We were delighted with the word and resonance mysticism angle as applied to spelling and all the surrounding (Kabbalistic) aspects thereof, but couldn't understand the ending.
The family is fragmented, a literal version of the "metaphorical' shattering of created beings per the Kabbalah's version of theogonic teleology. Each family member is on a journey to reel in the broken pieces in their own way, in terms of their own resonance. The father: with intellect. The daughter: with authentic mystical absorption. The son: with incantation (parallel to his sister, but inauthentic). And finally, the mother: with art that is based on the theogony of the shattering-debacle of creation as explained to her by her husband, which is also based on the parallel aspect of her past, viz., which is that of her having lost her parents to a car wreck.
All these aspects are wonderful, they're going places, and then ... she spells 'solipsism' (interesting choice of word) correctly, and throws the final word that could win her the spelling bee. Why did she do it? The reasoning seems to be as follows: 1) by throwing the bee, she brings her father back together with his son (Gere and son are embracing in the end). 2) she somehow heals her mother's inner angst (although unclear how and why). 3) and thus she brings all the shattered pieces back together again.
By throwing the bee. I don't get it. She could've done it by winning the bee too, because Gere could've been happy as a clam, the bee season is now over, and he could devote more attention to his son AND daughter with renewed enthusiasm. The message of throwing the bee, in my opinion, was contrived and superficial, it's the hackneyed martyrdom thing. The story should've gone for the gusto and make its mysticism pay off in every magical way possible.
Now that would have been cool.
The family is fragmented, a literal version of the "metaphorical' shattering of created beings per the Kabbalah's version of theogonic teleology. Each family member is on a journey to reel in the broken pieces in their own way, in terms of their own resonance. The father: with intellect. The daughter: with authentic mystical absorption. The son: with incantation (parallel to his sister, but inauthentic). And finally, the mother: with art that is based on the theogony of the shattering-debacle of creation as explained to her by her husband, which is also based on the parallel aspect of her past, viz., which is that of her having lost her parents to a car wreck.
All these aspects are wonderful, they're going places, and then ... she spells 'solipsism' (interesting choice of word) correctly, and throws the final word that could win her the spelling bee. Why did she do it? The reasoning seems to be as follows: 1) by throwing the bee, she brings her father back together with his son (Gere and son are embracing in the end). 2) she somehow heals her mother's inner angst (although unclear how and why). 3) and thus she brings all the shattered pieces back together again.
By throwing the bee. I don't get it. She could've done it by winning the bee too, because Gere could've been happy as a clam, the bee season is now over, and he could devote more attention to his son AND daughter with renewed enthusiasm. The message of throwing the bee, in my opinion, was contrived and superficial, it's the hackneyed martyrdom thing. The story should've gone for the gusto and make its mysticism pay off in every magical way possible.
Now that would have been cool.