Introduction
People often experience traumatic events that can lead to grieving. Generally, there are seven stages of grief that people need to overcome in order to process it. Carl from the Pixar animated movie Up (Docter, 2009) lost his wife. This event resulted in a deep emotional response that he is gradually responding to. During the movie, the character moves through seven stages of grief that perfectly illustrate the process of dealing with traumatic experiences.
Stages of Grief in the Up Film
Shock
Carl’s first reaction to the loss of his wife, which he experiences, is shock. This stage is inevitable, mainly when a tragic event occurs unexpectedly (Usher, 2020). Carl had planned the trip to Venezuela with his wife and intended to announce it at the picnic. However, Ellie suddenly fell and eventually got to the hospital, where she died. The loss of a partner shocked Carl, although he does not express his feelings openly. Carl feels lonely in his house, where all the objects remind him of the loss.
Denial
Gradually, a person feels less emotionally tense, and the first shock passes. The second stage of grief is denial, when a person cannot believe the tragedy has happened (Usher, 2020). Carl constantly refers to his wife, talking to and trying to comfort her. He knows she is already gone but cannot accept the loss yet. His days became the same without joy and happiness, which he seemed to have lost with Ellie.
Carl is attached to all the objects that remind him of his partner, such as the mailbox. The world around him changes, but he does not want to accept it. Carl protects his house as a reminder of their life with Ellie, which prevents him from moving forward. This contributes to the deterioration of feelings of isolation and loneliness as a result of the tragedy that occurred and the denial associated with it.
Anger
After denial, a person cannot accept the reality, which causes frustration. The third stage is anger, which pushes a person more profoundly into their negative emotions and rejection of help (Usher, 2020). Carl is unwilling to sell his house even for the reasonable price offered to him. This house is a valuable memory of Ellie and their life, which he wants to keep.
Carl’s denial gradually grows into anger when he aggressively punches a worker who wants to repair the mailbox broken by his colleague. He grabs the mailbox and hides inside the house, distancing himself from people and society. Carl is also hostile toward Russel when the boy comes to his house for the first time. Carl is unwilling to accept help; he wants to isolate himself from other people. They are annoying, causing anger and resentment on Carl’s part.
Bargaining
The fourth stage shows the start of the recovery process. The bargaining stage is illustrated in the movie in most detail as Carl makes a promise to get the house to the waterfall (Usher, 2020). Ellie had always dreamed of going there, but life did not allow her to achieve this. Therefore, Carl decides that he will fulfill her lifelong dream and goes on a trip. He escapes the city in his house tied to hundreds of balloons.
This stage is also characterized by the feeling of blame or regret, which is evident in the case of Carl. He constantly looks through Ellie’s album of adventures, where she expresses her desire to go on a trip. Carl is convinced that their life and marriage, with daily problems and tasks, prevented her from realizing her dream. He wants to fix the situation by making a promise and pursuing Ellie’s most prominent dream.
The trip represents the long stage of Carl’s bargaining process, where he is motivated to move forward and meet new friends. However, he is still distant and isolated, reluctant to provide and accept help. Carl is focused on his mission of fulfilling the promise and getting the house to the waterfall. During the trip, Carl wants to preserve every bit of his memory of Ellie and their life. He is extremely sensitive about the house and the objects in it as a reminder of his partner. Notably, Carl gradually becomes more interested in the lives of people around him, which ultimately leads him to recovery.
Depression
After the bargaining goes a period of mood swings and tiredness, the stage of depression was not long for Carl as he had people around willing to support him (Usher, 2020). Charles Muntz destroyed most of the balloons, which kept the house in the air. This makes it difficult to move around, which poses an additional challenge.
Further, Muntz burns his house down during their confrontation, which leads Carl to experience hopelessness and the feeling of despair. He is tired of the trip and feels as if nothing is to be done to achieve his goal. Carl is convinced that his promise is impossible to fulfill. He locks in the house again, isolating himself from other people, overwhelmed by his grief. Carl looks through the album one more time, trying to recollect some memories of his wife. Carl is depressed and hopeless as he does not want to move forward.
Acceptance
Occasionally, a person finds a new stimulus to live and leaves the past behind. The next stage of grief is acceptance of hope, which comes when he reveals the pages that he has never seen before (Usher, 2020). Ellie considered her life with Carl an adventure, keeping all the memories related to him precious and valuable. He understands that his wife was happy in their marriage and was content with her life. This helps Carl acknowledge that he is not guilty and has no reason to blame himself. He understands that he cannot return Ellie from the dead, but he can cope with his negative emotions about it.
Carl is now willing to communicate and help other people, as well as to accept help from them. He accepts Doug as his dog and strives to help Russell and Kevin out of trouble, although he did not want to do this before. He starts a new life focusing on the present and trying to be a part of the community.
Processing Grief
Finally, a person has recovered and can move forward with their own life. The last stage is processing grief, which comes in the form of helping others for Carl (Usher, 2020). He travels on an airship with Doug, Russell, and other dogs. Carl also tries to support Russell, who is experiencing emotional difficulties due to an uneasy relationship with his father. He also accepts Kevin and interacts with her chicks, rejoicing in their well-being. Other people help him to find new meaning in life, which helps him move forward and not focus on the past.
Conclusion
Overall, Carl lets go of his home and, with it, the memories of Ellie, keeping all the most precious in his heart. The man is no longer burdened by the constant need to drag the house behind him. Carl is open to a new life in which he is happy with new people, not forgetting his dear wife. He moves through seven stages of grief, resulting in coping with the traumatic event. Ellie fulfilled her dream after death, and she was present in her house near the waterfall, where she wanted to be.
Reference
Docter, P. (Director). (2009). Up [Film]. Walt Disney Pictures.
Usher, J. (2020). What are the 7 stages of grief? Counselling Directory. Web.