All Carl wants to do is watch daytime TV in his living room with the shades drawn in peace. Is that too much to ask?
After losing Ellie, life’s lost a lot of its meaning for Carl. Who knows—maybe he’s afraid of getting attached to anyone again because they just, you know, die. Carl feels the world has no use for him—other than trying to snag his house, of course—and he has no use for the world. “Up taps into a discontent our youth-obsessed culture rarely notices,” film critic Ty Burr explains. So when Carl takes to the skies, it’s more than an adventure; it’s an escape. In his journey to Paradise Falls, he’s not just making good on his promise to Ellie, he’s leaving society and all of its aggravations behind once and for all—or so he thinks.
Questions about Isolation
- What would Ellie think of Carl’s desire to be alone?
- How does Russell irritate Carl?
- How is Carl’s self-imposed exile different from Muntz’s? How are they the same?
- Is Carl just cantankerous or might he also be lonely and depressed?
Chew on This
Carl doesn’t travel to Paradise Falls to honor Ellie’s wishes; he goes there to escape an unfriendly world that he feels has passed him by.
Carl may want to be alone, but let’s be real: without Russell and Dug, his house would never have made it to Paradise Falls.