Hayes 1 Amy Hayes

Georgia Undergraduate Research Conference

February 1-2, 2013

Dwayne, Friedrich Nietzsche, Benjamin Franklin, Big Brother, and Silence

In the film Little Miss Sunshine, written by Michael Arndt, a family full of excitedly

unexciting characters is introduced to the world. The family is certainly one that most people

could relate to, but there is one character that stands out above the rest as a misunderstood

teenager that seems devoid of purpose with respect to the family and is not thought of as

significant. This character is Dwayne, the silent yet scary teen that seems stereotypical in the

sense that he comes off as angry, ungrateful, and in possession of the my-parents-are-idiots

mentality that so many American teenagers ascribe to. While every other character in the film

speaks incessantly, going on and on with words that really hold little meaning as if they talk for

the sake of talking, Dwayne abstains from the illness of verbal diarrhea. He guards his words.

What Dwayne has to say is said through his deafening silence, his physical actions and material

surroundings. He does not have to utter a single word to show who he is, but when he finally

speaks his words ooze the essence attributed to Dwayne.

In the beginning montage of the film, the audience learns just about everything that is

needed to understand exactly who Dwayne is without him having to speak even a single word.

Beginning at the 2:29 mark, he is shown in his bedroom lying on a weight bench lifting weights.

The camera angle is a high angle showing the audience Dwaynes face, hands, and the weight

bar. As he lifts the bar up, the camera focuses on the bar and his hands, while his face becomes a

fuzzy blur blended into the background. At this point, while the bar is in focus, a small

imperfection, centered between his hands on the bar, is revealed. This small blotch is a

Hayes 2 foreshadowing symbol of Dwaynes future. As the bar is lowered, his face comes back into

focus, finishing up the symbolic metaphor between Dwayne and the bar that will be understood

at a later scene in the film.

Throughout the rest of Dwaynes portion of the montage, the camera changes angles a

few times and the scene switches to show Dwayne jumping rope, doing sit-ups, push-ups, and

pull-ups. The significance here is not necessarily Dwayne but his room. In his room, there is an

array of items used to show the audience who he is. On his wall there is a large white sheet with

Friedrich Nietzsches face drawn on it in black ink (or paint). Scattered throughout the room

there are simple items that express his desires, dreams, goals, etc. These are things like the

model airplane sitting on the headboard of his bed, partially filled jars on the floor, and a bed

draped with an ordinary plaid comforter that appears to be a size too small and makes his fitted

sheet look sloppy, as if it is trying to break free from being trapped under the humdrum

heaviness of blah colors and stripes. The weight bench he was shown using is now propped up

against one of the walls along with a full-length mirror, and a chest. Other random items

(random only in the sense of its location being shown in the beginning of the film) include an

almost-full glass of water sitting on the chest, a spotlight attached to the entertainment center

located atop his chest-of-drawers, a bedside lamp, a lamp turned on behind his door, a small

skeleton hanging on the inside doorknob, and a large calendar-like list hanging on his wall that

drapes down to the floor and folds into a neat stack.

Dwayne is seen wearing dark brown pants, a white t-shirt, black gloves with the fingers

cut out, a green clothe belt, plaid boxers, and old dark red shoes with white soles and floppy

white shoelaces. He has dark shaggy hair, pale skin, dark eyes, and a small insignificant mouth.

His features are very plain and practically devoid of any excitement of color. His room follows

Hayes 3 suit. The walls are earth-tones, his sheets are a shade of tan, his comforter is a plaid pattern

consisting of different shades of brown, the carpet is tan, the headboard and dresser are dark, and

nothing really stands out more than anything else. The use of drab colors in what he wears and

throughout his environment is symbolic of his personality with respect to the family dynamic.

While the rest of the family members wear bright colors or display prominent features like

Grandpas ever-impressive fanny-pack, Olives bright -mania pants, Sheryls floral skirt, and

Richards flashy political smile, Dwaynes comfort is blending in as if he was a wallflower. He

does not want attention from others. He just wants to be left alone to his own devices.

The lighting features in Dwaynes room provide the imagery of his personality. Beyond

the plain colors displayed, the different aspects of lighting tell the audience more about who he

is. For example, while he is lifting weights on the bench, to the right of the screen theres a

window draped with dark curtains. It looks as if he doesnt want the light filtering in, but theres

a very bright sliver of brightness peaking in around the edges of the curtains. Beyond that, there

are three important light sources shown. The first is his bedside lamp, which is not turned on.

