Arietty Synopsis
DESCRIPTION
Arriety (2010) is the story of a 14-year-old “Borrower”, who comes from a group of tiny people who live hidden in the walls and floors of human homes. They survive by borrowing small items from the homes of humans that they won’t miss. Their number one rule of survival is to never be seen by a human, or they must pack up and leave the human house, or risk being exposed.
Despite the rules, Arietty meets a human boy, Shō, and they form a friendship. Though Shō is a kind boy who only wishes to befriend Arietty, other humans in the house catch on and want desperately to expose the “Borrowers”. Arietty’s parents find out and they decide to move out of the human house, but before they could, trouble ensues. Arietty and Shō’s friendship proves worthy when Shō helps Arietty find her mother.
CHARACTERS
- Arrietty: Arrietty is an adventurous 14-year-old Borrower who wants a life beyond her tiny world in the human home. Breaking the rules, she befriends a human boy named Shō, and risks her family being exposed to the human world.
- Shō: A sweet boy who is recovering at his aunt’s house from a heart condition. Shō befriends Arrietty and becomes inspired to enjoy life, despite the little time he has left.
- Pod: Arrietty’s father, who teaches Arietty the art of borrowing and ultimately decides to move the family out of the human home.
- Homily: Arrietty’s nervous mother, who becomes the focus of the story when the humans steal her away from her family.
- Haru: The housekeeper who wants to reveal the true identity of the borrowers.
THEMES
- Human effects on ecosystems
- Hidden worlds
- The magic of life
- Living presently
- Respect for nature
