History WMG / Paranorman

And at first, Trent's a little angry and jealous after discovering that Courtney was flirting with his boyfriend throughout most of the movie's events--but Courtney defends herself by making it clear that she honestly had no idea that Mitch was already in a relationship (let alone the fact that he's ''gay''). Also, I feel like Courtney's also the type of person that (despite having a flirtatious nature) wouldn't really go after someone if they're already in a relationship.

And at first, Trent's a little angry and jealous after discovering that Courtney was flirting with his boyfriend throughout most of the movie's events--but Courtney defends herself by making it clear that she honestly had no idea that Mitch was already in a relationship (let alone the fact that he's ''gay''). After learning this, Trent and Courtney get to know each other and discover that they do actually have a lot in common, becoming close friends in the process.

[[WMG:Courtney becomes good friends with Mitch's boyfriend.]]

And at first, Mitch's boyfriend gets a little angry and jealous after discovering that Courtney was flirting with his significant other throughout most of the events of the movie. But after Courtney explains that she honestly had no idea that Mitch was already in a relationship (let alone the fact that he was also gay), the two get to know each and discover that they do have a lot in common, basically becoming [=BFFs=] in the process.

And at first, Mitch's boyfriend gets a little angry and jealous after discovering that Courtney was flirting with his significant other throughout most of the events of the movie. But after Courtney explains that she honestly had no idea that Mitch was already in a relationship (let alone the fact that he was also gay), the two get to know each and discover that they do have a lot in common, basically becoming BFFs in the process.

** As someone who is LGBT, I see this as a very far stretch for a metaphor. You could say this exact same theory for just about any other superpower in fiction.

** As someone who is LGBT, I see this as a far stretch for a metaphor. You could say this exact same theory for just about any other superpower in fiction.

** An interesting historical tidbit: it's suspected that neurodivergent people made up a disproportionate amount of ''actual'' accused "witches" during historical witch hunts and witch trials in RealLife for similar reasons; whoever and whatever paranoid societies didn't understand, they destroyed (if they had the power to do so, that is). The myth of changelings is suspected to exist for related reasons.

While [=ParaNorman=] is, in general, a story about accepting those who are not considered "normal" by society, it could be argued that Norman is coded as a neurodivergent individual. Norman doesn't interact with society like a neurotypically-coded person; he ''literally'' perceives the world differently. He hears and sees things differently than others, and while his family love him, even they don't fully understand his behavior and fear what kind of future he'll have--and the strain of this causes tension in the home. He carries a social stigma for his weird behavior and has uncontrolled fits in public. Uncle Prenderghast has obviously been abandoned by everyone--''including'' his family--for his abnormal behavior and he's clearly suffering from mental health issues ''on top'' of the neurodivergent coding. Even minority characters, whom socially othered characters like Norman are more commonly coded as, discriminate against Norman for his performance of what they consider to be weird and unsettling behavior, which, while terrible, makes more sense if we read Norman as neurodivergent rather than coded as a typical social minority. While it could be argued that Norman's still "proving his worth" by doing something for the intolerant town in exchange for acceptance--a distasteful trope commonly seen in narratives about minority-coded social outcasts coming to be appreciated by society at large (a la Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer)--the plot of [=ParaNorman=] is arguably more subversive than that: the movie in a neurodivergent reading can be read as literally validating the perspective of someone who is neurodivergent; the neurotypical majority of the town accepts that Norman's perceptions are genuine at the end not because he's "earned" the respect but because he saves the town in a manner that forces the town to recognize that Norman's perception of reality is indeed as real and valid as their own.

