characters: Complete

Author: Based on a short story by Nicholas Ray

Analysis by: Katy E. Monahan Huntley

Draft: Final

Genre: Teen Angst Drama

Period:

1950's; as a side note, "Stewart had condensed all the action of the film into a twenty-four-hour time frame because he believed that one day is an eternity to teenagers. It was his intention to tell the story of a generation coming of age in one night" (Hyams and Hyams 192).

Setting: Los Angeles

Source Material:

Hyams, Joe, and Jay Hyams. James Dean: Little Boy Lost. New York: Warner, 1992.

Peary, Danny. Cult Movies. New York: Delacorte, 1981.

Ray, Robert. A Certain Tendency of the Hollywood Cinema, 1930-1980. Princeton: Princeton UP, 1985.

Rebel Without a Cause. Dir. Nicholas Ray. With James Dean. Warner Bros., 1955.

Stern, Stewart. Rebel Without a Cause. Unpublished screenplay, 1955.

Van Gelder, Peter. That's Hollywood. New York: Harper, 1990.

Brief Synopsis:

Rebel Without a Cause explores the social problem of juvenile delinquency from the adolescent's point of view.

Objective Character Mini-Synopsis:

(Stewart Stern's screenplay character descriptions:)

Jim's Grandma: A chic, domineering woman in her sixties who has made her son Frank dependent upon her for every breath he takes. She is the irritant in the household--the silent ruler--the silent enemy of Frank's marriage.

Jim's Father: Frank is an unfeathered man who has never been able to have fun.

Jim's Mother: Tense and immature, she has never found the husband she married. Upset by the presence of her mother-in-law, mated with an ineffectual and joyless man, she takes out her disappointment on him and on her son.

Jim: The angry victim and the result. At 17 he is filled with confusion about his role in life. Because of his "nowhere" father, he does not know how to be a man. Because of his wounding mother, he anticipates destruction in all women. And yet he wants to find a girl who will be willing to receive his tenderness.

Judy's Father: A junior partner in a law firm. Boyish, attractive and debonair. Because he is frightened by the adolescence of his daughter, Judy, his only recourse is to criticize her.

Judy's Mother: Self-centered and frightened by the coming of middle-age. She feels that Judy's blossoming youth is threatening her wifely position as the desirable object of the husband's attentions.

Judy: The victim and the result. At 16, she is in a panic of frustration regarding her father--needing his love and suffering when it is denied. This forces her to invite the attention of other men in order to punish him.

Beau: Judy's brother. Because he is very young he is a danger to nobody and thus will grow up happily--certain of the love of his father who feels comfortable in giving it.

Plato: Son of a divided family--an absent father and a traveling mother--he feels himself the target of desertion. At 15 he wants to find a substitute family for himself so that he need no longer feel cold, and especially a friend who will supply the fatherly protection and warmth he needs and cannot find.

Buzz: A sado-masochistic boy of 17 who acts out aggressively his idea of what a man should be in order to hide his real sensitivities and needs. He was probably rejected by both parents and must constantly court danger in order to achieve any sense of prestige or personal worth.

The Kids: All searching for recognition in the only way available to them; all suffering from unfulfilled hungers at home; all creating an outside world of chaos in order to bear the chaos they feel inside. They are soldiers in search of an enemy.

Black Woman: The maid supplied by Plato's absent mother to attend to his needs.

Ray: A sympathetic Juvenile Officer. (3-4)

THE OBJECTIVE CHARACTERS:

Name: Jim Stark

Gender: Male

Description:

Jim is a sensitive, vulnerable, and rebellious youth. Plato describes Jim to Judy:

JUDY

What's he like?

PLATO

Oh, I don't know. You have to get to

know him. He doesn't say much but

when he does you know he means it.

He's sincere.

JUDY

Well, that's the main thing

--don't you think so? (Stern 58)

Role: New kid in town

Characteristics:

Motivation: Reconsider;

Methodology: Certainty; Proaction; Induction; Protection;

Evaluation: Unproven; Accurate; Test; Unending; Hunch;

Purpose: Change; Thought; Order; Perception; Ability;

Name: Frank Stark

Gender: Male

Description:

Henpecked husband; tries to be a buddy to his son; well meaning but ineffectual.

Role: Jim's father

Characteristics:

Motivation: Consider;

Methodology: Potentiality; Deduction; Reaction; Inaction;

Evaluation: Proven; Effect; Non-Accurate; Trust; Theory;

Purpose: Knowledge; Inertia;

Name: Buzz

Gender: Male

Description:

Buzz is a big wheel on campus and leader of the pack. He is boyfriend to Judy who he considers as his possession.

Role: Gang leader

Characteristics:

Motivation: Temptation; Hinder;

Methodology: Production; Reevaluation;

Evaluation: Determination;

Purpose: Inequity; Speculation;

Name: Judy

Gender: Female

Description:

Beautiful, insecure

Role: Love interest

Characteristics:

Motivation: Pursuit; Disbelief;

Methodology: Nonacceptance;

Evaluation: Process;

Purpose: Desire;

Name: Judy's Father

Gender: Male

Description:

Unsure of how to handle his 16 year old daughter

Role: Judy's Father

Characteristics:

Motivation: Avoidance;

Name: Mrs. Stark

Gender: Female

Description:

An unhappy, domineering woman

Role: Jim's mom

Characteristics:

Motivation: Oppose; Control; Logic;

Methodology: Probability;

Evaluation: Cause;

Purpose: Aware;

Name: Plato

Gender: Male

Description: "

Slight and almost pretty, with large, sad eyes" (Hyams and Hyams 195) Plato is concerned with abandonment issues.

