Mary and Max: More Tragedy than Pathos

The film Mary and Max uses pathos and tragedy as a way for the viewer to feel the pain of these characters and care about them. There are certain instances in which the pathos and tragedy may seem a bit at odds with each other instead of working hand in hand with each other throughout the film.
These instances are mostly when Mary is having her foreshadowed breakdown a la the way her mother acted throughout Mary's childhood. Max's more tragic moments are exhibited when he is living alone in his apartment with all of his animals and his imaginary friend. Though there are some moments that are quite comical, I believe the audience may be laughing at the awkwardness or the sheer naivete of these characters. Though these characters are naive, they are sweet and humble. I believe that this movie has the audience laugh through their tears. There are very sweet moments throughout the film that evoke the pathos of tragedy; sadness, confusion, regret. These are all emotions that I believe are felt with these characters by the audience. I do believe that this is an effective way of telling Max and Mary's story because it shows that these characters are multifaceted and three dimensional, much like the claymation they were made with. I believe that the ending does balance pathos and tragedy well, although it is still almost too tragic.