While [=ParaNorman=] is, in general, a story about accepting those who are not considered "normal" by society, it could be argued that Norman is coded as a neurodivergent individual. Norman doesn't interact with society like a neurotypically-coded person; he ''literally'' perceives the world differently. He hears and sees things differently than others, and while his family love him, even they don't fully understand his behavior and fear what kind of future he'll have--and the strain of this causes tension in the home. He carries a social stigma for his weird behavior and has uncontrolled fits in public. Uncle Prenderghast has obviously been abandoned by everyone--''including'' his family--for his abnormal behavior and he's clearly suffering from mental health issues ''on top'' of the neurodivergent coding. Even minority characters, whom socially othered characters like Norman are more commonly coded as, discriminate against Norman for his performance of what they consider to be weird and unsettling behavior, which, while terrible, makes more sense if we read Norman as neurodivergent rather than coded as a typical social minority. While it could be argued that Norman's still "proving his worth" by doing something for the intolerant town in exchange for acceptance--a distasteful trope commonly seen in narratives about minority-coded social outcasts coming to be appreciated by society at large (a la Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer)--the plot of [=ParaNorman=] is arguably more subversive than that: the movie in a neurodivergent reading can be read as literally validating the perspective of someone who is neurodivergent--the neurotypical majority of the town accepts that Norman's perceptions are genuine at the end not because he's "earned" the respect but because he saves the town in a manner that forces the town to recognize that Norman's perception of reality is indeed as real and valid as their own.

While [=ParaNorman=] is, in general, a story about accepting those who are not considered "normal" by society, it could be argued that Norman is coded as a neurodivergent individual. Norman doesn't interact with society like a neurotypically-coded person; he ''literally'' perceives the world differently. He hears and sees things differently than others, talks to absences, and while his family love him, even they don't fully understand his behavior and fear what kind of future he'll have--and the strain of this causes tension in the home. He carries a social stigma for his weird behavior and has uncontrolled fits in public. Uncle Prenderghast has obviously been abandoned by everyone--''including'' his family--for his abnormal behavior and he's clearly suffering from mental health issues ''on top'' of the neurodivergent coding. Even minority characters, whom socially othered characters like Norman are more commonly coded as, discriminate against Norman for his performance of what they consider to be weird and unsettling behavior (although, to be fair, not every minority and underprivileged group in society is always very accepting of others), but this behavior, while terrible, makes some sense if we read Norman as neurodivergent. While it could be argued that he's still "proving his worth" by doing something for the intolerant town in exchange for acceptance--a distasteful trope commonly seen in narratives about minority-coded social outcasts coming to be appreciated by society at large--the plot of the movie in a neurodivergent reading can be read as literally validating the perspective of someone who is neurodivergent--the neurotypical majority of the town accepts Norman's perceptions are genuine at the end not because he's "earned" the respect but because he saves the town in a manner that forces the town to recognize that Norman's perception of reality is indeed as real and valid as their own.

[[WMG: [=ParaNorman=] is an allegory for non-neurodivergent discrimination]]

[[WMG: [=ParaNorman=] is an allegory for non-neurotypical discrimination]]
While [=ParaNorman=] is, in general, a story about accepting those who are not considered "normal" by society, it could be argued that Norman is coded as a non-neurotypical individual. Norman doesn't interact with society like a neurotically-coded person; he ''literally'' perceives the world differently. He hears and sees things differently than others, talks to absences, and while his family love him, even they don't fully understand his behavior and fear what kind of future he'll have--and the strain of this causes tension in the home. He carries a social stigma for his weird behavior and has uncontrolled fits in public. Uncle Prenderghast has obviously been abandoned by everyone--''including'' his family--for his abnormal behavior and he's clearly suffering from mental health issues ''on top'' of the non-neurotypical coding. Even minority characters, whom socially othered characters like Norman are more commonly coded as, discriminate against Norman for his weird and unsettling behavior (although, to be fair, not every minority and underprivileged group in society is always very accepting of others), but this behavior, while terrible, makes some sense if we read Norman as non-neurotypical. While it could be argued that he's still "proving his worth" by doing something for the intolerant town in exchange for acceptance--a distasteful trope commonly seen in narratives about minority-coded social outcasts coming to be appreciated by society at large--the plot of the movie in a non-neurotypical reading reads as literally validating the perspective of someone who is non-neurotypical--the neurotypical majority of the town accepts Norman's supernatural abilities are genuine at the end not because he's "earned" the respect but because he saves the town in a manner that forces the town to recognize that Norman's perception of reality is indeed as real and valid as their own.
** An interesting historical tidbit: it's suspected that non-neurotypical people made up a disproportionate amount of ''actual'' accused "witches" during historical witch hunts and witch trials in RealLife for similar reasons; whoever and whatever paranoid societies didn't understand, they destroyed (if they had the power to do so, that is). The myth of changelings is suspected to exist for related reasons.