Role: Jim's first friend

Characteristics:

Motivation: Support; Faith; Uncontrolled; Feeling;

Methodology: Acceptance; Possibility;

Evaluation: Result; Ending;

Purpose: Chaos; Self Aware;

Name: Ray

Gender: Male

Description:

Sensitive to the teen's problems

Role: Juvenile Officer

Characteristics:

Motivation: Conscience; Help;

Methodology: Reduction; Evaluation;

Evaluation: Expectation;

Purpose: Actuality; Equity; Projection;

AUDIENCE AND STORY DYNAMICS APPRECIATIONS:

• Nature as it relates to Actual Work:

Rebel Without a Cause is an actual work story because as soon as Jim's family environment changes to suit him, his problem is solved. As the story begins, Jim refers to his family environment as a "zoo" (Stern 16). At the end, his family is "a tight little group . . . a new start has been made" (Stern 122).

• Essence as it relates to Positive Feel:

As an illustration of how Jim makes an effort to solve his problem, he agrees to seek out Ray the next time he wants to blow off steam; when the kids challenge him to a fight he does his best to talk his way out of it instead of immediately putting up his fists; Frank plaintively tells Jim he is trying to protect him and wants his son to trust him; Judy swears she will never trust anyone enough to get close to them, yet opens her heart to Jim; and so forth.

• Tendency as it relates to Willing:

Jim is willing to make the effort to be part of a functional family.

• Reach as it relates to Both:

Both men and women can identify with what it means to be an adolescent.

• Resolve as it relates to Steadfast:

Jim is steadfast in his desire to be part of a functional family.

• Approach as it relates to Do-er:

Jim tries to solve his problems by first taking action. For example, when he's called a chicken, he puts his fists up; his concern for Plato compels him to run into the planetarium at the risk of being shot (by the police or by Plato); interestingly, he tries to change his tendency to fight first and reflect later by stalling when he is challenged by the gang "I don't want trouble" (Stern 41) but when backed against the wall he fights "All right--you want it, you got it" (Stern 43).

• Direction as it relates to Start:

Jim wants Frank to start to act like a man so that he can respect him as a father; Jim's family moves constantly, ostensibly to give their son a fresh start each time:

RAY

That why you moved from the last town? 'Cause you

were in trouble? You can talk about it if you want to--

I know about it anyway. Routine check.

JIM

And they think they are protecting me by moving.

RAY

You were getting a good start in the wrong direction

back there. Why did you do it? (Stern 15)

• Mental Sex as it relates to Male:

Jim tends to use the technique of binary reasoning to problem solve. As an example, he demands yes or no answers from his parents. He also looks at problems in terms of cause and effect. For example, he believes his mother runs the family because his father won't stand up to her.

• Outcome as it relates to Success:

Judy falls in love with Jim and is happy, something she never thought she could be; the Stark family is united with the indication that they will be a happy family:

JIM

Mom--Dad--this is my friend. Her name is Judy.

The parents nod warmly and smile at her. She smiles shyly in response, happy at being accepted. There is a warmth emanating from the tight little group. Changes have happened to them. Things have been shed and a new start has been made. (Stern 117)

• Judgment as it relates to Good:

Jim's father stands up as a man and turns to help his son stand up, assuring Jim he can trust him; Jim introduces Judy to his parents as his friend; and so forth.

• Work as it relates to Action:

Jim's drunkenness lands him jail; Buzz cannot get out of his car in time to prevent his driving over the cliff which results in his death; Plato's death brings the Stark family together; and so forth.

• Limit as it relates to Optionlock:

Plato, concerned that Buzz's friends will do harm to Jim, believes he has no other option but to brandish a gun to protect his friend; Jim's angst has turned to utter devastation when Plato is killed, which at this point leaves him one of two options, continue to spiral downward in his depression, or look to his father to resurrect his spirits; once Frank recognizes he may lose his son, he takes the option to grow up to be a real man and father; and so forth.

THE OBJECTIVE STORY THROUGHLINE:

Throughline Synopsis:

The opening of Rebel Without a Cause introduces three upper middle class rebellious teens, Jim, Judy, and Plato, and their respective troubled family relationships. The scenes that follow depict these teens as they try to fit in with their peers and find the love they so desperately need from their families.

Jim is the new kid in town; he is intrigued with Judy, the girlfriend of the big wheel on campus, Buzz. Upon meeting Jim, Plato-- a friendless misfit--immediately looks up to him as a father figure. The three teens band together because they share in the same feeling of alienation from their families, and in the tragedy that strikes during Jim's initiation into the gang.

Jim expresses his need to come clean to the police. His parents, not wishing to stick their necks out, try to talk him out of it. Jim quarrels with his father for not standing up for him and leaves his home. Buzz's friends, thinking Jim has squealed to the police about what had happened up on the cliffs, set out to avenge their dead friend. Jim and Judy hide out in the deserted mansion that Plato had told Jim about. After a warning from the gang, Plato takes his mother's gun and rushes to the mansion to protect Jim. The three act as a family and find a few moments of peace.

Crunch, Goon, and Moose find the mansion. One of the boys is wounded by Plato. Plato, who momentarily cannot find his "mother" and "father" (Jim and Judy) feels abandoned once again and fires at Jim in anger. Jim chases after Plato as he runs into the planetarium. The police, Jim's parents, and Plato's housekeeper have converged outside the planetarium. Jim talks Plato into coming outside. Once he does, he sees the police and starts to run in a panic. The police officer shoots him, thinking his gun is loaded. The tragedy of Plato's death brings the Stark family, that (for now) includes Judy, closer together.

