Original artwork, not a still
You are who you choose to be.
— The Iron Giant ‧ 1999
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Hogarth gives the Giant a choice rather than a command, and it works because it was given to him first. A machine built to destroy decides what it is, and the scene turns the whole film from a monster story into a story about identity. It is quoted as a motto for anyone told that their past, their label or their programming decides who they are.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for The Iron GiantShow the scene
In the climax of The Iron Giant, the army has attacked the Giant in the town of Rockwell, and Hogarth Hughes has been knocked unconscious. Believing the boy dead, the Giant turns into a heavily armed war machine and fires back at the soldiers, while the USS Nautilus prepares a nuclear missile. Hogarth wakes and talks him down. He tells the Giant that guns kill and he does not have to be one, repeating the words the beatnik scrapyard owner Dean McCoppin once said to him. The Giant's eyes return to normal and he says Hogarth's name.
Sources (2)
- Wikiquote: The Iron GiantHogarth's lines in the battle-mode scene, and Dean McCoppin's earlier scene with HogarthReference checked
- Wikipedia: The Iron GiantPlot summaryReference checked
Context reviewed
