The Shape of Water
Introduction
The shape of water is a fascinating mythological tale that reflects the love and cold war experience. According to O’Malley (2017), the amphibian man captured from the ocean in South America was kept under captivity intending to study it. More so, the US considers the amphibian man as the most significant military asset. However, the ocean creature suffered unbearable torture and mistreatment by Strickland, whose character towards the Amphibian man transformed him into a brutal monster. As a result, Elisha, the mute who had a communication disorder, developed an affection for the creature, and eventually connected. In an attempt to analyze why the amphibian man and Elisha are drawn to each other in the shape of water, this paper discusses the connection between the two, isolation, and what they have in common.
The Connection between the Two
The amphibian was an ocean creature captured by the US military, which they intended to study and use as a weapon before the Russians could get their hands on the beast. Whereas, Elisha was a mute who worked at the military research facility as a cleaner. The amphibian man and Elisha developed an intimate feeling instantly when the amphibian man was brought into the military facility (Vejvoda, 2017). Undoubtedly, Elisha could not withstand the suffering of the amphibian man in the hands of Strickland. Indeed, the care and love Elisha showed to the amphibian man worn the creature’s heart for the lady since they all could not communicate verbally. Therefore, the connection that Elisha and the amphibian man shared was magical; as such, she struggles to liberate the creature from captivity so that they could live together in the ocean.
Isolation
Right from childhood, Elisha felt lonely and isolated due to her disabilities. Similarly, the amphibian man was captured from its habitat and brought to a strange place where it felt isolated as it could not understand the language and way of life of humans. The experience and treatment Elisha and the amphibian man had at the facility created a strong feeling and attachment that drew them closer (Sen, 2019). The amphibian man was chained, locked, and tortured at the facility, which can be compared to Elisha’s mistreatment due to her disability, thus the instant connection between the two characters. Moreover, no one did not see and understand that the amphibian man desires love except for Elisha, who knew the creatures could have affection for humans. Hence, the relationship that Elisha and the amphibian man had was due to isolation both suffered.
What they have in Common
The mythological tale portrayed Elisha and the amphibian man as characters who cannot communicate verbally to the world but instead required translators. According to Zach (2018), Elisha was a mute her entire life, which posed her a challenge of relating to others except for Gaile, who understood her. Likewise, the amphibian man, as a water creature, could not understand the human way of communication neither could it speak. The two characters found it difficult to survive at the facility; therefore, the affection they shared forced them to break free from the mistreatment under Strickland’s authority. More so, both Elisha and the amphibian man felt confinement in themselves. All in all, Elisha and the amphibian man had many things in common such as love, care, and struggle for freedom from Strickland.
Conclusion
Therefore, the shape of water is a thrilling yet scaring love tale that illustrates hardships and torture one might have to go through to discover themselves. However, as strange as the amphibian man looked, Elisha found true love in him. Furthermore, it looks disturbing to the audience, especially how fast Elisha got attracted to the ugly creature. Thus, this connection between the two can be attributed to their similarities, such as the inability to talk and the sense of isolation. The need to deeply analyze why the amphibian and Elisha are drawn to each other, the story necessitated the discussion of the connection between the two, isolation, and what they have in common. In a nutshell, this story revealed the strong love bond that existed between Elisha and the amphibian man.
References
O’Malley, S. (2017). The shape of water movie review (2017). Movie reviews and ratings by Film Critic Roger Ebert | Roger Ebert. Retrieved August 27, 2020, from https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-shape-of-water-2017
Sen, R. (2019). The shape of water movie review: A magical fairy tale for adults who refuse to move on. NDTV.com. Retrieved August 27, 2020, from https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/the-shape-of-water-movie-review-a-magical-fairy-tale-for-adults-who-refuse-to-move-on-1813573
Vejvoda, J. (2017). The shape of water review. IGN. Retrieved August 27, 2020, from https://www.ign.com/articles/2017/11/22/the-shape-of-water-review
Zach. (2018). The shape of water – Movie review. theVade. Retrieved August 27, 2020, from https://thevade.com/the-shape-of-water-movie-review/