To Conform or Not to Conform?

First off I think it best to state my own view on non-conformity. I would think of it as someone who didn't quite fit in to his or her surroundings whether it be by lifestyle, appearance, or choices made. Many times it may be done purposefully, others it may not. Off the Map challenges not only my own, but most others perceptions of conformity in many ways. They used the character William Gibbs as an extreme way to show non-conformity, but also used the father Charlie, and his best friend as well for minor play-offs. The taxman, otherwise known as William, first comes to the small town in New Mexico experienced in the big city ways and lifestyle. Right off the bat you notice the difference between him and the Groeden family by the way he is dressed and how he interacts with the family itself. When we are first introduced to Charlie he is walking towards the Groeden home when he sees Mrs Groeden, standing nude, gazing over her garden in the golden sunlight. He is so awestruck by the perplexity and beauty of it that he just stands there, unable to speak a word. After a few feverful days from being stung by a bee he realized that this simplistic way of life, so drastic from his own, was what he wanted most. He wanted to conform to that lifestyle. I think in most cases people choose not to conform because they want to be an individual or unique, not realizing that no matter how alike two people may be no two can be the exact same. William is an example of assumption three, that the individual choose communities that will accept them for who they are and not want to change them.

As for Bo's father Charlie, depression has become more widely accepted but is still not seen as something that is in the "norm". It affected not only him but everyone in the family, Bo especially, because he no longer spent the quality time with her that was once a staple. His depression can be seen as non-conformity in ways with the family, but in his relationship that grew with William, he fit right in. Like many others in the more populated parts of the world than which Charlie lived in, William was depressed too. During one of their daily night time talks Williams shares his feeling about his depression and what had caused it, allowing Charlie to feel relief that he wasn’t “broken”, depression could take hold over anyone. As for her dads best friend, Bo touched upon the fact that she thought he might be homosexual. She looked at the choices he made in his life, like not having a girlfriend or wife and the fact that he spent so much time with her family to make that assumption. This again is a touchy topic that is not in the "norm" but is becoming a more popular way of life.

I really enjoyed this movie, it was a good watch but also made you think about it. It tested non-conformity in all the characters in some small way or another. The characters in which I noticed it the most were William, Charlie, and Charlie's best friend by the choices they made, lifestyles they held, and what willingness they had, if any, to conform. This movie made me think a lot about those communities that I do conform and call my own and those that I do not.