Essay Question 1.
In Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Matthew Broderick’s character Ferris is the Norse God Loki the trickster. Discuss.
Yes, I know… some people might consider this to be stretching things a bit, but I’m pretty certain that this is the case. Certainly, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off doesn’t follow your typical teen “coming of age” style plot – unlike, say, Weird Science or Stand By Me. Although one character does come of age – specifically, Cameron. Ferris, however, is the joker, trickster and liar who puts Cameron into situations he wouldn’t ordinarily be in. He’s also seemingly immune to twists of fate and doesn’t learn anything during the course of the movie. Thus, I posit that he’s actually not a real person in the drama at all, but is in fact the embodiment of the archetype of Loki.
At least, that’s my take on it. Not sure who that makes Rooney though.