Throughout Isao Takahata’s 1988 Grave of the Fireflies, the audience is exposed to life in Japan during the end of World War II. During the heartbreaking film, the viewers are placed directly in a chaotic environment consisting primarily of cities engulfed in flames or leveled off due to the constant bombardment from American warplanes. Interestingly, the entire film revolves around the physical and mental hardships of Seita and his younger sister, Setsuko. Seita suddenly swaps roles with his father and becomes the sole provider for his new ‘small family’ which only consists of Setsuko and himself. While Seita takes care of Setsuko during these difficult times, he is forced to make certain moral decisions that influence their own survival. These decisions, according to John Stuart Mill, are morally justified as the action creates more pleasure than pain Even though Setsuko is not old enough to take care of herself, Seita treats her as an equal which ultimately adds meaning to his own life. As both of his …show more content…
In his essay, Sartre expresses his belief that nobody should be defined by a job, let alone someone else. He believes that since everyone is individualistic in nature, everyone should be self-expressive and not have worry about what others are doing. By taking care of Setsuko and prioritizing her needs over his own, Seita directly refutes Sartre’s existentialist ideals by showing that he wants to be defined by his closest companions and family members. Seita could have stayed at the Aunt’s house and not steal, however, he chose the opposite in order to form a closer bond with Setsuko and to spiritually reconnect with his family. Overall, Seita’s moral actions reflect a desire to preserve a piece of his own childhood and his sense of family, which goes against Sartre’s existentialist