Name: Faith Joyrish L.

Delgado Course & Year: BEED-II

Instructor: Mrs. Rica Postrero Subject: Foundation of Special
& Inclusive Education

MY REFLECTION PAPER

The thing about the animated film Mary & Max that fascinates me the
most was the animated style, it perfectly captures the world both the
protagonists lived in, it mixes between two distinct palettes; sepia for
Mary's world and grey monochrome for Max's. This is more than separating
the tone to show the locations: Mary frequently sends care packages to Max,
and those objects had somehow retain their colors in his world. An example
of these was when she sends him a bright red pom-pom. In a way, this works
to the advantage of the story to explain how Max lives and understands the
world.

I learn halfway through the film that Max suffers from Asperger's
Syndrome, a neurological condition that can emerge as a developmental
disorder. With Asperger's Syndrome, Max prefers a quiet, plain and
organized life, and the use of a monochrome color palette for Max's world
rather beautifully highlights when strange or alien things to him emerge in
his life, such as the bright red lipstick worn by an attendee of "Over-eaters
Anonymous" who happens to like him in a romantic sense─something that
Max does not quite understand. For someone like him, the exaggeration could
be a way to portray how the world of a normal person seems to Max, again a
reflection on how the mind of someone with the condition may prefer quieter
or more subtle experiences, and serves to highlight how chaotic New York
City must seem to a man like Max.

Honestly speaking, Max reminded me so much of myself and it made me

wonder whether I also exhibited the same condition as him─unfortunately,
psychologists doesn’t exist here on the island that could help me assess
whether these symptoms are actually present on my psyche though I do have
a relative who studied in psychology but she’s currently at NYC right now.