Backstory:

Peary describes the conditions that led up to the overall troubles in Rebel Without a Cause:

In the police station at the beginning of Rebel we see a March of Dimes poster on a pole. This is a film about juvenile delinquency, but from this poster we see immediately that director Ray is on the side of all kids--who have all sorts of problems to contend with (including diseases that usually strike the young). More that any other film, in fact, Rebel sympathizes with youth. Getting money isn't the problem of teen-agers in Rebel. . . . These middle-class teen-agers have more complex problems. As the title states, their causes are impossible to define. But at the heart of the matter is their need to win acceptance from their peers, which too often requires they take part in dangerous, illegal rituals, and their need to get their parents' attention and understanding. (285)

• Domain as it relates to Psychology:

An example of how the objective story explores a certain way of thinking is when Buzz indicates to Jim that he likes him, just before the chickie race. Jim questions him about why, then, must they engage in a dangerous contest:

BUZZ

I like you, you know?

JIM

Buzz? What are we doing this for?

BUZZ

(still quiet)

We got to do something. Don't we? (Stern 59-60);

to Plato's way of thinking, Jim is his father figure although they have only known each other briefly; Judy explains to Jim that she must treat him one way in front of the kids and another way when they are alone;

Jim explains to the juvenile officer how his parents handle his transgressions:

JIM

They think I'll make friends if we move.

Just move and everything'll be roses and sunshine.

RAY

But you don't think that's a solution. (Stern 16)

• Concern as it relates to Being:

The teen characters are concerned with what it means to be a teenager. One way this is illustrated is in their "uniform" attitude: "Their clothing is not uniform--it is the air they assume . . . swaggering, self-conscious, piratical" (Stern 22); Buzz and Judy are big wheels on campus; Jim and Judy pretend to be married and Plato pretends to be their real estate broker; Plato wants Jim and Judy to be his family; Judy's father ponders the complexity of being a father to a sixteen year-old girl, when it appears so easy to be a father to a little boy; Jim and Frank act buddy buddy; Jim's grandmother puts on an act at the police station that everything is all right with Jim: "He's alway's been a lovely boy" (Stern 17); Jim confronts his mother when she acts as if their family is not involved with the tragedy of Buzz's death: "A boy was killed! I don't see how we can get out of that by pretending it didn't happen" (Stern 72); Judy sobs to the juvenile officer:

JUDY

He calls me a dirty tramp--my own father!

RAY

Do you think your father means that?

JUDY

Yes! I don't know! I mean maybe he doesn't

mean it but he acts like he does. (Stern 5)

• Range as it relates to Desire :

By moving from town to town, the Stark family indicates their wish to change their situation; Plato wishes he, Jim, and Judy were a family; Judy desires her father's love; Jim covets Buzz's girlfriend, Judy; and so forth.

• Counterpoint as it relates to Ability :

Judy is surprised to find that she is able to love; Judy's father is unable to return her affection; Ray is the adult in the story best suited to relate to the troubled teens; Plato feels Jim is the best suited to take the place of his father; and so forth.

• Thematic Conflict as it relates to Desire vs. Ability:

An example of how the conflict between desire and ability is explored in the objective story can be found in how the kids interact with each other and their parents. That they are unable to articulate their desires leaves them to resort to their physicality--such as fighting--which only undermines their aspirations to be taken seriously.

• Problem as it relates to Test:

In the opening scene, three teenagers are held for questioning at the police station as a result of testing their respective parents' or guardians' boundaries. One of the teens, Judy, is picked up aimlessly walking around at 1:00 AM. After explaining she had a fight with her father, the juvenile officer asks: "Do you think you can get back at your dad that way" (Stern 6); Buzz tests Judy's loyalty after observing her walking with Jim; Buzz challenges Jim at the planetarium, "This is the test, man. It's a crazy game" (Stern 30) by waving a knife in his face; the chickie run is a test of the boys' courage; and so forth.

• Solution as it relates to Trust:

The juvenile officer suggests to Plato's maid that his mother had better start trusting in what a psychiatrist could do for her deeply disturbed son; if Jim can meet the gang's challenge his trustworthiness will be unquestioned, "Cut off a button and you get to join the club" (Stern 42); Jim and Judy discuss their lack of trust in others:

JIM

I don't think you trust anybody, do you?

JUDY

Why?

JIM

I'm getting that way too . . . Would you go with me?

You can trust me, Judy. (Stern 83-84)

• Focus as it relates to Expectation:

As an example of how attention is focused on expectation in the objective story, Jim expects the same kind of amused reaction from the kids when he "moos" at the planetarium lecturer's discussion of the Taurus bull that Buzz received when he imitated the Cancer crab; Judy anticipates the same kind of affection from her father as a teen that she had always received as a little girl; Jim's family expects he will make friends if he can stay out of trouble; and so forth.

• Direction as it relates to Determination:

Buzz figures out that by calling Jim a "chicken" he can get a rise out of him; Jim discerns the real cause of why his family cannot stay in one place is predominantly because of his mother; and so forth.

• Stipulation as it relates to Becoming:

How the teens adjust to the psychological trauma of becoming adults--and how the adults in their lives contend with these changes, is the standard by which progress is measured in the objective story.

• Catalyst as it relates to Thought:

Buzz considers Jim a worthy enough opponent to challenge him to a "chickie race" which accelerates the process he must go through to be accepted into the gang; after Buzz's death, Plato goes berserk when thinks his "father and mother" have abandoned him; Buzz's rebel friends' thinking Jim has ratted to the police is the catalyst that brings the objective story to its climactic moment. While tracking Jim down, they shake down Plato for information, causing him to snatch up his mother's gun for Jim's protection and to go off in search of his friend. The delinquents also terrorize the Stark household, alerting Jim's parents to the possibility that their son is in trouble; and so forth.

