The Dynamics of Hope in Unkrich and Molina’s Coco

This study analyzes how the characters in Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina’s animated film Coco, mainly Mamá Imelda, Héctor, and Miguel, manage their emotional responses when they are facing loss, bereavement, or other significant changes in their lives. The study uses Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’s five-stage model of grief to analyze how these characters go through the grieving process. Moreover, in order to suggest how those who are grieving can enter into positive states of mind, the study expands on Kübler-Ross’s original model by incorporating a positive mindset of hope. In dialogue with Unkrich and Molina’s film, the study uses Kübler-Ross’s ideas to explore coping mechanisms that can help manage difficult times in life, while also suggesting the benefits of maintaining a positive mindset through hope.


INTRODUCTION
Grief refers to the emotional experience or response of a person who may have suffered the loss of someone or something, or who may be experiencing the form of bereavement that attends the approach of his or her own death (Boerner et. al., 2016). The grief response is generally connected to degrees of suffering, which may be intense and unbearable or, in some cases, more endurable (Bruce, 2007). A number of theorists have proposed models of how people go through grief stages or phases in order to come to terms with loss; however, the most well-known model of this sort is the one Kübler-Ross developed in her highly influential book On Death and Dying (Kübler-Ross, 1969;1997), in an attempt to identify universal patterns in the grieving process.
In order to further understand the grief response, the study intends to analyze Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina's animated film Coco (2017), which falls within the genre of fantasy, telling the extraordinary story of what happens one Día de Muertos-the Mexican "Day of Dead" holiday.
There has been not much study and film analysis in Coco. Du's study (2018) focused on the narrative motifs in Coco, including the motifs of kinship, death, trauma, etc., and examined how the motifs functioned in people with different cultural backgrounds. Raaijmakers (2019) took the film Coco, as well as The Book of Life, as a case study to look into the racial and cultural other shown in animation films. However, there is no research on grief and bereavement in Coco. Therefore, the study intends to examine the entangled relationships of Miguel's family, mainly those involving Miguel, Miguel's great-great grandmother, Mamá Imelda, and his great-great grandfather, Héctor, and further examine how these characters manage their emotional responses when they are facing loss, bereavement, or other significant changes in their lives.

KÜBLER-ROSS'S FIVE-STAGE MODEL OF GRIEF
Kübler-Ross was a Swiss-American psychiatrist who devoted herself to working with terminally ill patients. She found that these patients would experience specific stages of emotional response when they were faced with their own impending death. She summarized the responses she observed in a model encapsulating what she identified as the five stages of grief (Kübler-Ross, 1969;1997). The five stages are denial and isolation, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance (known as DABDA), though the sequence of stages may vary from person to person (Kübler-Ross & Kessler, 2005). Initially, this model was used to map out the emotional stages of terminally ill patients. Subsequently, however, Kübler-Ross expanded the model, arguing for its applicability for anyone facing any form of personal loss or the end of a close relationship.
The denial and isolation stage maybe the first stage people may go through while they are facing loss, bereavement, or a significant change of life. This stage refers to the adoption of an escapist attitude, one that is automatically activated in people as a self-defense mechanism. They may go numb or persuade themselves that nothing has happened to avoid being hurt, until they are better prepared to accept the reality. People may think that life makes no sense and that the world has become meaningless. Then, after realizing what has really happened, they may burst into anger. In the anger stage, people may have a strong sense of unfairness, making them lapse into feelings of discontent and of bearing a grudge. Moreover, they may project this negative emotion not only onto God but also onto the people with whom they come into contact. Although giving vent to anger may seem frightening, it is necessary for grieving persons to feel the anger and manage it. Even though anger is usually considered to be a negative emotion, it is still a crucial part of the healing process.
After the phase of anger, bargaining may show up. In this stage, individuals may feel repentant and make every effort to change themselves or negotiate with others out of a desire to return to their original lives. This situation may remain for an extended period. Once they recognize bargaining is not an effective coping strategy, however, grievers may get discouraged and enter the stage of depression. Kübler-Ross divided depression into two types: one is reactive depression, and the other is preparatory depression. Reactive depression involves the reaction that may be triggered by a more or less recent loss, while preparatory depression is an emotional response experienced by those who are approaching an anticipated loss. If those who are grieving are allowed to express such feelings of sorrow and depression, they may finally be able to face reality, while also experiencing gratitude to those who have accompanied them as they went through the depression stage (Kübler-Ross, 1969;1997). Finally, having gone through so many ups and downs, grievers may reach the acceptance stage, in which they learn how to live with their suffering or difficulties. Acceptance does not mean that it is alright to lose someone or something important, however. Rather, the term refers to the way people must learn how to live with reality.

