Julia Holody – Staff Writer

juh644@psu.edu

[Contains spoilers]
As a young woman, I feel as though I am stuck in limbo. I am of the age where I am expected to act like an adult—paying taxes, living on my own, working—yet I am still talked down to by those who are much older than me. I am
stuck between my formative teenage years and my burgeoning adulthood. From here, thinking about letting go
of the carelessness of childhood and diving headfirst into professionalism is terrifying. The idea of working for the rest of my life is a horror beyond my comprehension, and I fear that I will lose the childlike wonder about the world that I am desperately clinging to. These feelings are so monumental that I could not fathom being the only young adult who feels this way. It was not until I watched the film “Ghost World” that I not only felt understood but finally discovered a narrative that quelled my aforementioned fears.

“Ghost World” is a 2001 film directed by Terry Zwigoff. The film is an adaptation of the comic series of the same name, written and illustrated by American cartoonist Daniel Clowes. Both Zwigoff and Clowes wrote the screenplay for the film. The film has been regarded as a cult classic, a hidden gem that deserves more recognition.

The film follows best friends Enid Coleslaw and Rebecca Doppelmeyer after their high school graduation. The young women possess a sense of cynicism characteristic of the angst of the 90s. The friendship of Enid and Rebecca parallels that of Daria Morgendorfer and Jane Lane from the MTV animated series “Daria.”

At the beginning of summer, the girls hang out at local diners, comic book shops, and convenience stores. They would pass the time mocking the norms around them, ridiculing their perceived lack of depth. Both characters view adulthood as pathetic at best and grotesque at worst.
However, upon being thrust from high school and into the real world, Enid and Rebecca’s paths gradually diverged. Rebecca takes the initiative in her new life, beginning a job at a coffee shop and hunting for apartments. Throughout the film, Rebecca’s outfits gradually mature. Her tousled pigtails eventually are thrown into an updo as she trades her mini skirts and flowery shirts for a button-down and slacks. In essence, Rebecca has accepted her new life and relished her freedom.

In stark contrast, Enid resists taking on these responsibilities. Still holding onto her sardonic wit, the girl criticizes
and refuses to conform to the people around her. She dyed her hair green and kept wearing her eccentric outfits.
She stalled the process of getting a job and even failed to graduate high school by effectively ruining her summer
course. Enid was stagnant for the sake of self-preservation, with her refusal to conform holding her back.

Enid’s rejection of the mainstream is indicative of her fear of losing her spark. In the film, the adults around Enid are
weak. Her father is awkward around her and does not know how to talk to her. Her remedial art teacher has no artistic taste and eventually gives Enid a failing grade for the class. The only adult she looks up to is a lonely older man named Seymour, and even he is pathetic. He had been working at the same dead-end job for nearly 20 years, lived in an apartment with another grown man, and spent his time collecting old vinyl records all alone. I found it ironic at first that Enid would idolize him since he had succumbed to the average life that she feared. However, upon
further inspection, I realized that Enid appreciated his ability to hold on to his individuality. He seemed like a grown-
up, yet he was still weird and unique. Seymour defied Enid’s expectations of adulthood.

I will admit, I thought Enid’s character was awful. She was annoying, constantly spewing pseudointellectual crap in an attempt to be quirky and “not like other girls.” Her rebelliousness became tiring, and her edgy sarcasm got old fast. I was irritated by the way she carelessly went about life, not working or contributing to society to seem cooler than everyone else. In her derailment, she also destroyed Seymour’s entire life, causing him to get fired from his job, leave his girlfriend for her, and end up in the hospital.

It was easy to despise Enid, but I had to ask myself how much of the blame could be placed on her. She was still a kid, despite the world around her expecting her to mature. I realized that it was unreasonable to blame a kid who is under immense pressure for making mistakes, even if they are severe. Her actions may have been collateral of struggling against an unforgiving world.

As a young woman myself, there is something admirable in the way Enid chooses her path. A major motif in the film is an old man named Norman, who sits at a defunct bus stop waiting for a bus that will never come. At the end of the film, the bus finally comes and takes the old man away. The experience is otherworldly. Enid, who witnessed the
occurrence, is transfixed by this sight and has a major realization: she can choose her path. Instead of hating adulthood, she discovers the freedom it brings. The film ends with Enid living her recurrent dream of getting on a random bus and traveling far away from everything and everyone she has ever known. Some people interpret this ending as Enid killing herself, but I think she is killing her old life and its misfortunes.
To be clear, I do not think there is anything wrong with growing up. It is natural and we should welcome change as it comes to us. Regardless, I also do not think there is anything wrong with being afraid of growing up. Enid’s fears were completely valid to me, even more so considering that everyone around her was forcing her to change. Watching “Ghost World” was a formative experience for me. It helped me realize that other young girls feel the same way as I do and that everyone takes their path in life. If I ever find myself rebelling against my surroundings the way Enid did, I will know that life is not for me and take the initiative to create a better one.