• Inhibitor as it relates to Worry:

Progress in the objective story slows down when the adults don't worry enough about their teens. For example, Jim's parents are not concerned enough to realize he is not in his bed; Judy's parents let her flounce out the door without knowing where she is going, when she had been picked up wandering aimlessly around only the night before; the police officer isn't concerned enough to bother with Jim when he comes in to relay his part in Buzz's death; and so forth.

• Goal as it relates to Being:

The goal of common concern to all the objective characters is to be part of a happy, functional family, whether their own or as part of a peer group.

• Consequence as it relates to Doing:

The consequence of failing to achieve the goal would be continuing on with the emotionally exhausting process of trying to be part of a functional family. The severity of this consequence is underscored by Jim when he says to Ray: "I don't know what to do anymore except maybe die" (Stern 16).

• Cost as it relates to The Preconscious:

The police officer's immediate reaction to seeing Plato raise his gun is to shoot him, resulting in the boy's death; Judy's father slaps her as she attempts to kiss him, further alienating father and daughter; Buzz drives off the cliff to his death when he is unable to immediately respond to a dangerous situation; and so forth.

• Dividend as it relates to Progress:

A benefit accrued by Jim and Judy on the way to the goal of being part of a functional family is their developing romance; Jim feels confident enough in the way things are going, such as his interest in Judy, to remark to his parents: "You know something? I have a feeling we're going to stay here" (Stern 19); and so forth.

• Requirements as it relates to Becoming:

For the Stark family to be a happy, functional family, Frank must overcome his weaknesses and become a real father to Jim; to be part of a peer group family, one must first become friends with the gang; and so forth.

• Prerequisites as it relates to Obtaining:

To meet the story requirement of "becoming," parents must come to the realization that their children are growing up in a much different time than they did, and respect the difficulties these times engender.

• Preconditions as it relates to The Subconscious:

An example of an unessential restriction put on the requirement of "becoming" is illustrated by Plato's desire to be part of a happy family with Jim as his father:

Maybe next summer he's going to take me hunting with him--and fishing. I want him to teach me how and I bet he won't get mad if I goof. His name's Jim. It's really James but he likes Jim more. People he really likes--he lets call him "Jamie." (Stern 58)

• Forewarnings as it relates to The Future:

As an example of the "future" as the forewarning for the consequence of "doing," the chances Buzz takes and his disregard for authority forewarn the likelihood that he will always engage in actions that garner negative attention.

THE SUBJECTIVE STORY THROUGHLINE:

Throughline Synopsis:

At the beginning of Rebel Without a Cause, it is clear that father and son love each other, yet they cannot relate to one another. As they explore their relationship, it becomes evident to Frank that Jim does not respect him as a man or father, yet at the same time is desperate for his father to fulfill those roles. As Jim involves himself in dangerous and illegal activities, Frank must overcome his ineffectualness to be the man Jim needs to lean on. "At the end, tearful Jim is lifted to his feet by his father, who holds him and assures him he will stand by him as he has never done before" (Peary 285).

Backstory:

Frank's interactions with his wife and mother has given Jim the impression that his father is weak and a "chicken." This has developed into a problem in their relationship, as Jim cannot respect his father, and, in his effort not to turn out like him he finds himself constantly fist fighting.

• Domain as it relates to Physics:

Raising a teenager in a time of social upheaval is as problematic for Frank as the endeavor to respect an ineffectual father is for Jim. Conflict occurs between father and son when they cannot engage in the kinds of activities that will bring them emotionally closer. For example, Frank encourages activities that are "buddy buddy" in nature, but that are not necessarily meaningful for a father and son relationship:

FRANK

Listen--I took a steak out of the freezer. I thought we

could have a real old-fashioned stag party--just the

two of us, what do you say?

JIM

I'm not hungry. (Stern 53)

• Concern as it relates to Doing:

What his father is or is not doing causes problems; Jim's fighting causes problems; Jim asks his father what action to take in a difficult situation. Frank's inability to give advice causes problems between the two:

JIM

Suppose you knew that you had to do something very

dangerous--where you have to prove something . . .

a question of honor. Would you do it?

FATHER

Is there some kind of trick answer?

JIM

What would you do, Dad? . . . can you answer me now?

FATHER

Listen--nobody should make a snap decision . . . (Stern 53)

• Range as it relates to Experience:

As a teenager, Jim has no wealth of experiences to draw on when faced with a difficult decision, which is why he asks his (presumably experienced) father. Frank attempts to alleviate what he believes are Jim's growing pains: "In ten years you'll look back on this and wish you were a kid again" (Stern 54). Jim has no time to lose: "Ten years? Now, Dad--I need an answer now" (Stern 54).

• Counterpoint as it relates to Skill:

Frank is unskilled in helping his son understand what is to be a man, compelling Jim to ask Ray (father figure) how he is supposed to live through the experience; and so forth.

• Thematic Conflict as it relates to Experience vs. Skill:

Frank lacks the necessary parenting skills Jim needs in order to deal with the confusion of growing up. As an example of how he does not serve his son's needs, he relies on his experiences that are inappropriate as guidelines, and instead of dealing directly with Jim's requests for immediate answers, assures his son once he gains his own experiences his present problems will seem insignificant.

• Problem as it relates to Non-Accurate:

Frank's inadequacy as a man and the mistakes he continues to make causes problems for Jim: "She eats him alive and he takes it. . . . He always wants to be my pal, you know? But how can I give him anything when he's--I mean I love him and I don't want to hurt him--but I don't know what to do anymore except maybe die" (Stern 16); Frank does not give Jim sufficient support as delineated in the scene in which Jim wants to go to the police to report his involvement in Buzz's death:

JIM

You better give me something, Dad.

You better give me something fast. Mom?

MOTHER

Jimmy, you're very young--and a foolish

decision now could wreck your whole life.

JIM

Dad--answer her--aren't you going to stand up for me?