KÜBLER-ROSS'S FIVE-STAGE MODEL AND THE SEARCH FOR MEANING AND HOPE IN COCO
Having argued that people tend to go through these responses, in one sequence or another, when trying to cope with difficult times, Kübler-Ross (1969;1997) also suggested the importance of maintaining hope in the face of life's difficulties. Yet she did not explicitly include this positive mindset of hope in her five-stage model. Arguably, though, maintaining hope is a crucial psychological and emotional resource, allowing people to persist through all the stages of grief.
Moreover, in order to suggest how those who are grieving can enter into positive states of mind, the study expands on Kübler-Ross's original model by incorporating a positive mindset of hope. The modified version of Kübler-Ross's model that informs this study, and that incorporates the positive mindset of hope, is shown in Figure 1. These intricate circumstances in Coco involve different kinds of grief; the characters are caught up in various situations involving bereavement, loss, and significant changes in their lives-and even after their deaths. For a closer consideration of how the film portrays Mamá Imelda's, Miguel's, and Héctor's experiences of loss, bereavement, and grief, this study uses the modified version of Kübler-Ross's five-stage model of grief to analyze the emotional stages experienced by the characters in Coco, and further demonstrate how those who are grieving can be helped by maintaining a positive mindset associated with hope.
There is no doubt that Mamá Imelda plays one of the key spiritual roles in Coco. Having experienced the loss of her once-beloved musician husband, Héctor, she has lost the ability to enjoy the music that once brought to this couple together. As Mamá Imelda herself says to Miguel, immediately after arguing with him about his desire to play music, I remember that feeling, when my husband would play, and I would sing and nothing else mattered. But when we had Coco, suddenly… there was something in my life that mattered more than music. I wanted to put down roots. He wanted to play for the world. (Unkrich & Molina, 2017, 55:57-56:21) However, since she was trying to be a strong mother to protect the family, even after losing her husband Mamá Imelda "didn't have time to cry over that walkway musician!" Instead of stagnating and crying about her loss, in order to raise up her daughter, Imelda "rolled up her sleeves and she learned to make shoes" (Unkrich & Molina, 2017, 01:50-02:10). Thus, Mamá Imelda had no time to let herself sink into the stage of denial, but rather had to become a breadwinner in order to raise her daughter Coco. Also, although she feels resentful at Héctor's leaving the family, she accepts the fact and endeavors to work because she still has someone who needs her protection-her and Héctor's daughter, Coco.
Strong as Mamá Imelda is, however, there is still a trauma in her heart. Because of her anger over being abandoned by Héctor, Mamá Imelda banishes "all music from her life" (Unkrich & Molina, 2017, 01:50-01:59), and by not putting Héctor's photo on an ofrenda, she prevents Héctor from being able to cross the bridge to the world of the living in order to have a reunion with the family on the Día de Muertos. Moreover, in order to purge herself of her grief and to keep a positive mindset instead, Mamá Imelda has devoted herself to running a shoemaking business. She tries, in this way, to maintain peace and happiness in the whole family, from generation to generation. Mamá Imelda has tried hard to squeeze her beloved Héctor into the deepest recesses of memory, so as to forget the grief of being deserted. The scar in Mamá Imelda's heart and the difficulties of raising a child alone, however, can never fully be compensated for.
Having been left behind by Héctor, Mamá Imelda is convinced that music has torn her family apart, and depression over her loss has caused her to isolate herself from music out of fear that memories would make her fall into a melancholy state all over again. For the same reasons, she has prohibited her posterity from gaining access to music and anything related to music. Nevertheless, the birth of Miguel upsets the balance of this seemingly peaceful family.
Miguel, rather than losing his life, loses something that is significant to him-his right to enjoy music, saying that, "I think we're the only family in México who hates music. In fact, Miguel's family has its reasons for forbidding him to play music. As time passes, Miguel becomes aware of what happened in the past. Thus, he can empathize with his family. In an effort to remain in harmony with them, Miguel reaches the stage of acceptance and decides to give up his musical dreams. However, after a series of events, Miguel's family also comes to realize that family comes first. The mutual understanding and compromise allow Miguel and his family put away all of their preconceptions. In the end, Miguel gets his family's blessing with no conditions, enabling him to play music with the support of his family. Moreover, he is able to pursue his larger dream of becoming a musician. Kübler-Ross (1969;1997) defined hope as the state of mind in which one holds on to a positive expectationin particular, to the idea there must be some meaning to or in one's grief. The hope in question implies that if those who are grieving can manage to suffer through their grief just a little bit longer, their suffering will ultimately "pay off. There is no doubt that people will never be totally prepared to face the eternal separation-death. It is difficult for people to accept bereavement indifferently, especially in an unexpected situation like the one Mamá Imelda experiences when she loses her husband. Tough as the situation is, however, Mamá Imelda still does not allow herself to wallow in sadness. Her spirit is buoyed up by her dear daughter, Coco, who enables Mamá Imelda to maintain the hope needed to live her life to the fullest.