The second is the lamp located behind his door, which is turned on. The third is a spotlight

clamped to his entertainment center, which is turned off. When coupled with the suns light

bleeding into the room, the fact that the only light source Dwayne has purposely allowed is that

of the lamp next to the door is notable. It provides an allusion that his future is brightest through

his dream of leaving his familys home and moving on to bigger and better things. The symbol

of light is representative of the future and of clarity, so when the lights further away from the

door are off, it is as if Dwaynes subconscious is trying to remove any ideas of staying where he

is or not pursuing the goal to move on. It should also be noted that even though the lamp at his

door is on, it is somewhat dim which could serve as a metaphor for the slimness of Dwaynes

Hayes 4 ability or chances of succeeding with his dream of escaping to become something better. The

light is a sign of hope, but if it is fading it is suggestive that there is serious uncertainty about the

future.

Because of the light sources in the room, the audience is given shadows. There are two

parts of this scene that use shadow imagery. The most significant use is when Dwayne is doing

pull-ups on the bar installed in the door jam. As he is exercising, there is a larger silhouette of

his body reflected onto the wood paneling just outside his door. This shadow is metaphorical of

escaping or getting out. He wants to become a bigger person and move on to what he considers

important in life, but to do so he must leave through that door. The door is the gateway to a

whole new life and an exit from his current life of nothingness. It is as if the shadow is waiting

there patiently for Dwayne to come along and begin the new life he desires. The other use of

shadowing is a lot smaller than the shadow beyond the door. This shadow is reflected from

Dwaynes baseball trophies perched atop his entertainment center. The fact that the shadow

comes from trophies connects to Richards life philosophy and desire for not failing. This

shadow serves as a binary if you compare and contrast what Richard ideals of a happy and

successful life to what Dwaynes ideals are of a happy and successful life. On the one side, there

is Richard that preaches of winning at all costs but not entering a competition unless you know

that you are going to win. To Richard, it is better to not try if there is a chance you will not

succeed because the consequence of being a loser is not worth it. On the other side, there is

Dwayne, who embodies the desire of new beginnings and new experiences. Dwayne thinks the

risk of losing is still a better result than staying dormant and experiencing nothing.

As mentioned earlier, there is a skeleton hanging on the back of Dwaynes door. The

placement of this object in the scene gives the impression of being trapped and the end of life. It

Hayes 5 seems safe to assume that he feels trapped in his life as it is and that if he does not get out on his

own soon, he will be throwing his life away and just preparing to die in misery over being

nothing more than what his family members have achieved. The skeleton serves the same

purpose as someone tying a string around their finger in hopes to not forget something. It is a

form of motivation for Dwayne to push as hard as he can to get out before he dies.

Reflecting back on the full-length mirror sitting up against one of the walls in Dwaynes

room, it is shown that once he has finished putting his information on the list, he sits back for a

moment and then glances at his reflection in the mirror to the right of him. Reflections tend to be

very symbolic dependent upon the context of the reflection, and at this point of the film, the

reflection that he sees connects him back to Nietzsche, which connects him to the existential

theme of authenticity. Authenticity can be generalized as an act to find oneself in accordance to

a persons freedom. Dwayne is on this path to find himself and has a career path set to fighter-jet

pilot. The connection to Nietzsche is that Nietzsche is considered one of the founding fathers of

existentialism. It seems understandable to posit that due to Dwaynes admiration of Nietzsche,

he would buy into and understand such concepts as finding oneself, and yet the expression on

Dwaynes face in the reflection appeals to the sense that he already doubts his abilities.

