Week 4 Popular Media Review

Adolescent Opportunity in Good Will Hunting

Can you really call yourself dedicated to education if you've never seen Good Will Hunting? Without going into too much detail, Good Will Hunting provides a perfect example of how someone with talent can be robbed of opportunity because of how or where they grew up. Good Will Hunting is extremely different from Between the World and Me because Will Hunting (Matt Damon) is white. That being said, the obstacles Will faces are still obstacles that anyone who grew up impoverished could face. Maybe if Will Hunting were black he would not have been given the opportunity to prove his worth, we'll never know. But the lesson remains the same, human potential resides on the inside and should not be inhibited by prejudice or external stimuli. As future members of the educational system, there is much to learn from Robin Williams' determination in this film. Personally, I find it difficult to help someone who is unable to help themselves. I like to place a large emphasis on independence and self reliance, as I believe these to be defining characteristics of myself. That being said, I have a responsibility to any and all of my future students to try my hardest to reach them and bring out the best in them, despite the resistance they might give me. Watching Good Will Hunting reminds me of this, and it proves that even the toughest nuts can still be cracked. Robin Williams' character Sean taught me to think outside the box and above all, persist persist persist. In the end, the results can make it all worth it. 

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