** An interesting historical tidbit: it's suspected that non-neurotypical people made up a disproportionate amount of ''actual'' accused "witches" during historical witch hunts and witch trials in RealLife for similar reasons; whoever and whatever paranoid societies didn't understand, they destroyed (if they had the power to do so, that is).

[[WMG: ParaNorman is an allegory for Non-Neurotypical discrimination]]
While ParaNorman is, in general, a story about accepting those who are not considered "normal" by society, it could be argued that Norman is coded as a non-neurotypical individual. Norman doesn't interact with society like a neurotically-coded person; he ''literally'' perceives the world differently. He hears and sees things differently than others, talks to absences, and while his family love him, even they don't fully understand his behavior and fear what kind of future he'll have--and the strain of this causes tension in the home. He carries a social stigma for his weird behavior and has uncontrolled fits in public. Uncle Prenderghast has obviously been abandoned by everyone--''including'' his family--for his abnormal behavior and he's clearly suffering from mental health issues ''on top'' of the non-neurotypical coding. Even minority characters, whom socially othered characters like Norman are more commonly coded as, discriminate against Norman for his weird and unsettling behavior (although, to be fair, not every minority and underprivileged group in society is always very accepting of others), but this behavior, while terrible, makes some sense if we read Norman as non-neurotypical. While it could be argued that he's still "proving his worth" by doing something for the intolerant town in exchange for acceptance--a distasteful trope commonly seen in narratives about minority-coded social outcasts coming to be appreciated by society at large--the plot of the movie in a non-neurotypical reading reads as literally validating the perspective of someone who is non-neurotypical--the neurotypical majority of the town accepts Norman's supernatural abilities are genuine at the end not because he's "earned" the respect but because he saves the town in a manner that forces the town to recognize that Norman's perception of reality is indeed as real and valid as their own.

In the Fridge page, a troper expressed the belief that Aggie's sealing ceremony initially began as a family lovingly reading to one of their deceased children. But a couple of seemingly unrelated things point against this conclusion. First, the legend of the witch's curse. How did this legend begin? I doubt Aggie was aware enough of her abilities to scream such a specific curse right before her execution. Second, the townsfolk had put to death someone they believed was a witch. Immediately, Aggie functionally proved them right: the six that actively participated against her in the trial died post haste, and she evidently did something to make the townsfolk believe in her very oddly specific curse regarding these deaths. What happened, and how did the Prenderghasts manage to survive and live in Blithe Hollow after these events, rather than being further persecuted? Families of suspected or convicted witches were almost always under suspicion as well, and another family member was almost always accused if the "witch" was a child (they had to learn it somewhere!) But no one else died. There's only one "witch" of Blithe Hollow. And the Prenderghasts have stayed in Blithe Hollow to the present day. The logical conclusion is that the surviving Prenderghasts--Aggie's mother, father, siblings, and any extended family--managed to give the townsfolk reason not to kill them ''despite'' the townsfolk almost certainly being convinced they were a family of witches. Why spare them? ''Aggie's curse.'' The townsfolk genuinely believed in Aggie's curse. Why? Aggie's curse wasn't likely to have been announced like some monologuing supervillain. No. More than likely, ''it began to manifest.'' Days after the trial, after the deaths of the Judge and witnesses, Blithe Hollow gave witness to the walking dead for the first, legend-sparking time. Perhaps it wasn't to house-destroying, car-flipping, town-burning levels yet, considering that isn't described in the legend; perhaps Aggie wasn't as strong when freshly dead. Regardless, the townsfolk have witnessed the Witch of Blithe Hollow kill six victims and reanimate their corpses. In anger, in fear, they surround the Prenderghasts. To the Prenderghasts, Aggie is dead, yes. But she is free in death. She is free to be angry, free to be mobile, free to seek her vengeance... and perhaps, maybe, eventually, free to seek solace, to recover, to find peace. But that will not be immediate, and the girl is angry--so, thinking fast, the Prenderghasts... strike a deal. If the town spares the Prenderghasts, they will become her jail wardens. And to make sure they are not expendable, the prison will have to be renewed every year. And so you see, the town ''needs'' the Prenderghasts. The agreement is made, the dead reinterred, and the deal holds... until it is forgotten, belief turned to irreverence. And the family imprisons its own daughter, a child of eleven years old, in her own corpse in an unmarked earthen pit in the forest. Where she is bound, underground, for three hundred years--denied the opportunity to work towards finding peace or any resolution, suspended in her rage and pain, her own family keeping her locked away long after even they have forgotten why.

