The White Ribbon: The Conclusion

By: Hayley Turner

Repression is seen through out the movie, The White Ribbon. During the course of the movie repression is seen among the women, children and men, as well as among the three most powerful men in town the Pastor, the Baron and the Doctor. Everyone in the town must follow the social norms for their position in the society, the children are supposed to obey the adults, the women are supposed to obey the men and everyone is supposed to obey the religious rule.  These social norms are what cause the repression among the town’s people. As the movie progresses each of the characters show that they understand the social norm (repression) but that they also act out to seek pleasure. Since the pleasure that each is seeking goes against the social norm - the pleasure seeking acts are viewed as disobedient, taboo or unlawful.

           

The children of the town repress their childhood want to play and be mischievous by following the rules of their teacher, their father’s and the Pastor. However, the children seek pleasure through inappropriate (according to the society) acts. One of the children is tried to his bed because his father (The Pastor) found out that he was masturbating. The Pastor repressed the son’s pleasure seeking activity because he believed it did not follow God’s way. Another way the children act out is by perhaps causing some of the terrible events of the town, although it is not completely know if the children have caused some of the violence, it is suspected. The town’s children, who are repressed almost completely, begin to seek pleasure through the pain, suffering and torturing of others.  It is suspected that the children tied the wire between the trees that the Doctor’s horse tripped on, that they kidnapped and beat the Baron’s son and that they committed the malicious acts of violence toward the midwifes mentally challenged son.

While it is understandable for these children to seek pleasure due to repression from adults, it is hard to understand the type of pleasure seeking activities that they partake in. The amount of repression these children feel from the society could be what leads them to seek pleasure with such violence towards others. Another individual that seeks pleasure through inappropriate act is the Doctor. I found the Doctor’s acts of pleasure to be the most surprising. Since his pleasure seeking acts included sexual acts with the midwife, Mrs. Wagner and his own daughter. It would appear that the repression placed on him has causes him to be the portrayal of perfection to the outside world but behind closed doors he seeks pleasure wrongly. It seems as though it is far more important for the Doctor to keep up appearances than to acquire pleasure in an appropriate manor.

An interesting dynamic to the story is the Farmer and his family. The farmer appears to be repressed by the society due to his lack of money and his need to rely on the Baron for a job and income. After the death of the Farmer wife one of the Farmer’s son feels that it is his duty to stand up to what he believe was an unjust death and decided to destroy the Baron’s cabbages. The Farmer’s son act is due to being repressed by the society, which in turn cause him to not be listened to when sharing grievances about the wrongful death of his mother. The farmer following the death of his wife and his son’s destruction, believes that there is no longer going to be joy or pleasure in his life is found hung by one of his younger sons. The Famer’s profound repression is what causes his to see no pleasure.

Each of the characters just described is repressed due to the social norms of their protestant town. Each character chooses to seek pleasure through acting out in ways that are inappropriate.