(the father is mute, helpless . . . suddenly Jim screams)

Dad? (Stern 73-74)

• Solution as it relates to Accurate:

An accurate assessment of Frank's strengths and limitations and the acknowledgment of such will solve problems between the two: "Stand up, Jim. I'll stand up with you. Let me try to be as strong as you want me to be" (Stern 116).

• Focus as it relates to Expectation:

Jim does not anticipate turning out like his father: "One thing I know is I never want to be like him" (Stern 16).

• Direction as it relates to Determination:

Jim ascertains that the twin forces that diminish his father's manhood are his mother and paternal grandmother. "I mean if he had the guts to knock Mom cold once I bet she'd be happy and I bet she'd stop picking. They make mush out of him. Just mush. . ." (Stern 16) This determination of why his father is a "chicken" is what keeps Jim from holding his father totally responsible for his actions, thereby allowing him to have a superficial "buddy buddy" relationship with his father.

• Stipulation as it relates to Obtaining:

The more Frank can gain control in the family, the more respect Jim is able to give him and the closer the two can be.

• Catalyst as it relates to Enlightenment:

Frank intuitively discerns his son is in a dangerous predicament, and rushes to his side; Plato's death gives Jim and Frank an insight into the value of life, which serves to accelerate the closeness between father and son:

Jim feels, for the first time, the love and security he has always wanted. He clutches at his father, crying unashamedly. The father's arms envelop him. Plato, through his death, has helped these two find each other. (Stern 116)

• Inhibitor as it relates to Threat:

Jim's threats to go to the police with the story of his involvement in Buzz's death are met with great resistance from his parents. He explains the importance of taking this step, but instead of giving the guidance that Jim needs his father can only offer empty platitudes as to why he shouldn't make himself vulnerable to the law and potential trouble.

Jim Stark's THROUGHLINE:

Role: New kid in town

Description:

Jim is a sensitive, vulnerable, and rebellious youth. Plato describes Jim to Judy:

 

JUDY

What's he like?

PLATO

Oh, I don't know. You have to get to know him.

He doesn't say much but when he does

you know he means it. He's sincere.

JUDY

Well, that's the main thing--don't you think so? (Stern 58)

Throughline Synopsis:

Jim Stark is a "vulnerable, sensitive, self-destructive loner" (Peary 283) who is trying to make friends in a new town and find peace and parental guidance within his own home. He is attracted to Judy, the girl next door and girlfriend of Buzz, the leader of the pack. To gain acceptance within the gang, he must engage in dangerous pursuits. He is intelligent enough to question potential trouble, and looks to his father for advice. Frank Stark is too ineffectual a man to be of use to his son, leaving Jim feeling alone and disassociated from his family.

When tragedy occurs at the chickie race between Jim and Buzz, Jim, Judy, and Plato--a misfit Jim has befriended--band together. Jim is protective and fatherly toward Plato and sensitive toward Judy. Jim wants to do the right thing and report his involvement in Buzz's untimely end to the police, much to his parent's dismay. Buzz's friends come after Jim, thinking he has ratted on all of them. Plato, in his unbalanced state, shoots Jim with the gun he has carried around to protect him when he thinks Jim has failed him as a parental figure. This action calls attention to the police and to Jim's parents. Plato is inadvertently shot, and as Frank comforts Jim, the teen-ager is finally able to depend on his father for support.

Backstory:

In the past, Jim has been in trouble for fighting. This is the ostensible reason why his family must move from place to place. Peary remarks:

Jim Stark is a lonely kid who supposedly hasn't a friend in the world when we first see him lying drunk in an L.A. gutter, but his personality is such that within a twenty-four-hour period he makes friends with Plato, Buzz, and Judy, three teen-agers completely different from each other and himself. (283)

• Domain as it relates to Universe:

Jim considers his family environment a "zoo;" Jim is the new kid in town trying to fit in; and so forth.

• Concern as it relates to Progress:

Jim underscores his concern with the progress of his own maturation when he observes his family through a peephole in Ray's office door and comments: "How can anyone grow up in this circus" (Stern 16); Jim is concerned with how his relationship with Judy is going; he is concerned with the progress he is making in finding new friends; he is concerned with (in his eyes) the change in Plato, who has advanced in an extremely short span of time from a needy, immature boy to a psychotic with a gun; and so forth.

• Range as it relates to Threat:

Jim's response to Ray's warning against striking a juvenile officer is to hurl himself at the man; Jim attempts not to fall into the trap of striking back at the gang's threats; Jim doesn't perceive Plato waving a loaded gun as too much of a threat, and, even though Plato has shot at him, Jim pursues the boy anyway.

• Counterpoint as it relates to Security:

Jim does not have the sense of security that a child in a functional family would have. As an example of his family not addressing serious issues, they move from town to town leaving at the first hint of difficulty and not allowing for healthy problem solving.

• Thematic Conflict as it relates to Threat vs. Security:

The thematic conflict that Jim must grapple with is the absence of a secure family home life that he so desperately needs to counteract the outside world in which he is vulnerable.

• Problem as it relates to Hunch:

As an example of how Jim is driven by "hunch," in the police station he is in danger of acting on his intuition that he may cause violence: "I swear you better lock me up. I'm going to smash somebody-I know it" (Stern 15); it is a problem for Jim that he and his family never have stayed in one place long enough for him to make friends. But after seeing Judy, he informs his family "I have a feeling we're going to stay here" (Stern 19); Jim's problem lies within his family's structural dynamics. Though it is his fighting that his parents use as an excuse to move around, he recognizes their inability to settle comfortably in one town is a part of a dysfunctional pattern that they are all guilty of:

MOTHER

Well, it doesn't matter anyhow--because we're moving.