In the Fridge page, a troper expressed the belief that Aggie's sealing ceremony initially began as a family lovingly reading to one of their deceased children. But a couple of seemingly unrelated things point against this conclusion. First, the legend of the witch's curse. How did this legend begin? I doubt Aggie was aware enough of her abilities to scream such a specific curse right before her execution. Second, the townsfolk had put to death someone they believed was a witch. Immediately, Aggie functionally proved them right: the six that actively participated against her in the trial died post haste, and she evidently did something to make the townsfolk believe in her very oddly specific curse regarding these deaths. What happened, and how did the Prenderghasts manage to survive and live in Blithe Hollow after these events, rather than being further persecuted? Families of suspected or convicted witches were almost always under suspicion as well, and another family member was almost always accused if the "witch" was a child (they had to learn it somewhere!) But no one else died. There's only one "witch" of Blithe Hollow. And the Prenderghasts have stayed in Blithe Hollow to the present day. The logical conclusion is that the surviving Prenderghasts--Aggie's mother, father, siblings, and any extended family--managed to give the townsfolk reason not to kill them ''despite'' the townsfolk almost certainly being convinced they were a family of witches. Why spare them? ''Aggie's curse.'' The townsfolk genuinely believed in Aggie's curse. Why? Aggie's curse wasn't likely to have been announced like some monologuing supervillain. No. More than likely, ''it began to manifest.'' Days after the trial, after the deaths of the Judge and witnesses, Blithe Hollow gave witness to the walking dead for the first, legend-sparking time. Perhaps it wasn't anything too dramatic yet; perhaps Aggie likely wasn't as strong when freshly dead. Regardless, the townsfolk have witnessed the Witch of Blithe Hollow kill six victims and reanimate their corpses. In anger, in fear, they surround the Prenderghasts. To the Prenderghasts, Aggie is dead, yes. But she is free in death. She is free to be angry, free to be mobile, free to seek her vengeance... and perhaps, maybe, eventually, free to seek solace, to recover, to find peace. But that will not be immediate, and the girl is angry--so, thinking fast, the Prenderghasts... strike a deal. If the town spares the Prenderghasts, they will become her jail wardens. And to make sure they are not expendable, the prison will have to be renewed every year. And so you see, the town ''needs'' the Prenderghasts. The agreement is made, the dead reinterred, and the deal holds... until it is forgotten, belief turned to irreverence. And the family imprisons its own daughter, a child of eleven years old, in her own corpse in an unmarked earthen pit in the forest. Where she is bound, underground, for three hundred years--denied the opportunity to work towards finding peace or any resolution, suspended in her rage and pain, her own family keeping her locked away long after even they have forgotten why.

