Theme of Stranger Than Fiction

Theme of Stranger than Fiction

The film Stranger than Fiction begins by introducing the main character Harold Crick to the audience and exposing some of his Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder tendencies. According to the narrator, Harold lives his life by his wristwatch, which Harold uses to perfectly synchronize ever aspect of his life. For example, what time to get out of bed, how long to tie his single Windsor tie, the time to leave his house and the exact amount of seconds to drink his coffee. Like most people Harold lives a simple life with a boring schedule. On this specific day the audience meets Harold and the Narrator, whom Harold can also hear narrating the story. By the end of the story the audience learns who the narrator voice in his head is and sees Harold make a drastic change in his life. This film’s theme complicates conformity and encourages individuality through life changing events and adaptations.

In the beginning of the movie Harold believes everyone can hear the voice narrating his every move. After consulting a phyciatrist and being diagnosed with Schizophrenia he consults a literature professor at a local university about his problem. This professor, Jules Hilbert tells Harold to stop doing what he normally does to make the voice go away. This works for some time but makes Harold separate from his normal life and adapting to a new way of living. Harold begins to brush his teeth differently and wears new clothes as well as doing everyday normal things at different times.

Later on Harold hears the voice say, “little did he know” he asks professor Hilbert about it. We learn this is what the author would use to foreshadow the inevitable death that will end the story of his life. Harold wants so much to halt this action he takes a step forward in halting his repetitive lifestyle. By this point in the plot Harold has met Miss Pascal, a tax lawbreaker, whom he must audit for the IRS. Harold begins to feel new emotions after meeting her that persuades him to act differently. This complicates his conformity greatly when he sees her outside of his auditing practices on the public transportation system and attempts to make small talk with her in hopes of feeding his new emotions. He begins to get nervous and departs the bus too early. Forcing him walk the remainder of 20 city blocks to his apartment, thus altering his time line.

Through out the next scenes Harold starts fall deeply in love with Miss Pascal. One evening she makes him cookies and literally forces him to eat them, Harold had never eaten freshly baked cookies but breaks his conformity and eats them. He begins to become his own person when he does deeply enjoys the cookies and doesn’t stop himself from it either. Days later, he breaks