3 - Charlene H: Mirabel Madrigal And Her Gift of Empathy

 

Media Analysis

In the 2021 Disney movie Encanto, Mirabel Madrigal is the only one in her family without magical powers. Because of her lack of a gift, her family never truly appreciates her and treats her as less useful. She is imperfect in a supposedly perfect family.

Even though Mirabel is regarded as the black sheep of the family, she does not hate her family. She even supports them in the gifts that they have. Rather, she hates feeling different and longs to have a sense of belonging to her family. She wants to be taken seriously and be recognized by the people she loves. Though she does not have a gift, she tries hard to prove her worth, especially to her grandmother and the matriarch of the family, Abuela Alma. Unfortunately, Abuela accuses Mirabel of trying to ruin the family. When this happens, the two have an argument, and Mirabel points out Abuela's high expectations that have caused inner turmoil for her and her sisters.

Mirabel feels like she isn’t enough, and she is aware of how disappointing that can be. Having a strong sense of her insecurities, she wants to make sure that others do not feel the same way that she does. She loves people for their quirks and traits, and she hopes that they can express themselves without any constraints or unrealistic expectations. As she does not have a gift, this gives her a unique perspective on her family’s gifts, and she uses this perspective to help her family understand their abilities in different ways. She even tries to bring out the best in them. For example, she comforts her cousin Antonio before and during his ceremony. Mirabel also strengthens her relationships with her two sisters after learning that Luisa feels worthless when she isn’t productive and after helping Isabela break free from the pressures of being perfect. Mirabel also gets her uncle Bruno to reunite with the rest of the Madrigals, and she helps her cousin Dolores find love.

Throughout the movie, it becomes clear that strong familial bonds are what drive the miracle of the family’s magical powers and their living house. The more divisive that the family gets, the more that their magic fades. The only way that this can be fixed is when the family gets along, especially through effective communication. Mirabel is the key in bringing her family together, since she knows how to talk about and even resolve deep-rooted problems within the family. She causes her family to recognize what defines their character: how they learn to adapt and stay confident in what they do. By making them realize that gifts and expectations should not define them, not only does she help them reach their full potential, but it also demonstrates the most important ability of all: empathy. Empathy builds connections, unity, tolerance, and understanding. Empathy is what helps Mirabel’s family grow stronger.

Overall, the whole movie embraces those who may feel inferior in the environments that they are in. While Mirabel struggles with feeling like she doesn’t fit in, she still continues to be herself even when it doesn’t align with what people expect of her. Her journey to acceptance and self-discovery teaches the lesson that it is okay to not be perfect or special in the ways that society would want a person to be.

Word Count: 555