MovieChat Forums > A Goofy Movie (1995) Discussion > A Goofy Analysis

A Goofy Analysis

posted 13 years ago by ScorpioGirl1987
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So, I was listening to the Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and a lyric in the song "Jacob And Sons/Joseph's Coat" caught my attention:

And their father couldn't see the danger
He could not imagine any danger

My first thought after listening to that was: "Wow, that sounds like Goofy!"

Now, I am NOT comparing the musical with AGM, Goof Troop, and AEGM. It's just that that lyric kind of reminds me of Goofy's views on life: his tendency to see the good in EVERYBODY (Especially Pete), his obliviousness to most dramas in his life...

Also, I talked to someone about being friends with the wrong people and not realizing it. Sometimes, people want to protect themselves from the evils of the world.

Sooo...my question is: is Goofy aware of the dangers of the world he lives in but protects himself (And Max) from it, or not? Can he imagine any danger?

...There's always a typo when I type...0_o

[–] angmc43 13 years ago

Well, fundamentally, Goofy being a single parent should be the first evidence of awareness. We never know about Max's mother, whether she is deceased or left the family. At either case, this absence- and the doubled responsibilities pressed upon him- would be enough for Goofy to know that reality rather bites HARD.

Yes, Goofy can be rather optimistic and Pollyana about life's hardships, but he can be very worried about it when Max is concerned. If Goofy is homeless and has to live in a shack or cardboard box, then he can look at the bright side and live with it. But if Max had to share those living conditions, then Goofy would find it unbearable and try something to improve his boy's situation. In "Big City Blues," Goofy was horrified that his son would be in the wrong side of town. In "Meanwhile Back at the Ramp", Goofy is alright about being called a Goof, but he understands that his son can see it as a burden. AGM is about Goofy trying to keep his son away from the wrong path. At first, he was willing to trust Max being OK, but Mazur's speech freaked him out to the core. Near the climax, his response to Max's "I'm not your little boy anymore!" shows a very aware Goofy. He can't stop loving Max as his son, even if it means helplessly seeing Max go rotten and end up the electric chair like Mazur predicted. In "A Goof Troop Christmas" and AEGM, we see Goofy sadly noting the reality that his boy is growing up and that their close relationship will have to change.

So, Goofy is not in denial of grim reality. Acceptance of it works when he is on his own, but not when he's being a father to Max.