For those unaware, the main conflict of the movie is Peter deciding to be Spider-man no more, and all the consequences as a result of his choice. In the beginning, Peter's life is affected by Spider-man in that he's failing college, his relationships with Harry and Mary Jane are crumbling, he's losing jobs, and is being seen as irresponsible to everyone. He sacrifices going to class, showing up for MJ's plays and his job in order to protect the people of New York. This leads to a moral crisis in his life: To be or not to be Spider-Man?
Life's a series of choices, as well as sacrifice. Right and wrong. What we choose to do has effects, whether we see/know them or not.What we want to do may not always be what we need to do. Why must we sacrifice our desires in order to do the right thing that benefits others we may not know? What and when should we decide to sacrifice our desires for the needs of others?
He chose to put his desires, his happiness, behind in order to do what was needed; Both his selfishness in choosing his desires over the needs of the many and his ultimate selflessness to retake his responsibility in doing good is a reflection of the human struggle of duality.
For many people, they only choose to do the right thing if they benefit from it as well. Is this not as selfish as to not do anything at all? Media often portrays someone doing the right thing always resulting in a positive consequence; this is not always the case, as shown in this movie. The right thing does not always have the best outcome; it can be horrible or gut-wrenching, but should that stop you from doing what is needed?
Of course, on the flip side of the coin, being selfish and focusing on our own desires once in a while isn't necessarily always the wrong choice. We need happiness in life, some form of escapism to cope with the stress of life's struggles. Finding that fine line between both is what life's about.
The message of the story is that life isn't easy and that we can't simply pursue every desire we wish to; sacrifices are a necessary part of life. To be a hero, to be human, we must sometimes put needs before wants. It also shows that every person has an effect on their environment, no matter how big or small it may be. We all hold influence in others' lives. One of Stan Lee's best cameos sums this up nicely.
There's a hero in all of us, anybody could be under the mask It's up to us to decide what to sacrifice for the betterment of humanity.
If someone as ordinary, and especially relatable, as Peter can show such sacrifice, then we can too.
We may not be able live perfectly, but we can live a perfect life so long as we don't compromise our values and seek to enhance life and the human condition, and inspire others to do the same.
Discussion Questions:
Everyone is entitled to the pursuit of happiness, but is that pursuit worth it if it comes with a cost of having to sacrifice some of our happiness?
When should we sacrifice our desires in order to help the needs of others? When, if ever, is it acceptable to choose our desires over those needs?
Superheroes are a relatively modern incarnation of the "hero" archetype; since Ancient civilizations, stories of super-humans, gods, demigods, etc. have been told throughout every culture. What is it these timeless stories say about the human condition and humans' outlook on life? Why does every civilization seem to have some kind of Hero?
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I guess it depends on what kind of sacrifices you have to make and if it will harm anyone else. will it really be happiness if we hurt someone we love or lose them?
ReplyDeleteStudies show that people who habitually behave altruistically rather than selfishly are indeed happier, with a stronger sense of purpose and fulfillment. They come to regard their "sacrifices" as net gains.
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