Disabled Character In Film: Finding Nemo

This film is about looking for a clown fish called Nemo, who is caught by a fisherman and sent to a dental clinic, putting in a tank. Marlin, Nemo’s father, was looking for Nemo in the film. In this film, Nemo has an underdeveloped fin, that is physically disabled from birth, and which caused him a disability in swimming as fast as other fishes did and easily get tired after swimming for a while. Marlin, is always over protective taking care of Nemo, when Nemo has to go to school, he informs Nemo’s teacher about Nemo’s disability and wants the teacher to stop and let Nemo rest after swimming.

Also, he taught Nemo that the ocean is not safe, he should be careful of everything, even not letting Nemo to go to school. Actually, Nemo is a positive clown fish, he seems quite normal even though he gets an underdeveloped fin. Marlin even named Nemo’s underdeveloped fin as “lucky fin”, a positive and adorable name. Nemo does not look upset or abnormal about swimming slower or more difficult than others. He lives like a normal clown fish with Marlin and not treated himself as a special one since he was born. Furthermore, He feels excited for school instead of refusing going to school because of his fin. By not realizing his underdeveloped fin is a bad thing for him, he wants to go on adventure, makes new friends, and play with others.

For example, he shows excitement when he first goes to school and meet his schoolmates, he does not look unconfident when he tells them what happened to his “lucky fin”. However, when he gets caught by a fisherman that he cannot escape, he finds out that he cannot swim so fast just like others and hethinks that he cannot do things well because of his underdeveloped fin. Luckily, after he escaped successfully from the dental clinic and back to the ocean, he finds out that he is not really that useless, he can also do well if he tries his best. To be concluded, Nemo sees his disability as a special thing for him, not a difficulty or shame. About how others see Nemo, let’s first talk about how Nemo’s father, Marlin treats Nemo. As I have mentioned, Marlin is an over protective father, he does not want Nemo to go to school as he thinks going to school is dangerous since the teacher have to take care of many students and to take them swimming near the open sea. In the film, when he notices that the class is going on an adventure to the cliff in the ocean, he seems frightened and terrified, immediately gets Nemo back to him and bring him back home. He is afraid that Nemo will get caught or eaten, just like Nemo’s mother (get eaten by a shark when she tries to protect her eggs), therefore he does not agree Nemo going to school or hanging out by himself. Moreover, Nemo’s classmates, are all same with Nemo, having disability, they do not mind having Nemo as a friend and they treat Nemo as a normal clown fish. In the scene, when Nemo first meets other kids in school, he finds out that there is an octopus who a tentacle is a bit shorter than the others, a seahorse who is allergic to H2O, and a fish who is “obnoxious”. They show their understanding to Nemo instead of laughing him, letting Nemo knows they are also same with Nemo, letting him act normal and relax.

For the reflection on Marlin’s perspective towards Nemo, I understand Marlin’s over protection. At the very beginning of the film, it tells us that Nemo is only six, he does not know much about the enormous ocean, also he has got an underdeveloped fin that makes him a disadvantage to swim fast, and to escape. Therefore, Marlin worries about his safety. And for Nemo’s friend, they treat Nemo as a normal clown fish. In this opinion, I think it is because they are also same with Nemo, a part of their body disabled, so they do not want Nemo to be nervous when he meets new schoolmates and to be unconfident, I think they show their empathy. The general may think that the impairment of Nemo may bring him a huge barrier on swimming and think that he cannot be a normal one as he is disabled, they will also see Nemo as an abnormal clown fish, they may look after him more carefully and treat him as a special one. For career, the workplace may not employ workers that if they have disability as it may lower the efficiency of working and cause barriers on moving around, they are usually social unacceptable. For daily life, people that is disabled like Nemo will face stairs problem, some MTR stations and malls do not provide a user-friendly lift for them to use. People may also have to contend with a form of pity as they think the disabled are poor and they cannot help them.

Therefore, there are many prejudices towards person with impairment. On the other hand, I think the public can try to show their respect and empathy to people who have disabilities, do not treat them as useless but to give more opportunities. Also, facilitiesshould not just favours citizens that do not have disabilities. For example, we can enlarge the doorways and hallways to access wheelchairs and to build special ramps and bus lift for the disabled people. To conclude, is to make sure disabled people have the equal access and fully uses of their property or services. Lastly, I think this film is an encouraging film for us to watch and it let us knows that people who are disabled are not a strange person, but a normal one, just like us. They also have to live, survive and work. Therefore we should not think they are discriminated, but to accept them.