Word Choices - AP English Literature - Blog

Come One, Come All

"The men said 'My dere fellow,' and did nothing. Then- would you believe it?- I tried the women. I, Charlie Marlow, set the women to work- to get a job. Heavens!" (Conrad 11)

"It's queer how out of touch with truth women are. They live in a world of their own, and there has never been anything like it, and never can be" (Conrad 17)

Marlow mentions women a few times in his story about the "snake river". First women help him. His aunt has connections that bring Marlow to the attention of the right people who thence appoint Marlow to skipper on a steamboat. Marlow is astonished with himself for working with women. It seems like a last resort for him that he did not expect to succeed.

Again Marlow mentions women before he departs on the steamboat. After his aunt gives an opinion Marlow questions a woman's view. He dismisses women for living in a world of their own.

Marlow takes aid from women but does not directly acknowledge their importance. Women are simply present in the world of trade and men. From these illustrations of women and the encounter at the trade company office (Conrad 13) what is Conrad trying to say about women in the time? Were they helpful, under-recognized, and bright? Or were they illusioned and caught up in trading companies?

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the sleeping suit

So I wasn't at school thurs/fri so if my comment is completely redundant I apologize. I don't think any of the interaction between the narrator and Leggatt was real. The sleeping suits add to the suggestion that the relationship between the narrator and Leggatt was nothing more than a dream sequence. "Can it be, I asked myself, that he is not isible to other eyes than mine?" (159). And at the end we never actually get a confirmation that Leggatt actually left. We only see the hat floating on top of the water. I don't know what this could mean. But it certainly adds to the narrator's "stranger-ness" aboard the ship. If he is so out of tune with reality then it's no wonder he feels incredibly insecure in his environment. Maybe Leggatt was the narrator's way of trying to find his place. 

Marlow's Comment

On page 6 of Heart of Darkness, Marlow states, as the boat is reaching the sea, "And this also... has been one of the dark places of the earth." The men on the ship are not surprised by this somewhat bizarre comment, and it seems that Marlow is referring to England, as later made clear by his mentioning of the Romans' first arrival in England. Why does Marlow say this? Does it somehow tie into the way that Conrad was describing the dreary skies over London? Or does it have something to do, rather, with the relation of the English to the sea as opposed to other peoples to the sea?

Leggatt: The Captain's College

While reading The Secret Sharer, I knew that Leggatt was supposed to be the captain's doppleganger, but I felt that, more than anything, Leggatt was an escape from reality for the captain. Before Leggatt's arrival, the captain was lonely and clearly an outcast on the ship. He took Leggatt's arrival as an opportunity to be who ever he wanted to be since he did not have to live up to any reputation. For the captain, Leggatt was like college; when they first were intreoduced, the captain got a chance to start over, but after Leggatt left, the captain was still who he had been all along. I think that Leggatt inspired the captain to be the person he wanted to be on the ship because although he was the captain and should have been in charge, since he was a newbie he was kind of dictated by the crew members. With Leggatt, it was different. The captain was the only one who knew about Leggatt on the ship, so he was in charge of that secret and no one could tell him how to handle it, or carry out that business for him like the crew members could as they ran the ship. In no way do I think that the captain and Leggatt were lovers, because if the underlying meaning was that the captain was gay and could not express his feelings at the time, then why wouldn't he have had relationships with the hundred or so other men that worked on the ship? Leggatt also cannot be a figment of the captain's imagination because the captain of the other ship comes looking for him, therefore I believe that Leggatt's sole purpose in the story was to give the captain an opportunity to come out of his shell.

Fate vs. Free Will

Fate and free will is one rather prominent theme in The Secret Sharer. As stated in number six of the big discussion questions, "Leggatt may be a free man, "a proud swimmer striking out for a new destiny", but a captain of a vessel is not free." It makes me wondering, is fate or free will a more powerful, valid force driving the direction of our lives?

Fate implies that no matter what one does in his or her life, things are already decided for him or her. People have control over their own lives. If you are born to be a captain, then you are going to be a captain; no negotiating. Though, some might include karma under the fate category. If you work hard and live a good, law-abiding, life, then you are destined to be rewarded.