JIM

No! You're not tearing me loose anymore.

FATHER

This is news to me! Why are we moving?

MOTHER

Do I have to spell it out?

JIM

You're not going to use me as an excuse again, Mom.

Every time you can't face yourself you want to move

and you say it's because of me or the neighborhood or

some other phony excuse. Now I want to do one thing

right and I'm not letting you run away. (Stern 73)

• Solution as it relates to Theory:

Once Jim can articulate his own theory on why his family is dysfunctional to his parents, he has done all he can do to try to reach them. Peary comments, that for all Jim's inarticulateness, he does finally manage to send a message to his parents:

. . . Jim's inability to communicate with his parents and other adults . . . he mumbled when he thought no one was listening and started his sentences over, louder and clearer, when he discovered with surprise that he was being heard. (284)

• Focus as it relates to Expectation:

Jim presumes that if he does not accept the challenge Buzz and the other kids have given him, he will never be accepted as part of their group: "They called me a chicken--you know a chicken! I had to go or I would never have been able to face any of those kids again" (Stern 71).

• Direction as it relates to Determination:

Because Jim has determined his castrating mother and grandmother are why his father is a "chicken," he makes every effort not to turn out the same way.

• Stipulation as it relates to The Future:

As an example of how Jim uses the future as the standard to judge the degree of his concern, at the start of the story Jim has no friends, however, as he falls in love with Judy he assures her that they will never be lonely again.

• Unique Ability as it relates to Fantasy:

Jim's ability to create a fantasy family for himself, Judy, and Plato evinces his belief that an imaginary happy family life can be turned into a reality.

• Critical Flaw as it relates to Experience:

Jim lacks the experience necessary to deal with the problems facing him. As an example, he is not equipped to deal with Plato's instability when he fails to fulfill the boy's desire to be his father figure:

PLATO

(with hate)

I don't want you for my father.

JIM

Your father!

Plato fires at Jim. Jim leaps at Plato with a cry and knocks him down.

JIM

(continuing; in rage)

You crazy nut! You crazy, crazy nut! (Stern 102)

Frank Stark's THROUGHLINE:

Role: Jim's father

Description:

Henpecked husband; tries to be a buddy to his son; well meaning but ineffectual.

Throughline Synopsis:

Frank Stark is a well-meaning but ineffectual parent. He is the classic hen-pecked son and husband of two dominant women. Frank thinks if he is a pal to Jim and relates to his son using his own adolescence as a guideline, that everything will be just peachy, which of course does not hold true. Frank's good intentions also include buying gifts for his son, and buying his son's way out of trouble. What he doesn't do is stand up for Jim and face their problems in a straight forward manner. This absence of integrity results in a lack of respect from Jim. Until Frank can truly take on the role of a parent, there is conflict between father and son.

Backstory:

The acerbic comment Frank's mother makes after Jim explodes in anger in the police station "Well you know who he takes after" (Stern 14) is an indication of the kind of childhood Frank must have had. The cold and righteous attitude Frank's mother exhibits has caused him to smother his own child with friendship and affection, but without the authority and discipline his son needs.

• Domain as it relates to Mind:

Frank is entrenched in a fixed way of thinking. He takes the position that what works for him in one situation holds true for another in the same situation. For example, as an attempt to smooth over Jim's run-in with the local juvenile authorities, he offers cigars to Ray, a ploy that has obviously worked in the past. When the juvenile officer refuses the gift, Frank continues to press him until his wife drags him away in embarrassment. His fixed point of view defines the "generation gap" type of thinking when it comes to his son.

• Concern as it relates to The Preconscious:

Jim demands immediate responses from his father, which Frank is unable to give.

• Range as it relates to Worry :

Frank's constant worrying emasculates him in his son's eyes. For example, Jim comes home to find his father wearing a frilly apron while cleaning up a tray of dinner he has dropped en route to serving his wife:

FATHER

I better clean this up before she sees it.

JIM

Let her see. What could happen. Dad--Dad--don't. Don't.

Jim touches his father's elbow, bringing him to his feet. They look at each other a moment then Jim goes to his bedroom. The father goes back to mopping up the mess. (Stern 46)

• Counterpoint as it relates to Confidence :

Franks' lack of confidence keeps him from being the kind of man his family can respect. It is not until he is filled with concern for his son's life that he can stand up and be a man.

• Thematic Conflict as it relates to Worry vs. Confidence:

Frank's anxieties concerning his family undermine what little confidence he has in himself. An example of this conflict occurs when Jim informs his parents of the fatal car accident:

JIM

Dad?

FATHER

Son--this is all happening so fast--

JIM

You better give me something, Dad. You better give

me something fast. (He stops as he sees the emptiness

in them.)

MOTHER

Jimmy, you're very young--and a foolish

decision now could wreck your whole life.

JIM

Dad--answer her--aren't you going to stand up for me?

(the father is mute, helpless . . . (Stern 73))

• Problem as it relates to Test:

Frank fails to set meaningful boundaries for Jim every time his son tests him. An example can be found when he picks up his drunk son from the police station:

FATHER

Why'd you get drunk? You must have had a reason.

Was it because we went to that party? You know what

kind of drunken brawls those parties turn into--

it's no place for kids.

MOTHER

A minute ago you said you didn't care if he drinks.

(Stern 13)

Another example is when Jim asks if he is going to stop him from heading into trouble. Frank, not fully comprehending the danger his son is about to put himself in answers: "You know I never stop you from anything" (Stern 54).

• Solution as it relates to Trust:

Once Frank can assure Jim that his son can trust him, he has resolved his personal drive: "And you can depend on me, son. Trust me. Whatever comes we'll face it together, I swear" (Stern 116).

