Essay Sample on Fly My Kite

Fly My Kite is a 20th-century comedy film that featured "Our Gang" in an episode that poignantly shed a light of what it was like living in the early 1990s. The film commences with Margaret Mann (grandma) as the foster mother for the gang. She boldly reads them Wild West stories, as the gang anxiously anticipate for the next action in the storyline. They are however disappointed by the sudden and unforetold end of the story, as it is meant to be continued the following week. A happy moment commences afterward as grandma trains with the gang on boxing, while she grants them a few tips of decency and honesty. However, this jovial mood does not last for long as grandma's selfish and hateful son-in-law Dan (James Madison) offers her an oral eviction notice, as he intends to move in with his new wife. Grandma is now fully aware of the spite and hostility that has built up between her and his son-in-law, as she even recalls of him having murdered her daughter emotionally and physically. Grandma also realizes that she is broke since the wealth she had bestowed on Dan had been squandered to completion (00:05:31- 00:05:51). The gang, on cue, attack Dan en masse, and he flees 05, as it is clear that even though broke and old, grandma has a pack that will always be there for her, and fight for her.

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On his way out, Dan spies on grandma's mailbox, and fishes out a letter from the imperial steel company regarding the value of her gold bonds. Grandma's husband purchased these bonds with the hope that in some way, they would come in handy in the future. Dan takes the notice to a merchant who promises him $100,000 on the submission of the bonds, while at home, grandma orders one of the gangs to burn the bonds and "make them go up in smoke like all my dreams and hopes" (00:11:25- 00:11:28). This is the ultimate letting go of all life's dreams, hopes, and optimism. Grandma has now come to accept that indeed she is old, broke, homeless and hopeless. She even goes through her photo album, reliving her past, since she has no future to look forward to.

There still, however, seems to be a fainting glow of hope, one that could not even make the matchstick ignite literary, but for all its worth, it is still hope. Chubby's (Norman Chaney) kite fails to fly. Grandma then takes the bonds and ties them at the kite's tail and up it goes, soaring into the sky like a new found strength of optimism and hope. To grandma, these bonds were not entirely worthless since they had made the life of one chubby little boy happy and better. These occurrences make the bonds not available at the house when Dan arrives to collect them, and she tells him that they have gone up, in the air, and figuratively, in their value even though she didn't know this yet. It is still sad that grandma does not know the value of the gold bonds since Dan had intentionally trampled on her glasses so that he would mislead her on the information contained in the letter. It was just a matter of time that Dan retrieved them and cashed them in for a fortune.

Something else happens that completely turns around the entire scene. One of the little boys, Mathew Beard, places the letter that Dan entered with against his fish jar, and the letters are magnified. This enables grandma to read the contents of the letter even without her glasses, and she realizes the deception by Dan. She learns that the bonds are still valuable. This transforms her as well as the story from one of misfortune, to one of a fortune waiting to happen. This brings about the phenomenon of the decency, and humility that grandma emphasized to the gang. Her patience for all those years has finally paid off, and her security has sure proven the financial protection she was currently depleted of. What followed this was a series of struggles, and attacks as the gang prevented Dan from getting a hold of the kite, and hence the bond. It is quite a funny part to watch, as they use every weapon at their disposal, from the stones, woods, and steel around them to electricity. They even go ahead to cut the electricity pole just so bring the one person who has never missed a chance to burst their bubbles in life.

The film in question is one that was produced in the 1930s as a series of the "our gang" films. Its richness in instances of reversals and recognitions that have given it diversity and a unique touch of interest and appeal to its audiences. The unexpected turn of events and the occasional alternative of situation, circumstances, and feelings have blended creatively with the funny characters to bring out the ideal pattern of life; one that emphasizes on the consistency of change, adjustments and alternations.

Works Cited.

McGowan F. Robert. Fly My Kite: Our Gangs. Permanent record. 30 may, 1931.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxCWspdhQ80