The Sandlot

3 Pages 672 Words

In the beginning of the movie, The Sandlot, Smalls is viewed as the little kid who knows nothing about the game of baseball. He could not throw or catch the ball. All the kids were in disagreement about allowing him to play, except for Benny. Benny was the one who invited Smalls to play with the team. When Smalls’ glove breaks, Benny gives him a new glove, along with a baseball hat. Even though the team only had eight of nine players, they still refused to have Smalls on the team with them. And when the other seven boys were persuaded to let Smalls practice with them, they make fun of him due to his lack of the ability to catch and throw. It was in fact, Benny how persuaded the other seven players to accept Smalls onto their field, the Sandlot.
Despite this harsh treatment in the beginning of the movie, Smalls was soon accepted as ‘one of their very own.’ The new treatment that Smalls received was due in large part to Benny’s tutelage of the game of baseball. Benny helped change Smalls’ view of himself. In the beginning, Smalls viewed himself in the beginning as just what the other players viewed him as, the small kid who could not play baseball. When asked who the Great Bambino was, Smalls lied and said he did so he could have some chance of fitting in with the other boys. After being taught the game by Benny, Smalls then was accepted by the other kids, and therefore, accepted himself. He has more confidence in himself towards the end of the movie on account of his social acceptance among his peers.
Smalls’ adolescence was a mixture of both Mead’s and Hall’s theories. Margaret Mead’s theory states that adolescence is a highly enjoyable time of a person’s life. G. Stanley Hall’s theory states that adolescence consists of “storm and stress,” meaning that the adolescent is confused, troubled and highly frustrated. At the start of the movie, Smalls’ life seems to correspond with Hall’s...