Mean Girls analysis through Kant’s essay on Enlightenment
meme courtesy of the artist
According to Kant, people become mature through enlightenment – ability to use your own reason. We don’t question our capacity to make decisions independently, but it requires serious contemplation. Back in the 18th century Kant argued that religious institutions that commit to undisputable doctrines restrict humanity from enlightenment. Taking as a basis the statement that no authority can have unlimited power, without harming further development of human beings, we can contemplate other phenomena that might limit free-thinking, for instance the influence we get from communities that we are part of. The popular movie Mean Girls narrates a story of a girl – Cady Heron, who was raised far from modern traditional societies. Once she’s thrown into the routine of high school life, she faces the Kant’s example of binary relations in the representation of “plastics” as guardians and minors‘ embodiment in students they control.
The term “nonage” in the essay is explained as intellectual immaturity, meaning never questioning the order of life processes and occurrences, following what others say and having thoughts that originated on the outside source. In the movie, the leader plastic – Regina George manipulated people’s thinking and actions. The majority of the students being in the stage of nonage is the very reason for her being able to heavily influence them. When we live in the subjugated state, it’s easy for others to set themselves as guardians. It appears we don’t need to burden our brains, everything is constructed and designed for our comfort – that creates disengagement from life. In this example we see how intellectual blindness can easily set someone above socially and let project their personal intentions. As a consequence, Cady gradually adapted the same mean behavior, became one of the plastics and sought revenge against Regina. Kant indicated such dynamic shift as suppressed eventually seek revenge upon their guardians, in case the latter are not enlightened themselves.
Kant writes that nature released people from its direction, however laziness and fear are the factors that stop people from personal responsibility. Mean Girls shows the comparison between wild nature and civilized society through sudden scenes of students going wild, having physical fights in Cady’s imagination. Conscious practice is essential in overcoming the nonage – we need to cultivate our minds, reach adulthood by moral virtue. Although people can deliberately delay their maturity and responsibility, consequences are great, life’s complexity doesn’t spare anyone. Cady’s manipulations, schemes are an illustration of intentional delay in finding the personal truth influenced by vengeance.
In the essay philosopher puts an emphasis on the fair sex while arguing how guardians imply the danger of autonomy. Indeed, I think it’s important for females to adapt the personal independent control over our lives and be more conscious about our inner relations. Toxic femininity like bullying at schools, which is specifically shown in the film, is an important issue that mentally disturbs a lot of young girls, especially with overwhelming emergence of social media. Acknowledging the consequences of this form of oppression and taking actions according to individual, considered, humble judgements is the way to stop the injustice.
“Scholar” can and must freely communicate to the public careful, constructive thoughts and observations on ongoing errors according to Kant. Cady’s speech at the prom: reflection on the negative events, owning up to her mistakes was the leading example for people to reconsider their behavior and re-evaluate the existing power plays at school. Also, verbal exercises conducted by Ms. Norbury in addressing resentment were crucial in creating the new, accepting, positive environment. Therefore having the courage to openly address mistakes, despite how initially uncomfortable it might be, is the way towards personal growth.
I agree with Kant’s statement that we live in the age of Enlightenment and I’d say we still do, 200 years later. Digital erasure of informational borders introduces many strong character people, grand things they do not only for themselves but the whole humanity and the world, showing that self inflicted immaturity is declining. However such broad access also makes it harder to distinguish personal balanced opinion from the foreign one. Conclusively the importance of maturity, courage, individual thinking, public use of reason can’t be stressed enough. Most importantly there should be trust in people’s ability to do the righteous things. Mean Girls also communicates through trust in people by showing the path from instinctive repulsive manners to personal responsibility and self-awareness for the individual and community betterment. We all hold this intellectual capacity and there is no reason nor excuse to remain in the state of nonage.