I interpret free will as the individual being able to take his or her life where ever he or she desires. There are no commitments, nobody can force another to do anything he or she does not want to do, and the individual does not take on responsibilites that he or she does not feel fulfilled through.

How do you guys feel about fate versus free will?

Pajama Time!

Last night, I answered a "small question" from our "Secret Sharer" packet asking about the significance of the pajama suits that both the captain and Leggatt wear.  Literally, it shows a connection between the captain and Leggatt because they are wearing identical clothing, however the pajama suits have a more metaphorical meaning as well (surprise, surprise!).

First of all, the fact that they are pajamas, rather than normal day time clothing, maybe proves that the captain is dreaming, or maybe identifying Leggatt as a dreamy-like character.  Even if it is reality and not a dream, Leggatt is still described as a ghost-like figure from the very moment the captain first saw him with his "greenish cadaverous glow."  

The color gray represents the "in-between" or "middle-ground" because it is the in-between of black and white--drastic opposites.  Therefore, the gray pajamas that the captain and Leggatt wear represent the distinct opposites of reality and dream/the subconscious. 

The Secret Sharer: A Story of Initiation

One of the discussion questions for The Secret Sharer describes it as a story of “initiation.” This is a story where “a boy or young man, unaware of the perils and complexities of human existence, is exposed to a series of painful events that initiate him into the reality of adult life.” I definitely think The Secret Sharer could be categorized as this type of story because of the decisions that the captain had to make. He had never been captain before and was unfamiliar to his ship and the crew members. He was also unsure of himself because he questioned whether or not he could handle the full responsibility of being captain.  

He was faced with the dilemma of handling his ship but also taking in and hiding a wanted man, called Leggatt. He needed to make many important decisions regarding himself and Leggatt, like how he could get Leggatt to escape with no one noticing and how he could get the ship close enough to land for Leggatt to swim away without jeopardizing the safety of the ship. In the end, the captain succeeded in helping Leggatt escape and he prevented the ship from going into the rocks, proving his skills as a captain. I think this story fits as one of initiation because the captain learned a lot about himself and what’s he capable of after meeting someone who resembled him so closely and after succeeding in taking on so much responsibility as captain.

Do you think The Secret Sharer can be classified as a story of “initiation”? 

Magic

Magic.

Hmm...

Define it. I dare you.

A miracle? Something that cannot be explained? Ok, are undiscovered animals magical? Not until we find them... you say... What about an angel falling from the sky? A woman with a spider body?

Those last two. "Yeaaah," you say. But if you were face to face with a very old man with enormous wings, your human mind would rationalize it. Once it is in front of you, it's no longer magic, it's a freak mutation. A genetic mistake.

Why are moving pictures in "Harry Potter" magic? Because it happened with a wave of a wand? Why is saying "Lumos" magic, but clapping my hand and having a light turn on isn't?

Let's try and explain computers. Most people can't. I can't. How does my wireless laptop send a message to your computer in an instant? WHY CAN'T YOU CALL IT MAGIC??? Why can't computer technicians be magicians?

Us humans are very greedy. We have magic. Sure, you'd like to snap your fingers and have a sandwich appear in your hand, but once technology allows you to do that, you won't call it magic anymore, will you?

I guess the only real magic is this: Imagination.

There is another sky by Emily Dickinson

There is another sky,

Ever serene and fair,
And there is another sunshine,
Though it be darkness there;
Never mind faded forests, Austin,
Never mind silent fields -
Here is a little forest,
Whose leaf is ever green;
Here is a brighter garden,
Where not a frost has been;
In its unfading flowers
I hear the bright bee hum:
Prithee, my brother,
Into my garden come!

The poem “There is Another Sky” by Emily Dickinson is a poem for her brother Austin. She uses nature as a means to express the message she has for him. The poem makes me feel hopeful and positive since it is very optimistic and bright. The lines “Here is a brighter garden” and “And there is another sunshine” demonstrate the optimism and hope within the poem.

