The Butterfly Circus
In the 1930s America is suffering for the Great Depression. Many people are jobless and homeless, and
everybody is sad and worried for the difficult economic situation. Mendez is
the charismatic master of a small circus, the Butterfly Circus, and he leads
his troupe through Southern California; along the way, they perform – sometimes
for free – to bring some light in the dull lives of people. One evening, they
stop at a funfair, where there are carousels, games and other entertainment. At
the Carnival Side Show Mendez meets Will, the main attraction. He has no limbs
and is on show as a freak of nature, alongside other odd characters (the
Tattooed Man, the Bearded Woman, etc.). Will is bitter and unhappy but after
meeting Mendez he decides to leave the Carnival and manages to hide on one of
the Butterfly circus trucks to escape. People in the circus welcome him but
Mendez tells Will he must find his own way to become part of the act. Will
starts to know his new friends and learns that many of them have a sad story:
Mendez has given them a second chance in life. One day Will accidentally
realizes that he can swim, so he decides to perform a difficult act in the
Circus: he must climb a tall pole, from the top of which he then dives into a
small tank full of water. Will is now happy as he is in the show, not because
of his odd aspect, but because of who he is and what he can do.
Design your own exercises.
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