• Focus as it relates to Theory:

Frank's structured explanations make problems for Jim. Jim demands immediate and straight forward answers to his problems, and his father's theorizing gets him nowhere.

• Direction as it relates to Hunch:

Frank does not act on his intuition that his son needs his immediate help. For example, the blood on Jim's shirt is evidence enough to create the suspicion that he is in some kind of trouble, and his hints that more trouble lies ahead should be enough for Frank to take direct action to find out what kind of problem Jim is struggling with. Yet he skirts the issue, and his waffling sends Jim right out the door.

• Stipulation as it relates to The Subconscious:

The more Frank taps into his basic desire to protect his son, the faster he is able to respond to Jim's problems.

• Unique Ability as it relates to Worth:

Once Frank is able to realize his own worth, especially as a parent to Jim, he can stand up for himself and his son. This realization occurs at the planetarium when he witnesses his son's emotional and physical vulnerabilities:

Jim is at Plato's side. A couple of officers rush forward to take Jim. The father comes and pushes them aside.

FATHER

Let him alone! He's mine! I'll take care of him! . . .

The father stares down at Jim for a moment. Then he kneels beside his son, puts his coat over Jim's shoulders. He speaks very gently.

FATHER

For a minute . . . that jacket . . . I thought . . .

(breaks off, then)

You couldn't help it son.

(reaches out, gently, but firmly)

You did everything a man could do. (Stern 115-116)

• Critical Flaw as it relates to Desire:

Frank's lack of desire to change the circumstances of his family life undermines his efforts to be a strong parent to his son.

ACT PROGRESSIONS:

The Objective Throughline Act Order:

• Objective Story Signpost #1 as it relates to Being:

What it means to be a teen is explored in the objective story. Judy appears as "a dirty tramp" (Stern 5) to her father because of her red lipstick, when she is just trying to act like a grown woman, using a woman's props; Jim imitates a siren. When he is reprimanded by a police officer he asks: "Want me to imitate a stupid cop?" (Stern 7); Buzz and Judy act like they are in love, when there is no real affection between the popular couple; and so forth.

• Objective Story Journey #1 from Being to Becoming:

After Judy's and her father's emotionally charged confrontation, Judy's parents discuss the changes in their daughter, as she transforms from a teen into a woman:

 

FATHER

I don't know what to do. All of the sudden she's a problem.

MOTHER

She'll outgrow it, dear. It's just the age . . .

It's the age when nothing fits. (Stern 52)

• Objective Story Signpost #2 as it relates to Becoming:

Judy and her family explore the shifting relationships that occur as she transforms into a woman; Buzz and Jim become friends; Buzz dies; and so forth.

• Objective Story Journey #2 from Becoming to Conceiving:

As Plato progresses from pretending to have a relationship with the new kid, to truly becoming a friend of Jim's, he comes up with the idea of Jim as his father:

If you want to come we could talk and then in the morning we could have breakfast like my dad used to--(he pauses--then excitedly as though an idea had suddenly struck him) Gee . . . if you could only have been my father . . . we could . . .(Stern 68)

• Objective Story Signpost #3 as it relates to Conceiving:

Mr. and Mrs. Stark grill Jim to find out if anyone has any idea that he was involved in Buzz's death; Crunch and the gang have the idea that Jim has squealed to the police; Jim comes up with the idea of hiding out at the old mansion with Judy; Plato comes up with the idea of taking his mother's gun; Frank has no idea where his son has disappeared to; and so forth.

• Objective Story Journey #3 from Conceiving to Conceptualizing:

Plato, Jim, and Judy invent an imaginary family life, relieving their angst for a few carefree moments.

• Objective Story Signpost #4 as it relates to Conceptualizing:

Crunch and the gang implement their plan to confront Jim by hanging a dead chicken on his front porch and driving around until they find him; Jim implements his idea of removing the bullets from Plato's gun to ensure everybody's safety; and so forth.

The Subjective Throughline Act Order:

• Subjective Story Signpost #1 as it relates to Understanding:

Frank tries to comprehend the meaning of Jim's actions. He questions him in the police station: "I want to understand you. Why'd you get drunk? You must have had a reason" (Stern 13).

• Subjective Story Journey #1 from Understanding to Doing:

Though they do not comprehend the actions of each other, father and son, each in their own way, try to do something about it. They reach out to each other repeatedly, trying to overcome their misunderstandings:

 

JIM

You can't protect me.

FATHER

You mind if I try? You have to slam the door in my face?

I can't even touch you anymore but you pull away.

I want to understand you. (Stern 13)

• Subjective Story Signpost #2 as it relates to Doing:

Jim does not know what to do. Should he face the kids down by entering into the "chickie fight?" Or should he stay at home, thus avoiding danger--Jim asks his father: "What can you do when you have to be a man" (Stern 54). Frank's suggestion is to make a list of pros and cons--an unacceptable answer to Jim.

• Subjective Story Journey #2 from Doing to Obtaining:

Jim wants to "do one thing right" (Stern 73) by informing the police of his part in Buzz's accident. He is desperate to obtain his father's approval during this difficult decision making process, but fails to attain any kind of satisfaction.

• Subjective Story Signpost #3 as it relates to Obtaining:

Jim looks to his father to support him in his decision to go to the police about chickie race tragedy. When Frank falters, Jim demands: "You better give me something, Dad. You better give me something fast" (Stern 73). Frank is unable at this point to help his son.

• Subjective Story Journey #3 from Obtaining to Learning:

Jim and Frank attain the experience necessary to be a man. Frank learns what it really means to be a father and Jim learns from Frank he did everything he could have done to protect his friend Plato.

• Subjective Story Signpost #4 as it relates to Learning:

Once Frank learns that Jim is one of a group of kids in trouble, he accompanies the police officer to the scene.