Read more: http://authspot.com/poetry/analysis-on-emily-dickinsons-there-is-another-sky/#ixzz1jSLcgi7Q

Tragedy

The American Lawyer's Novemeber Cover Story tells the sad tale of Jonathan Bristol. One of Bristol's clients, Ken Starr, was a high-profile financial adviser to celebrities. In 2009, one of Starr's clients, Uma Thurman, began asking tough questions in which Starr had no answers. Last year, he pleaded guilty to investment adviser fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering.

Star's scheme doesn't interest me; his lawyer does. Bristol's story reflects the 30 year development of an attorney and his profession. Because many of Bristol's experiences look so familiar, some lawyers will find his story unsettling. At least, they should.

 

The Death of Music

Music is constantly changing.  At least from the beginning of the 1900s to present day it has been changing from thousands of influences and creators.  With that being said, old music to the youth is becoming less and less attractive and is essentially dying out.  The popular music genre has recently been defined by the youth, and therefore they are not paying as much attention to the classics.  Entire Genres ranging from classical to Rock are being thwarted by modern pop music. I personally like my music to be constantly renewed and fresh.  So I don't get too sick of a certain song from being played too much, yet to an older person, who is interested in music from his younger life, this pleasure is impossible.  Nearly all of the musical producers are young and the older ones simply are either dead or aren't producing music anymore.  So, the elderly have no choice but to either listen to the same music, or succumb to the confines of the youth.

The Secret Man

I find a certain ambiguity within the resolution that the Husband attains in the last paragraph of "The Secret Woman".  Her actions clearly depict a cheating wife that is defying the loyalty of marriage.  Yet the husband wasn't "rushing forward and forcing the two mouths apart".  He saw this as an answer to his confusion.  I believe that he finally understands that her actions were not directed toward cheating, yet more in a joyful and playful manner.  At this moment he could either be turning the blind eye toward her cruel acts and finding the closest excuse for an excuse, yet he is convinced that her acts are merely playful with no malice intended.  I am curious as to whether his claim of no longer fearing her actions is true.  Has he lost hope? Or has he drawn a further conclusion to his curiosity of his wife's actions.

Game of Thrones Tragedy

     Game of Thrones, the new HBO serires based off of the book sereis A Song of Ice and Fire, captures an example of a true tradegy within the story. The show takes place in the fictional nation called the Seven Kingdoms, a country where greed, coruption, and self interests rule supreme over all else.The show primarly follows the story of Ned Stark, a lord of the northern part of the kingdom who is known amongst the nation as a noble and honorable man. At the begining of the show, the top advisor of the king of the Seven Kingdoms dies under mystserious circumstances. This event causes the king of the Seven Kingdoms, Robert Baratheon to choose Ned as his new top adisor due to his reputation and their close freindship. Shortly after arriving in the capital of the kingdom to assume his new postion of power, Ned begins to investigatge the death of the former chief advisor. Twords the middle of the season, Ned discovers that the Kings three children are actually incestious bastards that were birthed as a result of an affair that the queen and her brother sharded. Although he intially intended to tell the king about his discovery, he immediately warned the queen that he new her secret and advised her to flee the kingdom with her children before he told Robert. However the king dies in a hunting accident before Ned gets the chance to warn him about the queen. As a result, the queen arrests Ned as an enemy of the state and her son whom has assumed the title as the new king eventually executes him.

    Although most people judge Ned Starks actions as extremely stupid, his reason was justifiable. Ned did not want to be responsible for death of the queen and her children. Even though he could have easily kept this information a secret, he decided to do the right thing and warn the queen. He tried to do the thing that is morally right in an immoral world. As a result, his actions lead to his death much like the classic tragedies of ancient Greece and Elizabethan England.