In the Fridge page, a troper expressed the belief that Aggie's sealing ceremony initially began as a family lovingly reading to one of their deceased children. But a couple of seemingly unrelated things point against this conclusion. First, the legend of the witch's curse. How did this legend begin? I doubt Aggie was aware enough of her abilities to scream such a specific curse right before her execution. Second, the townsfolk had put to death someone they believed was a witch. Immediately, Aggie functionally proved them right: the six that actively participated against her in the trial died post haste, and she evidently did something to make the townsfolk believe in her very oddly specific curse regarding these deaths. What happened, and how did the Prenderghasts manage to survive and live in Blithe Hollow after these events, rather than being further persecuted? Families of suspected or convicted witches were almost always under suspicion as well, and another family member was almost always accused if the "witch" was a child (they had to learn it somewhere!) But no one else died. There's only one "witch" of Blithe Hollow. And the Prenderghasts have stayed in Blithe Hollow to the present day. The logical conclusion is that the surviving Prenderghasts--Aggie's mother, father, siblings, and any extended family--managed to give the townsfolk reason not to kill them ''despite'' the townsfolk almost certainly being convinced they were a family of witches. Why spare them? ''Aggie's curse.'' The townsfolk genuinely believed in Aggie's curse. Why? Aggie's curse wasn't likely to have been announced like some monologuing supervillain. No. More than likely, ''it began to manifest.'' Days after the trial, after the deaths of the Judge and witnesses, Blithe Hollow gave witness to the walking dead for the first, legend-sparking time. Perhaps it wasn't anything too dramatic yet; perhaps Aggie likely wasn't as strong when freshly dead. Regardless, the townsfolk have witnessed the Witch of Blithe Hollow kill six victims and reanimate their corpses. In anger, in fear, they surround the Prenderghasts. To the Prenderghasts, Aggie is dead, yes. But she is free in death. She is free to be angry, free to be mobile, free to seek her vengeance... and perhaps, maybe, eventually, free to seek solace, to recover, to find peace. But that will not be immediate, and the girl is angry--so, thinking fast, the Prenderghasts... strike a deal. If the town spares the Prenderghasts, they will become her jail wardens. And to make sure they are not expendable, the prison will have to be renewed every year. And so you see, the town ''needs'' the Prenderghasts. The agreement is made, the dead reinterred, and the deal holds... until it is forgotten, belief turned to irreverence. And the family imprisons its own daughter, a child of eleven years old, in her own corpse in an unmarked earthen pit in the forest. Where she is bound, underground, for three hundred years, her own family keeping her locked away long after even they have forgotten why.

In the Fridge page, a troper expressed the belief that Aggie's sealing ceremony initially began as a family lovingly reading to one of their deceased children. But a couple of seemingly unrelated things point against this conclusion. First, the legend of the witch's curse. How did this legend begin? I doubt Aggie was aware enough of her abilities to scream such a specific curse right before her execution. Second, the townsfolk had put to death someone they believed was a witch. Immediately, Aggie functionally proved them right: the six that actively participated against her in the trial died post haste, and she evidently did something to make the townsfolk believe in her very oddly specific curse regarding these deaths. What happened, and how did the Prenderghasts manage to survive and live in Blithe Hollow after these events, rather than being further persecuted? Families of suspected or convicted witches were almost always under suspicion as well, and another family member was almost always accused if the "witch" was a child (they had to learn it somewhere!) But no one else died. There's only one "witch" of Blithe Hollow. And the Prenderghasts have stayed in Blithe Hollow to the present day. The logical conclusion is that the surviving Prenderghasts--Aggie's mother, father, siblings, and any extended family--managed to give the townsfolk reason not to kill them ''despite'' the townsfolk almost certainly being convinced they were a family of witches. Why spare them? ''Aggie's curse.'' The townsfolk genuinely believed in Aggie's curse. Why? Aggie's curse wasn't likely to have been announced like some monologuing supervillain. No. More than likely, ''it began to manifest.'' Days after the trial, after the deaths of the Judge and witnesses, Blithe Hollow gave witness to the walking dead. Perhaps it wasn't anything too dramatic yet; perhaps Aggie likely wasn't as strong when freshly dead. Regardless, the townsfolk have witnessed the Witch of Blithe Hollow kill six victims and reanimate their corpses. In anger, in fear, they surround the Prenderghasts. To the Prenderghasts, Aggie is dead, yes. But she is free in death. She is free to be angry, free to be mobile, free to seek her vengeance... and perhaps, maybe, eventually, free to seek solace, to recover, to find peace. But that will not be immediate, and the girl is angry--so, thinking fast, the Prenderghasts... strike a deal. If the town spares the Prenderghasts, they will become her jail wardens. And to make sure they are not expendable, the prison will have to be renewed every year. And so you see, the town ''needs'' the Prenderghasts. The agreement is made, the dead reinterred, and the deal holds... until it is forgotten, belief turned to irreverence. And the family imprisons its own daughter, a child of eleven years old, in her own corpse in an unmarked earthen pit in the forest. Where she is bound, underground, for three hundred years, her own family keeping her locked away long after even they have forgotten why.

