Gran Torino Symbolism

This symbol is first introduced in the novel where the man and his son are resting in a parked car with whatever they can find to give them warmth. After they settle in, the

Films represent groups to differ from one another due to their physical characteristics. This is especially true in Clint Eastwood's f2008 film Gran Torino. The film follows the changing attitudes of Walt Kowalski, as he learns that cultural difference between himself and his Hmong neighbours are only surface deep. Walt's friendship with his neighbours evolves into a need to save them from the Hmong gangs who harass them, and in doing so, find his own salvation. The characterisation of Walt challenges the stereotypical representation of both the elderly, and war heroes. The representation of the Hmong also challenges dominant attitudes towards this group of people, revealing them to be very similar in values to Walt himself.

The first symbol, which one can clearly see is the main character’s first name, which is Luke. 1The book of “Luke” is a very well know book of “The Bible”, and Luke is also a close follower of Christ. 2 Religious Symbolism is also present in the scene where Luke is consuming the 50 eggs. Eggs are closely related to Easter, and also to Christ because eggs symbolism rebirth. “Luke’s ingestion of the fifty eggs correlates to the fifty

The fourth symbol depicted is a cross lying on the ground beside Hale’s feet. This is a very meaningful symbol, especially towards the end of the story. In the beginning, Hale is dedicated to God and banishing all things related to the devil. However, more towards the end, Hale loses most of his confidence in the lord, mainly because he doesn't understand how his Grace could let such despicable things happen to such good people. A key example of this symbol is found on pages 875 and 876, you can nearly feel his hopelessness.

Finally, one of the most important moral values a human being can possess is selflessness. It is when a person puts someone else’s needs before their own. In Gran Torino, one of the most heartfelt and saddest moments was when Walt sacrificed his life for Thao and the neighbourhood. He knew that if Thao went after his

To Walt, the reason he got his medal of valour wasn't for a good reason. It was because he shot a Korean. After the war, Walts was left broken and scarred and especially after Dorothys death, Walt had many issues he needed to solve. Fr suggested he should do a confession and that it would help to heal him. You never really hear about the medal much but at the end of the film when Walt does a confession, even though it wasn’t the confession Fr was expecting, Walt has been healed. He sees what he has to do to serve and

The first symbol used is the tapes Bub’s wife and Robert sent to each other, showing the closeness between the two, causing Bub to be a bit jealous of Robert. And as soon as Robert came to the house, he got drinks and then later smokes marijuana with the three of them, symbolizing how to wanted to relax his thoughts and deal with his discontent of Robert being in the house, and to “make [them]selves comfortable” (523). The smoking also represents his surprise in Robert being different, thinking that “the blind didn’t smoke” (523). Later, while watching the TV, they see the cathedrals, and Robert doesn’t have an idea of what they look like, and Bub has trouble trying to explain what they look like. Robert has Bub draw out what they look like on paper sitting on top of his hand, encouraging him afterward to close his eyes and feel the drawing, changing how Bub see’s blindness.

Due to his patriotism that he acquired during his service in the army, he often used racial slurs and bad tempered against his Korean neighbors. After interacting more with his Korean neighbours, he quickly learned they were called Hmong, “Koreans that fought alongside with the United States” stated by Sue — a neighbour of Walt’s. Thus knowing his neighbors ethnicity battled on his side of the war, he slowly started to take down his “walls” and allowed himself to be more approachable. Subsequent to his new acceptance of his neighbours, Walt had more interactions that led to him attending barbecues and events and forming friendships with Sue and Thao. Walt was then able to talk about the sins he has committed and confess his guilt he has had from the Korean war to Father Janovich — a priest that tried to bring Walt to confession due to promising Walt’s

The next symbol is the herb of healing. This is a gift and also a curse that Death bestows upon his godson. Death is willing to help him become a famous, wealthy doctor. Death who is fair, keeps the promise he made his godson’s father long ago, but the herb is used as Death sees it to be used, not the godson. This is spun into action when Death says” When I am standing at their feet they are mine, but if I am standing at their head they are to be healed” (Grimm 12). In Essence I see Death using his godson to help him invoke the ill. This outlines the power struggle that some father -son relationships go through. The father, always wanting what they think is best for the

The first symbol is family communication, which is an action, but it is also a symbol. Throughout the story, family members talk to each other, but the person on the receiving end does not seem to be listening or just does not care. A great example of this is the final line, “And if Stella-Rondo should come to me this minute, on bended knees, and attempt to explain the incidents of her life with Mr. Whitaker, I'd simply put my fingers in both my ears and refuse to listen.” Another symbol is the radio. This symbol refers back to how the family communicates throughout the story in the way people can hear something on a radio, but they can not send anything back in response.

The symbolism of the fire and coal are the meaning of new starts. The coal and fire gave Isaiah a new start with his life. His sins were forgiven, and became a prophet for the Lord. In the next passages, new beginnings are discussed and how Jesus would bring them to everyone. Though Jesus isn’t a symbol, He represents the same thing as the fire and coal.

"Gran Torino" tackles racism head on. Although the main character Walt Kowalski, played by Clint Eastwood, is prejudiced against almost everyone, the film focuses on an Asian neighborhood, uncovering racism and violence. The neighborhood has gone down hill since it has become immigrant-dominated. The house next door is now owned by a Hmong family, a widespread South-east Asian minority, and Walt does not trouble to distinguish them from the Koreans he fought in the 1950s. Throughout the film, we learn Walt had to kill many Koreans as part as his duty as a soldier during that period of time. The film takes a twist when the bitter old war veteran's life takes an unexpected turn after Thao, a shy, teenage boy who lives next door to Walt is bullied by his

Andy’s name is on the pocket because he is the money man for Exferimentation. Eric’s name is on the flask because he is the creator for Exferimentation and Scott’s name is in the hair because he is the brewing brains of the operation. The 4 strips on the cuff on the right wrist mean “Spread love, not war.” The pie sign is located on his belt.

The film Gran Torino directed by Client Eastwood challenges The issues of stereotypes through the attributes of contemporary assumptions of status, gender and ethnicity. Exploring the themes of absence of a male dominate figure, enabling protagonist Theo to be a feminine figure exploits the idea of gender portrays the Hmong men to be stereotyped.Ethnicity and status also express multiple meanings through the cinematography and the Hollywood narrative style illustrates many representation  of the western and eastern cultures These key terms gender, ethnicity  and status all intertwine with each other during the entire film. The Hmong culture have been stereotyped by the western culture concerning that the American way is the only way which

The movie Gran Torino, is an American film directed by Clint Eastwood, who also stars as the main character. The movie was set in Highland Park, Michigan which was a nearby suburb of Detroit. In prior years, Highland Park was populated by white families that had come to the area to work in the Ford car factories, but over time, “the damn chinks” moved into the neighborhood as Walt Kowalski would say. This show was the first American film to show Hmong Americans, which were war refugees that had resettled in the U.S. following the communist takeover of Laos in 1975 (Yuen). The main character, Clint Eastwood is a widowed Korean War veteran who often shows bursts of racism and anger towards people of different race, especially the Asian immigrants in his neighborhood. His neighbor, Thao Vang Lor, a young Hmong teenager becomes a key character in the movie after he gets pressured into stealing Walt’s 1972 Gran Torino in an attempt to be initiated into a Hmong gang in which his cousin is involved with. While attempting to steal the car, Walt catches Thao and is sure to prove a point that he is not going to take any slack from him and or the Hmong gang members.