It is very apparent that Dwayne idolizes Nietzsche due to the fact that he seems to be

everywhere in Dwaynes room. But what is the significance of Nietzsche to Dwayne? There are

a lot of aspects in Nietzsches life that seem to mirror Dwaynes life. Nietzsche believed in the

will to power, which he thought of as the driving force behind human beings through ambition

and striving to be the best in life that one could be. The connection with Dwayne is shown by

the routine of exercising to prepare for the military. Nietzsche is known for having a not-so-

fluffy feeling about life and can be equated to the stereotypical grumpy grandfather figure in a

Hayes 6 family, which sometimes fits well with teenage boys projected angst and anger. This trait is

typically ascribed to those people that desire to not conform to cultural norms and they are the

people that are often blind to the fact that their nonconformity is in fact conforming to the group

of people that dont want to conform. Nietzsches golden quote, which is often misused, is,

God is dead. Without full understanding of the backstory of the quote, it is a tone that can be

generally applied to people thought of as impious or anarchic. The stereotypical assumption here

is that people like Dwayne, that follow the beat of a different drummer, are angry or gothic (used

in the sense of portraying characteristics such as gloomy, grotesque, mysterious, violent, and

decaying). The irony here, however, is that this is not really Dwayne at all, it is just what the

audience is allowed to believe until the penultimate scene of Dwaynes character in the film.

The large list hanging on Dwaynes wall is a significant piece of evidence into who he is.

The list is thought to be a reference to Benjamin Franklins list of virtues as given in The

Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, which are quoted as:

1. TEMPERANCE. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.

2. SILENCE. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling

conversation.

3. ORDER. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have

its time.

4. RESOLUTION. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what

you resolve.

5. FRUGALITY. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste

nothing.

Hayes 7 6. INDUSTRY. Lose no time; be always employd in something useful; cut off all

unnecessary actions.

7. SINCERITY. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you

speak, speak accordingly.

8. JUSTICE. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your

duty.

9. MODERATION. Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you

think they deserve.

10. CLEANLINESS. Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation.

11. TRANQUILLITY. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or

unavoidable.

12. CHASTITY. Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness,

weakness, or the injury of your own or anothers peace or reputation.

13. HUMILITY. Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

In many ways, Dwayne seems to be working on living a virtuous life through Franklins list. In

regards to Temperance, the audience is shown a nearly full glass of water in his room,

illustrating that hes not drinking to elevation (even if the liquid in the glass is only water). He

fulfills the Silence and Sincerity aspects of the virtues through his vow of silence. It is very

clear of the application of Silence but to understand Sincerity it helps if thought of in context

of the adage that if you cant say anything nice, dont say anything at all. Dwayne seems that

he most certainly wouldnt have anything nice to say to those in his family. The virtue of

Resolution is a little hidden, but if taken in the context of Richards philosophy of not failing,

and Dwaynes exercise regimen is added in, it could be assumed that he intends to be successful

Hayes 8 in his career in the military. He is preparing himself to not fail. The audience is shown the

virtue of Frugality through the lack of expensive things in Dwaynes room. Although he does

have enough items that could be considered as excess (stacks of CDs, etc.), the items there are

not of the finest quality and could be seen as inexpensive and insignificant. Dwayne shows

Industry through his faithful actions of preparing for the Air Force. Through the image of the

long list hanging on his wall that is so long that it falls to the floor and piles into a stack, it is

assumed that this preparation is not something done on a whim and is something he has a true

passion for. He is utilizing his time to do what needs to be done and not wasting any time on

frivolous and unnecessary things. Dwayne displays the virtue of Justice through his actions

while the family is at the diner where Olive orders ice cream for breakfast. He sees Olive is

doubting the choice after Richards unnecessary remark and then when she decides not to eat it,

he (and the other family members) begin eating it instead, to show her theres nothing wrong

with a little girl eating ice cream. He does this to help Olive by trying to undo the wrong done

by Richard. Dwayne exemplifies Moderation through very plain and mundane things. His

clothes are plain, his room is plain, and he displays no real excitement for anything, including

what is assumed as something he wants more than anything else in the world. He seems to stay

even-keeled in his emotions and goals. He dreams big in the sense that he wants to be a pilot,

but he doesnt dream big in the sense of seemingly unattainable aspirations, such as wanting to

be a billionaire or a world-famous athlete. Chastity is a virtue that is just assumed by the

audience. Because Dwayne is showed as a loner with no significant connection to anything or

anyone outside his bedroom, it seems like a stretch to think of him having an abundant sexual

life if he has any sexual life at all.

Hayes 9 There are some virtues that were not explained above. Franklins Order, Cleanliness,

Tranquility, and Humility do not seem to fit with Dwayne but through understanding of

Franklins attitude towards his list, this is acceptable. Franklin acknowledged that living life

based upon his list was an extremely difficult task to take on and to succeed; each virtue must be

worked on individually. The thought was that a person should embrace one virtue and strive for

excellence in implementing it daily until it became somewhat second nature, and then bring in

the next virtue. Franklin believed that living a virtuous life was a long and difficult process so it

makes sense that at Dwaynes young age he wouldnt have mastered all of the virtues yet.

