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Yawar Ali

Mrs. Nichole Wilson

English IV B

4 April 2013

Fantasies: From Fauns to Frogs

In great literature, no scene of violence exists for its own sake. Choose a work of literary

merit that confronts the reader or audience with a scene or scenes of violence. In a well-

organized essay, explain how the scene or scenes contribute to the meaning of the complete

work. Avoid plot summary.

I, Yawar Ali, have read and understand the sections in the Student Handbook regarding

Mason High School's Honesty/Cheating Policy. By affixing this statement to the title page of my

paper, I am certifying that I have not cheated or plagiarized in the process of completing this

assignment. If it is found that cheating and/or plagiarism did take place in the writing of this

paper, I understand the possible consequences of the act, which could include a "0" on the paper,

as well as an "F" as a final grade in the course.

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Imagine being trapped in a gloomy, dimly-lit cavern with a faceless, horrible pale

creature. Shadows cling to the walls and sulk after you as you carefully tread deeper into the

underground, suspiciously creeping forward step by step. Laid out before you is a task, complete

it and you’ll achieve your wildest dreams. Fail it and be devoured alive by the “Pale Man”. And

so was the situation facing poor little Ofelia as she searched for the dagger so desperately sought

by the faun. This violent “Pale Man” scene climaxes the road of trials for the protagonist,

develops the supernatural air about the movie, and demonstrates the dangers of the real world.

By illustrating these points the director, Guillermo del Toro, emphasizes the trials the archetypal

hero faces along the journey to the hero’s final quest.

Throughout the movie, Ofelia is met by strong resistances at home and in her magical

adventures as she proceeds to fulfill her goal in becoming a princess. Only with the help of the

faun is she prepared to face what’s before her, whether that be the gargantuan frog in the tree or

her mother’s ill-fated pregnancy. The “Pale Man” scene brings the largest of physical trials

Ofelia faces by forcing her to confront the very being that mortal children cry out in fear of:

Monsters. Toro usage of dramatic diegetic music and dim natural light from the fireplace aids in

conveying the sullen, dread-like atmosphere Ofelia walks into. The walls are covered with fading

murals depicting the Pale Man’s atrocities towards mankind and his bloodthirsty ways. The

uninviting atmosphere helps in creating the mood of the scene which contributes to the mood of

the entire movie – futile hope and rampant evil. Only with this scene does hope triumph above

evil; this trial marks the culmination of Ofelia’s fear of evil and overcomes it almost just as

easily.

It’s easy to see that Toro invokes the little child in all of us as he portrays cute pixie-like

fairies and magic to convey his theme and overall plot of the story through detailed imagery. He

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could have just as easily left out the little fairy helpers or the magical mandrake under the

mother’s bed to create the exact same story. Yet, he went out of his way to add magical elements

to create the “supernatural air” about the movie. From scene one with the insect to the ending

scenes of Ofelia with her mother and father in her fantasy world, magic is ever-present. The

“Pale Man” scene in this way creates the same magic but now sheds a more gruesome light.

Instead of fairy tales and fantasies, horrors and nightmares come into play as the Pale Man wakes

up from the dead. Ofelia’s failure to overcome temptation that all archetypal heroes face is her

one single downfall in this trial that leads to a variety of conflicts with the faun and the real

world. She now faces the consequence of her action - the behemoth at the end of the table. The

Pale Man’s bloody, pointy fingers and lifeless, bloodshot eyes make up the newly revived,

bloodthirsty creature. He snatches up the fairies with little effort and gorges on their contents,

barely pausing to crunch on their small little fairy heads and turning his attention towards Ofelia.

This is quite the vivid and brutal scene to show in a seemingly child-oriented fantasy; yet all the

more necessary to give an air of danger to the newly awoken monster. By setting this up in the

“Pale Man”, Toro is free to display far more brutal atrocities in the world of man: the killing of

the rebels, mistreatment of the prisoners, and of course, the horrifying shooting of Ofelia.

Finally, the “Pale Man” scene illustrates the danger of the real world without actually

portraying the real world. The scene makes the transition of the protagonist from an innocent

child to that of a blossoming woman. While the scene itself seems meaningless to Ofelia as a

person, it does in fact change her understand of the brutal evils of the real world. It allows her to

be aware of these dangers and face them head on rather than running to her mother like she used

to. She realizes her independence after this scene and Toro makes that certain when he reverses

the roles between mother and daughter. Now Ofelia is the one taking care of her sick mother,

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she’s free to be an individual now and has newly gained freedom. In this way, Toro paves the

way for Ofelia to experience new things without the gentle guidance and urging from her mother.

She finally blooms to a fully-fledged queen that she imagined herself to be, enjoying the freedom

that comes at the end of her arduous journey.

The incorporation of trials, supernaturalism, and dangers create the magical movie that is

Pan’s Labyrinth. The “Pale Man” scene itself helps contribute to the movie by introducing

violence and horror to a character previously untainted by the real world and its atrocities. Ofelia

introduction to the war and the ills that awaited her on her tests awakened her and helped her

grow as a person to the fully fledged queen at the end of the tale.

Work Cited

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Il Labirinto Del Fauno Scena Più Famosa. Dir. Guillermo Toro. Perf. Ivana Baquero.Youtube.

N.p., 3 Aug. 2011. Web. 3 Apr. 2013.

Pan's Labyrinth. Dir. Guillermo Toro. Perf. Sergi López, Ivana Baquero, Maribel Verdú. Warner

Bros., 2006. DVD.

Pan’s Labyrinth: The Hero’s Journey. Nichole Wilson. English IV B. In-Class Notes. 22 August

2013.