Encanto, Bruno And Intergenerational Trauma

“ENCANTO” the movie, Colombia is the setting for the colourful, enchanted, and utterly bizarre rollercoaster movie “Encanto”! The movie centres on the unusual Madrigal family, each of them possesses a special magical talent, such as the ability to talk to animals or gain super strength. Almost all of them, that is. Presenting Mirabel, our endearing but clumsy heroine who is the only member of the family without magical abilities.

However, the family’s charm begins to wane just as it looks like she’s the odd one out—yikes! Mirabel takes the lead and sets out on a fanciful quest to discover why their enchanted house—yes, it is alive and sassy—is breaking down. She uncovers long-kept family secrets, learns the true meaning of strength, and comes to the realisation that, occasionally, being “ordinary” may be the most exceptional thing of all.

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Who Is Bruno?

And then there’s Bruno, the most reticent, enigmatic, and misunderstood member of the Madrigal clan. Uncle Brunois alienated from Mirabel. The family became so uncomfortable with his visions of the future—which aren’t always sunshine and rainbows—that they stopped talking to him altogether. Despite his reputation as the “black sheep,” Bruno is a sweet, sensitive man who genuinely wants to assist.

What Is Intergenerational Trauma?

Getting back to the subject at hand, the psychological effects of trauma that are passed down through the generations are referred to as intergenerational trauma. Unspoken emotional baggage, dysfunctional family dynamics, or recurring cultural pressures can all contribute to this. Bruno’s persona and his bond with the family in Encanto serve as a great example of this idea. 

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Bruno: Intergenerational Trauma? How?

Bruno is an outcast since he cannot fit into their “magical” image. The matriarch, Abuela, is so intent on upholding the magic and heritage of the family that she overlooks any flaws, including Bruno, who stands in for the family’s “cracks.” This demonstrates how the need for perfection may be passed down through the generations, making people feel like failures when they fall short of the irrational expectations set by their families. This is the case with Bruno.

Because of his ability to look into the future, Bruno caused discomfort for others and was held responsible for bad luck. Instead of tackling these issues head-on, the family decides to cease talking about him (the song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”), effectively silencing and ostracizing him. This is similar to how families may conceal or neglect those who question the status quo, sending the message that difficulties or unpleasant feelings should be kept buried rather than dealt with.

Bruno withdraws from everyone, essentially residing behind the house’s walls and seeing his family in passing but never engaging with them. He tries to shield them by avoiding them, illustrating how trauma may make people distance themselves from those they love. This illustrates how members of families affected by intergenerational trauma frequently shoulder the weight of earlier generations, concealing their suffering to keep others safe but ultimately severing ties with their own family in the process.

As Mirabel learns the truth, she understands that Bruno was a symptom of the family’s repression and avoidance of more serious problems rather than the cause of their troubles. Mirabel welcomes Bruno back into the family and helps everyone realize his suffering, misconceptions, and worth. This marks the beginning of the process of recovering from intergenerational trauma, where recognition and conversation can break destructive cycles.

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Is it Similar in Real Life as Well?

Yes, there is a lot of research that talks about its prevalence.

• Troubled parents may unintentionally instil in their children stressful environments or maladaptive coping techniques like emotional detachment or hypervigilance. This may cause comparable psychological problems to arise in the following generation.
• Studies have indicated that the offspring and descendants of Holocaust survivors exhibit elevated levels of cortisol, a hormone linked to stress. Although their descendants did not experience the event firsthand, they may nevertheless display increased dread and anxiety.
• Families are still impacted by the pain of colonisation, enslavement, genocide, and relocation. People from these communities still have greater rates of anxiety, sadness, and PTSD many generations after the tragedy, even when they were not present during the original event.
• Families that are uprooted by conflict or persecution frequently deal with continuous stressors like lost family ties, unstable finances, and broken homes. Because of this ongoing trauma, they frequently place an excessive focus on safety and survival at the expense of their children’s emotional well-being.

The Need to Break this Cycle

Restoring an ages-old, neglected garden that generations have passed down is similar to healing from intergenerational trauma. Imagine a once-vibrant garden whose maintenance staff has moved out. The soil is hard and broken from years of neglect, and weeds have sprouted, sucking the life out of the flowers. The weeds stifle the potential for new development in this garden, representing trauma, unresolved anguish, and harmful routines if no one tends to them.

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Eliminating those deeply ingrained weeds is the process of healing. Replanting the seeds of growth, turning over old memories, comprehending the source of the suffering, and tending to the soil are all important. By healing, you give the next generation a healthy start and release them from the weight of inherited trauma. Now that the gardener has prepared the garden to flourish rather than just endure, they can sow their seeds in it.