THE DYNAMICS OF HOPE IN COCO
Mamá Imelda has tried to forget the grief brought on by being deserted. However, the unexpected appearance of Miguel reanimates her memory of her husband, as well as the trauma of being deserted. Had it not been for Miguel, she would never have known that she could confront the most vulnerable part of her heart and readmit her husband there. Miguel awakens her love for her departed husband, as does Miguel's passion for music. Moreover, when she sees Miguel grieving, to show care and love toward him Mamá Imelda softens herself; hence, instead of requesting that Miguel "Never play music again…" (Unkrich & Molina, 2017, 30:53-30:55), Mamá Imelda tries to adapt herself to reality, telling Miguel with a smile "To go home... to put up our photos... And to never... To never... forget how much your family loves you" (Unkrich & Molina, 2017, 84:02-84:21). Though she still feels resentful toward her husband, she finally stops preventing her posterity from gaining access to and enjoying music. Hence, Miguel is able to keep on chasing his dream of becoming an outstanding musician. To be sure, abandoning a grudge and entering the stage of acceptance is not an easy thing.
With those we care about, however, we may be able to keep a positive mindset, in an effort to empathize with one another's difficulties and maintain the bonds of affection. Even though Miguel knows that he cannot indulge his desire to play music due to the prohibition set up by his ancestor, he still convinces himself that he is meant to achieve his musical dream, holding the idea of "to seize the moment." Never abandoning his hope, Miguel keeps on trying to obtain his family's understanding, no matter how slim his chances of doing so seem to be. This passion not only urges him to look on the bright side but also reminds him to maintain the hope of being understood by his family.
Not only does Miguel maintain hopefulness concerning his own difficult life situations; what is more, he also acts as bridge between Mamá Imelda and Héctor, enabling Mamá Imelda to pour out her wrath toward Héctor and her grief about all the years she had to suffer. By acting as a bridge in this way, Miguel helps Héctor have a chance to explain that he did not desert his family but was poisoned and murdered by Ernesto after he had decided to go home. Also, Miguel enables Héctor to have a chance to apologize to Mamá Imelda. Moreover, ready to sacrifice his dream of playing music, Miguel tries to compromise with Mamá Imelda-if that means she will let Héctor be on the ofrenda and thus be remembered. He tells her, "I'm ready to accept your blessing... and your conditions" (Unkrich & Molina, 2017, 1:17:16-1:17:19). But I will help you" (Unkrich & Molina, 2017, 1:18:37-1:18:43). With Miguel negotiating between Mamá Imelda and Héctor, and hence between Coco and Héctor, finally Héctor's photo can be put on an ofrenda, allowing Héctor to cross the bridge on the Día de Muertos and be reunited with his family. In being remembered in this way, Héctor does not fall into the Final Death and disappear altogether from this world.

CONCLUSION
Inevitably, we all face loss, bereavement, and significant changes of life. However, we can take lessons from Mamá Imelda, Hécto, and Miguel in Coco, learning how to manage such bereavement and loss. In bringing the film and its characters into dialogue with Kübler-Ross's five-stage model of grief, which encompasses the stages of denial and isolation, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance, the present study suggests how the model illuminates the coping mechanisms that allow people to manage difficult circumstances. The study also demonstrates how we, like the characters in Coco, can use the positive mindset of hope as a coping strategy in its own right.