Poor puppy!
I love this movie, but I hate the part when her father tries to get her that ADORABLE puppy and she throws a hysterical fit of crying...what a total brat! I would have been spanked if I had treated my parents like that.
shareI love this movie, but I hate the part when her father tries to get her that ADORABLE puppy and she throws a hysterical fit of crying...what a total brat! I would have been spanked if I had treated my parents like that.
shareWhich would have perfectly reflected the sort of thoughtless insensitivity McDhui displayed toward his daughter. He was not at all a cruel or evil man, but he'd allowed himself to become blinded to the ability to perceive the depth of attachment his child felt toward Thomasina, through the shutting down of his his emotional banks, in the way that most adults do as a way of surviving grief, hurt and life's general unfairness.
It becomes hard for many adults to relate to the intensity of a child's feelings, and of course, that's the 'sin' McDhui is guilty of--as are parents in general, when they can't, or more importantly, don't try to understand just what it is and why their child reacts to certain experiences in the ways they often do.
A puppy to replace a beloved cat is ridiculous! As a child, if someone had tried to give me a dog after losing my cat, I definitely would have refused it! They are not interchangeable.
Even as an adult, I had difficulty accepting a lookalike kitten given to me after my pet of nearly 23 years died; I actually resented her at first. It took a while before I could feel affection toward her; it didn't help that she wasn't a very affectionate cat. She became a twin of my long-lived male but never had his sweetness and loving nature. She lived to be 21, by the way.
A motherless child would have a deep connection to her cat, especially because her father was suffering the loss of his wife and was emotionally withdrawn. Consider how young Mary is and how long Thomasina was a part of her life. A puppy?! No way!
This is coming from a crazy old cat lady in her early 60s, one who saw the film during its original release and viewed it on "The Wonderful World of Disney". I cry every time I watch this film especially because my younger sister and I saw it in the theater; she died several years ago, and seeing the film brings back such strong memories.
I'll cease babbling now.
(W)hat are we without our dreams?
Making sure our fantasies
Do not overpower our realities. ~ RC