The Main Character Throughline Act Order:

• Main Character Signpost #1 as it relates to The Past:

Jim discusses his history of violence with Ray, however, his family tries to hush it up.

• Main Character Journey #1 from The Past to Progress:

In the past, if called a chicken, Jim would fight. Jim begins to develop from a hothead to a cool "rebel" when he notes the potential for a fight and does his best to avoid the trouble, even after Buzz calls him a chicken.

• Main Character Signpost #2 as it relates to Progress:

Jim's friendship with Plato and Judy moves forward after Buzz's death.

• Main Character Journey #2 from Progress to The Present:

Jim has successfully passed the required test to graduate into the gang when he takes part in the chickie race. The circumstances surrounding Buzz's death force him to deal with how things stand--laws have been broken, a boy is dead, and he is neck deep in it:

 

JIM

I don't want to drag you into this but I can't help it.

I don't think I can prove anything by going around pretending

I'm tough anymore, so maybe you look like one

thing but you still feel like another. (Stern 71)

• Main Character Signpost #3 as it relates to The Present:

Jim explains the current situation to his parents--Buzz's death, the part he has played in it, and all of its ramifications: "But I am involved! We're all involved, Mom!" (Stern 72)

• Main Character Journey #3 from The Present to The Future:

The events that occur in the present 24 hour period of Jim's life, although filled with tragedy, give him hope for the future.

• Main Character Signpost #4 as it relates to The Future:

Jim gives Plato his opinion on when the world will end, just moments before Plato's life ends.

The Obstacle Character Throughline Act Order:

• Obstacle Character Signpost #1 as it relates to Memory:

Frank recollects his own drunken antics as a teen, as a way to excuse his son's: "I guess I cut pretty loose in my day too" (Stern 12).

• Obstacle Character Journey #1 from Memory to The Preconscious:

Frank tries to relate to what Jim is going through, such as starting a new school, by regaling his son with memories of his own experiences. Unfortunately, this is not the kind of interaction Jim wants or needs. He has no time for reminiscences; he needs immediate responses to his difficult questions, however, Frank is not able to give him that.

• Obstacle Character Signpost #2 as it relates to The Preconscious:

Frank's instinctive response to trouble is hesitation, which causes problems for his son who demands immediate answers, and his wife who would like to feel that Frank can protect her:

 

MOTHER

Are you going down there?

FATHER

Look--just relax, will you? (the pounding ceases) See? It stopped.

MOTHER

I still think you should go down. (Stern 86)

• Obstacle Character Journey #2 from The Preconscious to The Subconscious:

Frank fails to provide Jim with the parental instincts his son requires. Yet, as he begins to understand that Jim is in trouble, his basic drive to protect his son takes over.

• Obstacle Character Signpost #3 as it relates to The Subconscious:

Frank draws on his own experiences and his basic drive to protect his son when Jim pleads with him for advice, telling him "Nobody thanks you for sticking your neck out" (Stern 72).

• Obstacle Character Journey #3 from The Subconscious to The Conscious:

Frank's basic drive to protect his son is put into high gear when he considers the grave danger Jim is in. This is especially apparent when he is forced to contemplate that the police have just shot him. He pushes the officers aside shouting: "Let him alone! He's mine! I'll take care of him" (Stern 115).

• Obstacle Character Signpost #4 as it relates to The Conscious:

Frank contemplates that the boy with the gun in the planetarium may be his son.

Miscellaneous Other Storytelling Items:

• All Concerns:

All the objective characters are concerned with being part of a group, whether their peer group or own family at home. What it means to be a teenager and to fit in with the group dynamics is explored as well. For example, Judy explains to Jim that she must act one way with "the kids" and another way with him. Jim wants his relationship with Judy and the kids to progress onto their acceptance of him, but above all, he wants his family relationships to progress. He and his father conflict over what Frank is or is not doing. Jim demands immediate responses from his father, which Frank is unable to give.

• Master Plot Synopsis:

Hyams and Hyams plot synopsis:

The story begins in the predawn darkness and ends precisely at dawn the following day. The mood of the film is established in the opening scene with Jim Stark, a happily drunk teenager wearing a suit and tie, lying in a street with a clockwork animal, which he puts to sleep under a newspaper in a manner at once childlike and paternal. Over the scene is heard the ominous approach of an unseen police car.

Some of the principal characters are in the police station: Ray, a detective who is the only really responsible adult in the film; the Juliet-to-be aptly named Judy; a psychotic and alienated adolescent named Plato; and Jim Stark's ineffectual father, who takes Jim home. The following morning is Jim Stark's first day at his new high school. . . he immediately engages the hostility of a local gang . . . that peaks later in the school day during a field trip to the Griffith Park Planetarium. A knife fight between Jim and Buzz evolves into a chickie run challenge: they will drive two stolen cars at high speed toward a cliff with the winner being the last to jump from his vehicle.

The events that take place during the night are the crux of the film. Buzz accidentally dies during the chickie run; Jim and Judy are drawn together; Plato comes to view Jim and Judy as substitutes for his own apparently uncaring parents.

Buzz's gang is determined to avenge his death, and Plato gets a gun to help protect his new friends. Jim, Judy, and Plato leave their homes after bitter arguments with their respective parents and hide out in a deserted mansion near the planetarium. Plato . . . hides in the planetarium itself, where Jim finds and vainly attempts to disarm him.

At dawn, Plato, wearing Jim's red jacket, is killed by the police. The film ends with the sound of an ambulance siren, and Jim again wearing adult clothes, having borrowed his father's sport coat. (193)

• Master Theme Synopsis:

Though A Rebel Without a Cause is considered a success story, there is an underlying theme of bleakness and futility that is a result of unfulfilled desires:

PLATO

It's hard to make friends with these guys.