Beyond the process of implementing Franklins virtues, Nietzsche held a belief on virtue ethics

that can also help understand Franklins virtues that are missing in Dwaynes life. According to

Nietzsche, [o]ne virtue is more of a virtue than two, because it is more of a knot for ones

destiny to cling to. Using this logic, Dwayne can justify not fulfilling all of Franklins virtues if

he considers the ones he has focused on as more significant than those he has skipped.

The audience first learns of Dwaynes vow of silence when Sheryl comes home with

Uncle Frank after picking him up at the hospital from his recent suicide attempt, and takes him to

Dwaynes room. When she opens Dwaynes bedroom door, he is shown on his bed reading

Nietzsches book Thus Spoke Zarathustra, A Book for All or None. Sheryl speaks to Frank and it

is made clear by the expression on Franks face that he really doesnt want to bunk with Dwayne.

Dwayne seems to reciprocate the feeling by walking out of the room without acknowledging

Sheryl or Franks existence. It is at this point the audience is shown Dwaynes t-shirt in detail.

The shirt is a plain white shirt with a picture of Big Brother plastered on the front in shades of

black and gray. The image of Big Brother shows a great metaphor relating to Dwaynes

character. Big Brother is the dictator of Oceania in George Orwells 1984. The significance

Hayes 10 here is that Big Brother is associated with the pyramidal structure of the Ministry of Truth, which

is a large concrete building containing three slogans, War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, and

Ignorance is Strength. These represent three large parts of the structure that are seen above the

ground. They are what everyone can see. However, there is a large portion of the structure that

is hidden underground which is where documents are sent for incineration. The plot makes it

known that those at the top of the pyramid are the ones that set what truth really is for

everyone else and these people are considered to never be wrong. If one of these people were to

say something that is incorrect, for example 2 + 2 = 5, the truth would be changed to reflect

that 2 + 2 does in fact equal 5 and that 2 + 2 = 4 is the new false. Big Brother uses this deception

to keep a watchful eye over everyone underneath those sitting at the top.

The typical ideology of Big Brother is that Big Brother is always watching and even

though his presence is not announced, he is always there. Big Brother is representative of a

totalitarian state. According to Collins English Dictionary, totalitarian means exercising

control over the freedom, will, or thought of others. These attributes connect with Dwayne in

the sense that he doesnt have to announce his presence but he is always watching those around

him. He sees his parents marriage in shambles, he sees Richard as a loser, he sees Olive

reaching for unattainable dreams, he just stays silent in preparation of getting out of the life he

currently resides in. He also wants to be a pilot in the Air Force and the concept of military

embodies an organization that possesses total control of the freedoms that belong to those under

the militarys watchful eye. The term Big Brother can also be thought of as synonymous with

brainwashing, which is a concept that ties in nicely with military as well.

As the movie progresses, the audience slowly gets to see that Dwayne is not as angry and

hateful as he comes off to be and that he really does have a somewhat softer side. This is seen

Hayes 11 through his interactions with those in his family that are not presented as typical and normal,

which ends up being every family member but Richard, his father. Initially, Dwayne is seen as

angry through situations such as when he and Frank were sitting at the dinner table and Frank

inquired as to whom Dwayne likes to hang out with. After a moment of looking at Frank as if he

was a complete moron, Dwayne writes a note stating that he hates everyone. But not too long

after this scene, the truth of Dwayne starts to come out. Through silent acts of kindness in later

scenes, Dwayne shows his affection towards Frank (in his own weird teenage way) by writing a

brief note asking him not to kill himself, towards Olive in the diner over her ice cream, and

towards Sheryl when he suggests that Olive give her a hug to help ease the pain from Grandpas

passing.

