"I Am Sixteen Going on Seventeen" (Part 1)

Kate Miller
Feb 16, 2022
4 min read

Updated: Mar 30, 2022

As a young child, one of my first and favorite memories was watching The Sound of Music with my mom. Whether it be at our old quaint beach cottage, the playroom (aka the red carpet, Hogwarts, a magical forest, etc) or a long car ride, we watched that movie EVERYWHERE. My poor brother was ready to murder us after the first 4 times we forced him to watch it with us, and to this day he refuses to watch it - poor thing doesn't know what he's missing out on.

Anywho, I referenced The Sound of Music because although it's an epic love story and drama, it is also filled with vastly different and unique characters, and I think everyone can identify with many of them in some fashion. So, I want to analyze and share my personal relationships/comparisons with (some) of the characters in my favorite childhood movie. So here goes Part 1!

Let's start with Captain von Trapp. The Captain was my least favorite character the first couple of times I watched the movie because I strongly associated him with harsh discipline and authority figures. However, as I watched the movie a couple more times, it was easier for me to realize (specifically later on in the movie) that underneath his painfully hard shell, he is actually quite warm, devoted and determined. His determination particularly stands out to me when he willingly sticks out like a sore thumb in his social circle and stays true to his beliefs and opposes Hitler. It took a great deal of backbone for him to not be wavered in what he believed is right and find a new life for his family in a country that had not yet been annexed by the Germans.

https://jadensadventures.fandom.com/wiki/Captain_von_Trapp

Although I (thankfully) cannot relate to the Captain's experience within the historical contextualization, I can relate to sticking out like a sore thumb. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I am often described as ~quirky~ which is a nicer way of saying different. However, similarly to Captain von Trapp, I take great pride in my uniqueness and having a strong backbone when it comes to opposition. I have lost friends, acquaintances and ended relationships because I refused to compromise my beliefs and morals. Although this has caused me a great deal of pain at times, I am proud to have a "great deal of backbone" like the Captain because nothing is worth compromising who I am and what I believe in.

https://gfycat.com/nauticalgrimincatern-christopher-plummer-the-sound-of-music

Next, we have the beautiful and complicated Liesl von Trapp. Before I start with personality comparisons and characteristics, I MUST point out how breathtakingly beautiful her dress is in this scene. I have loved this dress since I was a little girl, and my late grandmother surprised me with a similar dress for Christmas one year which is a memory I hold near and dear to my heart.

Liesl is the oldest of 7 in the von Trapp family and is a 16 (going on 17) year old girl blossoming into a young woman with a strong personality. Since her mother died when she was young, Liesl is incredibly grateful for Maria's entrance into her life as she has always longed for a mother-like figure. After bonding with Maria when she is caught sneaking back into her house, they become incredibly close and exchange stories, advice and secrets.

Similar to Liesl, I am also the oldest (but only of 2) and have a strong personality. The relationship Liesl and Maria have resembles the kind of relationship I have with my own mother. I got incredibly lucky with my mom because she has served as my confidant, sounding board, and gossip girl since I can remember.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2016/09/18/sound-of-music

Louisa is quite the character which is incredibly apparent early on. With a rebellious attitude, she is the

main trickster and class clown out of all her siblings. At 13 years old, Louisa is quite clever and full of mischief. Some of her pranks included pretending to be her sister Brigitta when first introduced to Maria, hiding toads in Maria's pockets as well as crawling upstairs to the governess's room with a jar of spiders. She is also somewhat of a tomboy and deeply misses her mother. However, Louisa eventually warms up to Maria, and they form a special bond.

Louisa reminds me of myself in more ways than one (not sure if this is a red flag, but I have to be honest). I too was a tomboy and loved my cargo shorts. Although I never had a ton of success with my mischievous pursuits, I did love pulling pranks. Whoopie cushions, fake spiders and swapping water for pickle juice in my parents' Keurig were my go-to's (the last one got me in far too much trouble.)

However, Louisa's pranks are obvious defensive mechanisms in order to protect herself from disappointment and heartbreak; she wears a mask to shield herself from any possibility of getting hurt, and this is something everyone (including me) is guilty of. Some people wear a mask of arrogance, others wear a mask of apathy and Louisa wears a mask of pranks. Not everyone wears the same mask, but we are all guilty of wearing a variety of masks in hopes of fitting in instead of embracing who we truly are. I have worn many masks throughout my life, but when Louisa eventually takes off her mask and opens herself up to love and feelings, it brings me an overwhelming amount of joy.