The Fox And The Hound: The Best In You

This post is something that has been on my mind for a few months now and I wanted to wait until I was in the correct headspace to give it the time it deserves. This topic is something deeply personal to me and the time has come to deliver on what seems to be what reaches my audience (all 3 of you) the most. My deep dive into Disney’s greatest hits. My aim today is to illustrate a battle that goes on in all of us; an internal battle that's effects range from the abstractly apprehensive to something so physically real it causes visceral agony.

The Fox and the Hound is some of Disney’s best work in regards to showcasing how great sadness can manifest hope. In the blink of an eye, life turns from play to responsibility. It’s the slow death of incorruptibility; the fall of innocence. Then when all seems lost, the lessons you've learned save the day a Disney linchpin.

Growing pains is something I have tackled in my synopsis of Alice in Wonderland, so today I have something else. I believe the Fox and the Hound are psychological archetypes that are paramount to a life of meaning.

The cunning nature of the fox helps you flee the traps that life lays out for you

The vicious nature of the Hound scares away the predators you will come across in your travels

I believe both pursuits are empty without the other. The journey of absolute existence is incapable of fruition when one spends their time denouncing integral parts of their being. One must supplement the antithesis of the self to be absolute.

At 23 years old my conjectured discernment may seem naive, but I think this may be something that comes around once in a lifetime.

You are going to meet someone who will you look at, and see forever. You will love them with: so much passion, so much embodiment of soul, so much figurative immolation, and so much benevolent capitulation.

This should absolutely terrify you, such immense emotion could be the death of you. Whether you are a Fox or a Hound, you're going to meet the contrary. Make sure you live life to where you can recognize who that is, and not be someone who lives a life where they recognized who that was.

Combining the Fox and the Hound in your psyche might kill you, and everyone else around. But you may also bring out the best in you, the only real choice you have.

On The Trail Of Something

Our Journey begins with a perspicuous view of wildlife in the forest. Beyond the opacity of a dwindling spiderweb, a mother fox, and her baby appear in clear distress. With the baby being clenched by her frightful jaws, they continue their escape from an unknown enemy in a horrorstruck chase. Despite certain impending doom, the apprehensive nature of the situation does not shroud the cerebral nature of the fox. She hides her loved one by a fence post and gives a final goodbye. The mother runs, then in typical Disney fashion, sounds of an off-screen gunshot echo through the bowels of the forest. No matter how sly you are, this is what the ending looks like, certain death. You need something else.

Our Hound enters in a much brighter mood compared to the emotional rollercoaster we just went through. Where he is brought in a sack, from a man with a gun. The Hound, Copper, is looked in the eyes and told he is made for greatness. That his destiny is to learn from his predecessor, Chief, and manifest the nasty nature of a hunting hound. That is until he smells something he has never smelled before “it’s something else” Copper exclaims, and starts to follow the scent. Despite a life planned out, it's not complete, hence his search for something else.

Copper follows his trusty nose and it brings him to a moss-covered log with a light shining down, how fitting. While his nasal gifts have him searching the log dry, he is being stalked by our co-protagonist, Tod, who has picked himself up from the fence post from where he was left. Didn't take long for the two to manifest their internal gifts; Tod outsmarted the brute copper, and Copper followed his endogenous tracking nature.

Tod and Copper quickly become best friends and are in complete euphoria, a feeling I wish everyone feels at some point in their life. A desire to pause in a moment forever.

Now,

this may seem remedial, but the connection of two opposite entities is far more foreign than you may think. Ask the wisest creature in the forest Big Momma the owl, who cannot believe the mixing of these two. A cunning wild animal and a hunting dog, playing in complete harmony. She feels the need to inject her thoughts, as does the rest of the world.

If Only The World Wouldn't Get In The Way

Throughout the film, there are serval side stories going on from the Fox and the Hound. There are two birds named Dinky and Boomer who assimilate the same prerogative as the fox and the hound. The woodpecker is the brute, and the finch uses his size to hunt this elusive caterpillar. One is vicious and one is sly.

Well, there's a reason this post isn't called "Boomer and the Dinky". Stupid names play stupid games and win stupid prizes.