The pivotal scene in the film for Dwayne comes way before the end. At the 1:07:10 mark

of the film, shortly after Grandpa dies, the family is once again on the road headed to the

pageant. While riding along, Olive gives Dwayne an eye test that results in the discovery that he

is color-blind. When Frank realizes what is going on and sees that Dwayne has no clue of the

negative implications to his career-path, he informs Dwayne that the Air Force doesnt allow

people who are color-blind to become fighter-jet pilots. Dwayne loses his mind and begins to

flip out in epic proportions. Richard is forced to pull over to the side of the road so that Dwayne

can get out, and once the vans pulled over, he frantically gets out of the bus, runs down the hill

on the side of the road and begins screaming obscenities. He falls to the ground sobbing and at

this point, Sheryl comes to him in an attempt to console him. She tries to talk him into getting

back on the bus and dealing with things as they continue on their way. He does not agree and as

a crucial turning point in Dwaynes character, he begins his most significant dialogue in the

entire film:

Hayes 12 Sheryl: Dwayne, for better or worse, were your family.

Dwayne: No. Youre not my family. Okay? I dont want to be your family. I

hate you fucking people! I hate you! Divorcebankruptsuicide! Youre

fucking losers! Youre losers! No, please just leave me here, mom. Okay?

Please, please

At this point, he falls back to the ground and Sheryl reluctantly turns away and heads back

towards the bus. No one knows what to do at this point, so Richard asks Olive if she would go

try to talk to him. Before Sheryl has the chance to really object to the idea, Olive is making her

way down the hill to Dwayne. When she gets by his side, she says nothing. She merely squats

down next to him, puts her arm around his back and rests her head on his shoulder as if to say

that she is there for him and that she loves him. After a few moments, Dwayne mutters, Okay

and gets to his feet. They both walk side-by-side back to the bus with their heads hung down.

This is a pivotal moment for Dwayne and is a symbolic rebirth for his character. From this

moment on, he is an entirely different person.

It is not until this point of the film the audience realizes that Dwayne was internally

seeking the American Dream via a military career. It isnt until his emotional pain of loss of

his dream can be seen on his face that the audience gets the full understanding at the

significance. While every character in the film pursues a different path of the American

Dream, Dwayne was pursuing it by way of the military. He saw a career in the military as a

way to a better life. A military career personifies stability, freedom, structure, and adventure.

His current life lacks stability. By enlisting in the Air Force, he would be fighting for freedom

and even though the military is explicitly structured, he would still gain a degree of

independence that he has not had before. Being a fighter-jet pilot would be the ultimate

Hayes 13 adventure for him and is seen as a highly significant and respectable career to have. Through his

military actions he would gain respect and honor, but most importantly, he would be away from

his dysfunctional family and not forced to suffer through their inabilities to be something great.

He was going to go out and grab the things in life that he felt his family was unable to provide

him.

To bring the analysis of Dwayne to a conclusion, it should be said that he is a giant

cluster of circular philosophies, misconceptions, determinations, repressed emotions, and dreams

of going beyond what his current normal is. Dwaynes desires for the American Dream acts as

a blindfold separating him from other people around him. His plans to achieve his goals at all

costs serve as a driving force for his life, until he finally has clarity and sees that there is so much

more out there for him, if he just opens his eyes a little further and includes those around him

that love him. He is just like everyone else. He is confused as to which way to turn at every fork

in the road, and unsure of what the right path to take is to achieve his dream of having more in

the future than he does at his present time. From the very beginning, he is shown to be always

something just below perfection, just as the weight bar in the beginning montage.

Hayes 14 Works Cited

Arndt, Michael, dir. Little Miss Sunshine. Dir. Jonathan Dayton, and Valarie Faris. Fox

Searchlight Pictures, 2006. Film. 7 Oct 2012.

Blogger. Inside Searchlight: Favorite Things #10: Richards 9 Steps. Fox Searchlight. Fox

Searchlight, 9 Feb. 2007. Web. 7 Oct. 2012.

Franklin, Benjamin. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. New York, NY: P F Collier &

Son Company , 1909. Print.

Nietzsche, F. W., and W. A. Kaufmann. Thus spoke Zarathustra, a book for all and none. New

York City: Egully.com, 1996. Print.

Orwell, George. 1984. New York: Signet Classics, 1949. Print.

Totalitarian. Collins English Dictionary Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition.

HarperCollins Publishers. Web. 2 Sep. 2012.

www.dictionary.reference.com/browse/chivalry.

Wicks, Robert, "Friedrich Nietzsche." The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Stanford

University, 29 April 2011. Web. 7 Oct. 2012.

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Wikipedia contributors. "Virtue." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free

Encyclopedia, July 2010. .