"Inception" is a movie about dreams within dreams.
In Inception, a token totem spins and spins and
seems always on the edge of falling over.
What does it mean?
More importantly, in the end, the main character (Cobb) no longer hold's on to that totem.
What does that mean?
Has he let go?
"Dumbo" is a movie about a cartoon baby elephant endowed with an X-Men like mutational power which allows him to convert his flesh and blood ear flaps (used for cooling) into airplane wings (airfoils) of sufficient lift power to overcome gravity's pull on his elephant's body.
"The Feather" which Dumbo grasps
is an example of yet another held-onto totemthat has been the subject of extended focus.
What does it represent?
Before answering though ...
A first question is whether we are allowed
in a first place to ask questions or is the mere asking ...
of questions taboo? (Forbidden, Blasphemy?)
Let's assume yes ... we are allowed to ask
And then to investigate possible answers ....
In one sense, "Dumbo's Feather" represents a dream (psycho-suggestive powers) within a dream (of fly-capable elephants) within yet another dream (that of a cartoon world reflecting our reality) just as in the movie "Inception" the ploy is that of getting an audience to suspend its disbelief mechanisms to the point that they allow the movie to implant in their minds an acceptance of unreality becoming reality (of dreams seeming to come true). The notion to be grasped is that a "symbol", a "token" such as a mere feather (Dumbo's feather) can overcome the "psychological barriers" which are the only things holding us back from our "true potential" --for example, the potential of a gravity bound body (i.e. an elephant's body) to otherwise take off and fly to unlimited heights
--If only we believe hard enough. (When you wish upon a star ...)
Let's think real hard.
Where else have we been asked to hold on to tokens of belief and wish hard enough for our dreams (American dreams), for our "true potentials", to come true or to wish that those above us (our job-creationist leaders) will come to our rescue? To the rescue of Greece? To the rescue of Cyprus?
Where else have we been told
that belief alone (high self-esteem) will make us soar?
Where have we also been told ...
YES WE CAN ? That all we need is "ingenuity"?
What manner of MAGIC FEATHER is used in each such situation?
At what points in our lives did we each mutate into being a Dumbo?
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