Tod and Copper are amalgamating their archetypes to build a relationship that lasts forever. The bird's work is towards catching a singular caterpillar. One end game provides meaning, the other quick meaningless pleasure. A low-risk game with a low reward, don't let other people's games get in your way. The world is full of expedient behavior, distinguish yourself through a genuine mission that ends in the best version of yourself.

There are far more things in life than a caterpillar.

Many play the game of meaning to be free of it. Sadly one of the avenues of freedom is through defeat.

There are also those who have been beaten down in their pursuit of bringing out the best version of themselves. The old couple who play the parental figures in the story are a great example of what it looks like to lose. The old woman, Widow, is enamored by the cuteness of Tod. The old man, Amos, is captivated by the utility of Copper. They're stuck in their old ways clouded by arrogance and resentment. Amos ties up Copper, restricting him from the benefits of exploration and play. Widow overcorrects by giving Tod a collar and letting him sleep in silk sheets with no rules. They are leading their loved ones to failure, for they have not taught Tod and Copper the importance of the other side. Sometimes you need to be tied down, and other times you need to roam free. Only being taught one-way blocks all roads that lead to the best of you.

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When fall is over and leaves start to fall, the elderly couple starts to brace themselves for the harsh winter. Tod will be spending his time next to a fire, and Copper will head south to hunt. Distance of the other side of you is one of the easiest routes for the world to get in the way of you. They say they will be friends forever, but the world will always have something to say.

"Look at all the pelts, he is evil. Copper is gonna come back a killer."

“Time has a way of changing things.” - Big Mama

"No, he won't change we will be friends forever."

Those Days Are Over

This is what happens when you let the world get in the way.

On the night of Copper's return, Tod sneaks over to meet him and asks if they are still friends. Copper tells him that things are now going to be different, those days are over. The hunt begins.

I challenge anyone to tell me, there isn't evil in this world.

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We'll always be friends forever, won't we?

Being on the trail of something, letting the world get in the way, and the fear of the good old days being over. This leads you to the final chapter, which is usually the same as the first, you just didn't know it yet. We'll always be friends forever, won't we? The spiral chase leads to Copper inadvertently provoking an attack from a large disturbed sleeping grizzly bear.

Amos fires only one single shot, and his attempts to inflict any harm are futile. The monstrous beast swipes at him and sends Amos tumbling down the ravine. Amos's theme of never being able to get out of his own way continues, and he gets his foot caught in one of his own traps. As a latch ditch effort Copper leaps in between his master and the bear. He ignites his ancient innate archetype and makes a noble attempt to protect his master and attacks the grizzly bear. During the battle, Amos continues to panic when he is unable to get out of his own traps. If only a fox was with him to point it out. The vicious battle continues to go on for a while, but Copper is overpowered by the grizzly bear. While howling his final war cry, Tod hears Copper's yelping echo and looks back to see the horror of him being nearly killed. At the moment in which Copper needed him the most, he comes back. Tod intervenes, rescues him, and jumps on the bear's back, but continues to battle with him, and ends up leading him to the old bridge above the waterfall.

Just as he comes close to Tod, he raises his paw and hits the sprinters of the old log which breaks and sends them both falling down the waterfall with the fallen trunk. The bear presumably dies, while Tod is barely able to make it ashore. Copper protecting his former adversary and childhood friend.

They finished the journey how it started. Together. Copper's ability to fight off the predator, and Tod outfoxing the bear by bringing him to a waterfall.

It took the journey of a lifetime, to see what was there the moment they met.

The Best In You

If life begins with what you love most being ripped from your arms or if it begins with your destiny. Search for that something else that's missing.

If the entire world is against you, filled with those chasing convenience, or those who have lost standing in your way. Take responsibility and seek the burden of becoming absolute.

When those days seem over, and you are lost. Circle yourself with those who pillar the foundation of your ascension.

At last, a final test will appear.

Then, and only then can you recognize the fact that you are not the sum of your lessons. Not until you implement that something else that you were looking for in the first place. No matter what, a part of you is missing. It doesn't matter if you are the Fox or the Hound.

That missing side of you might completely destroy you for good, or maybe, bring out the best in you.

Do you really have a choice?