Slingblade Essay, Research Paper

In the small town I am from there is a young man named Marty Coppick. Marty issomewhat mentally retarded. He is however free from any physical handicaps and for themost part able to function on his own. In the time I went school with Marty I saw himbeing treated badly by many students. He was continually made fun of and had many crueljokes played on him.. However, Marty remained in a good mood holding no grudgesagainst the students, but no matter how badly students treated Marty he remained friendlyto all. He felt particularly strong for another challenged girl. He would get very upsetsometimes pushing or shoving a person who gave her a hard time. In many ways I findMarty similar to the main character of Slingblade, Carl. Carl is slightly mentallychallenged, although he is able to function on his own. He like Marty has been ridiculedand made fun of, yet does not hold it against people. Carl like Marty found someone heidentified with ,Frank, and it is only when Frank is threatened that Carl becomes violent. The movie Slingblade is based on Carl a somewhat retarded man who is releasedfrom a mental hospital. He has spent the majority of his life there after killing his motherand the man he caught her having an affair with. Once released he returns to hishometown ,a small rural community, where he knows nobody. Eventually he gets a job insmall engine repair shop where he lives in back of the shop. He is then befriended by ayoung boy, Frank, who invites Carl to live with him. Carl moves into Frank and hismothers garage. While Frank and his mother enjoy Carl living in the garage the mother sboyfriend ,Doyle, objects. Doyle is very abusive and a heavy drinker. The movie ends

with Carl being recommitted to the mental hospital after killing the boyfriend who hadthreatened Frank and his Mother. This story is a struggle of Carl trying to adapt to anoutside world which he has never been exposed to. Carl has never had a decision to make because he was raised in an hierarchicalsociety, so he is forced to become an individual trying to adapt to society which iscompletely unfamiliar to him. This struggle is evident upon his release from the hospitalwhen he goes to the Frosty Cream restaurant. Carl is very confused as to how and whatto order to eat. He asked the waiter several questions about what to eat including whatthey have and what the waiter would recommend. He eventually settles for French friesbecause they are what is familiar to him. In a continuing search for something common hereturns to the hospital because this is all he knows He does not understand how tobecome part of the group because he doesn t know who the group is. His world of agreement has been completely destroyed. He is extremelydisoriented as all his surroundings and the choices he is forced to make are unusual to him. His reorientation begins with his job at Cox s small engine repair shop. This providessome structure to his life and gives him a place where he belongs. The second step in thereorientation process is his relationship with Frank. This assist in him feeling morebelonging to a society which he is trying to become apart of. His relationship with Frankbegins as just friends. He then finds a special bond with Frank in that both were dealt adifficult hand in life. Carl evolves as almost a father figure to Frank and as Carl s role inFrank s life becomes more prevalent the reorientation becomes more complete.