Symbolism in 'Hoosiers
The symbolism in Hoosiers (1986) is blatant. The symbols in this movie commonly represent each character’s priorities. The setting of this film is a symbol in itself, as well as the frequent incorporation of religion and exchanges of power. The opening scene in Hoosiers is symbolic of Norman Dale’s need for forgiveness. The vastness of the landscape shows just how far Norman is willing to go to be surrounded by people who will not judge him or his past. Myra’s abrupt assumptions about Norman’s motives for being in Hickory are partially correct, and Normal does not find the welcome he’d expected. On the contrary, citizens are skeptical about Norman’s ability and fear change. Putting his past behind him was so important to Norman that he dealt with harassment and indifference just to continue doing what he loved. Star player Jimmy Chitwood’s habit of carrying around a basketball everywhere symbolizes his high regard for the sport. Jimmy associates basketball with the death of his parents and he thinks that avoiding Husker basketball will help him avoid grief. When Jimmy realized that he needed confront his demons if he wanted to enjoy basketball again, he did so.