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Mantis Shrimp Meaning

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In the gust of wind, a bag circulates in the air. This image is from a highly acclaimed movie, American Beauty. In this movie, we follow the life of Lester Burnham, the archetype of a suburban middle-aged man, as he goes through a mid-life crisis. He has the perfect job, the perfect house, and the perfect family. Everything that he aspires to have is his after working so long for it. Now, he is stuck in his banal daily routine. At the end when he dies, he flashes back to all of his treasured memories and the plastic bag scene appears.
This isn’t just a “plastic bag floating in the wind.” This is the weightless, infinite feeling we all have at some point in our lives. The human race is a deep species with emotional depths far deeper than the ocean. This is the meaning of freedom and feeling eternal and unbound by life’s ties even if it’s just for a moment. That’s the beauty behind this scene. …show more content…

The plastic bag is a metaphor for living in the present. This awe-inducing sea creature survives in the vast ocean day by day. Life doesn’t pass the Mantis Shrimp by. Time doesn’t fly by for them. They live their lives second by second. They don’t even have to worry about danger, because nature equips them with weapon-like body parts. They don’t have to worry about food, because their ninja-like agility allows them to catch their food. They don’t have to worry about finding shelter, because the ocean’s floor is theirs to take. Sometimes, I wish I were a Mantis Shrimp. Not knowing when I’m going to be eaten and die. Until I become a part of discounted seafood platter, I can just live my life in the comfortable unknown of the

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