In the Fridge page, a troper expressed the belief that Aggie's sealing ceremony initially began as a family lovingly reading to one of their deceased children. But a couple of seemingly unrelated things point against this conclusion. First, the legend of the witch's curse. How did this legend begin? I doubt Aggie was aware enough of her abilities to scream such a specific curse right before her execution. Second, the townsfolk had put to death someone they believed was a witch. Immediately, Aggie functionally proved them right: the six that actively participated against her in the trial died post haste, and she evidently did something to make the townsfolk believe in her very oddly specific curse regarding these deaths. What happened, and how did the Prenderghasts manage to survive and live in Blithe Hollow after these events, rather than being further persecuted? Families of suspected or convicted witches were almost always under suspicion as well, and another family member was almost always accused if the "witch" was a child (they had to learn it somewhere!) But no one else died. There's only one "witch" of Blithe Hollow. And the Prenderghasts have stayed in Blithe Hollow to the present day.
The logical conclusion is that the surviving Prenderghasts--Aggie's mother, father, siblings, and any extended family--managed to give the townsfolk reason not to kill them ''despite'' the townsfolk almost certainly being convinced they were a family of witches. Why spare them? ''Aggie's curse.'' The townsfolk genuinely believed in Aggie's curse. Why? Aggie's curse wasn't likely to have been announced like some monologuing supervillain. No. More than likely, ''it began to manifest.''
Days after the trial, after the deaths of the Judge and witnesses, Blithe Hollow gave witness to the walking dead. Perhaps it wasn't anything too dramatic yet; perhaps Aggie likely wasn't as strong when freshly dead. Regardless, the townsfolk have witnessed the Witch of Blithe Hollow kill six victims and reanimate their corpses. In anger, in fear, they surround the Prenderghasts.
To the Prenderghasts, Aggie is dead, yes. But she is free in death. She is free to be angry, free to be mobile, free to seek her vengeance... and perhaps, maybe, eventually, free to seek solace, to recover, to find peace. But that will not be immediate, and the girl is angry--so, thinking fast, the Prenderghasts... strike a deal. If the town spares the Prenderghasts, they will become her jail wardens. And to make sure they are not expendable, the prison will have to be renewed every year. And so you see, the town ''needs'' the Prenderghasts. The agreement is made, the dead reinterred, and the deal holds... until it is forgotten, belief turned to irreverence. And the family imprisons its own daughter, a child of eleven years old, in her own corpse in an unmarked earthen pit in the forest. Where she is bound, underground, for three hundred years, her own family keeping her locked away long after even they have forgotten why.

The logical conclusion is that the surviving Prenderghasts--Aggie's mother, father, siblings, and any extended family--managed to give the townsfolk reason not to kill them ''despite'' the townsfolk almost certainly being convinced they were a family of witches. Why? Aggie's curse. The townsfolk genuinely believed in Aggie's curse. Why? Aggie's curse wasn't announced like some monologuing supervillain. ''It began to manifest.''