Let Them Eat Cake

 

For an example of a modern day tragedy, I chose Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette. This story fits almost all of the requirements for a tragedy. Marie Antoinette was born of noble stature, being the archduchess of Austria, and later married and became the queen of France. In the movie, Marie is forced to marry a difficult and uninterested man she had never met before as well as live under constant scrutiny and criticism from both her mother in Austria and the court of Versailles. The pressure and responsibility at a young age drives Marie to drink, gamble, and cheat on her husband. Her immense spending and irresponsibility contributes to France's debt is a contributing factor in the spark of France's revolution.
Marie's downfall is not entirely her fault. She is brought from Austria innocent, young, and does not know how to be a queen. Responsibility is forced upon her, and the audience pitys her for the terrible situation she is caught trying to handle without much help. Marie wants to do the best she can, but eventually succumbs to the pressure, proving that a weakness for clothes, parties, drinking, and gambling is her tragic flaw. At the end of the movie, when Marie confronts the angry mob trying to drive her from her palace, the audience sees that Marie recognizes the errors in her judgement and actions and that she has still learned from the tragedy.

Gogol's Tragedy: The Portrait

I was not able to think of a tragedy in today's modern pop culture; however, I remembered this short story about art called The Portrait written by Nikolai Gogol, a Russian novelist. Although Gogol wrote the story in 1835, the struggle and human flaw portrayed in The Portrait remains universal, transcending time and culture. The story captures the tragic fall of a starving but promising young painter, Chartkov. Without money to pay rent and buy food, he becomes disillusioned with his professor’s advice to improve patiently on his skills instead of wasting his talent by seeking immediate fame and becoming “fashionable artist”. One day, at a local art store he impulsively buys a portrait of an old man with staring eyes that seem alive. In the frame of the artwork, he finds a sack of 1000 gold rubles (Russian currency). At first, he thought of using the money for living expenses so that he can devote all of his time to painting, but inside the tempting voice leads him to impulsively shop for fashionable clothes, gorge in pastries, and rent a magnificent apartment. He starts to paint portraits for rich people and become obsessed with money and fame while the true artists shook their heads when they saw his work. One day, he goes to the exhibition of his peer who has spent years developing brushing techniques and accumulating knowledge of history and greatest art works. Chartkov is speechless at the godly beauty of the work of his peer. The regret of wasting his youth in vain impulse and ruining his talent washes over him. He attempts to revive his potential by painting a fallen angel but each brush stroke comes out dull and rigid. His frustration and rage strip him of humanity as he relentlessly buys and shreds every artwork of genuine talent into pieces. Soon, he dies of terrible illness evoked by madness and rage. Although Chartkov’s rise from poverty to wealth and reputation seem to contradict the fall that is an aspect of tragedy, his downfall is a moral and artistic one. His wealth and reputation are fake, made possible only by sacrificing his soul and passion. Preoccupied with the shallow substances of fortune and public recognition, he abandons his pursuit for genuine art and ruins the best years of his life. He is good because he strives to exploit his talent at first but his impatience and susceptibility to temptation of fast wealth and fame result in his downfall. Gogol’s heart-wrenching depiction made readers feel pity for the decay of Chartkov’s character. The only feature of tragedy that Chartkov fails to fulfill is accepting his fate. Instead, he destroys great works of art and dies of madness and frustration. Still, he does come to the painful realization that he had a talent but he ruined without hesitation. The corruption of Chartkov is universal to humans as we see in celebrities and sometimes even in ourselves. This enduring relatability of Chartkov’s demise makes The Portrait even more tragic.

Sick Little Games

The story within the television show Once Upon A Time holds several characteristics of a tragedy. The Witch, widow of the king, despises Snow White as the cause of the her unhappiness.

Overcome by hatred, the Witch kills her father in order to bring misfortune on Snow White. She believes that Snow White's suffering will make her happy but only suffers too. A spell takes away the Prince and Snow White's daughter in addition to trapping the story book characters in modern times.

The Witch is mayor in the modern town but her accomplishment is pointless without her father. From casting the spell her her heart is cold and she cannot connect with anyone around her. She has a false sense of glee in modern times. Although the Witch initiated her fate she does not deserve it completely as she only tried to find happiness through magic.

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Modern tragedy

One of my favorite movies of all time is Seven Pounds, starring Will Smith.  It was release in late 2008 and is about a man, Will Smith, who accidently kills his fiance and six other people in a car accident.  He was texting while driving and was distracted  and then he hit another car.  Will Smith is devastated by this, and rightfully so.  After this incident he decides his life is not worth living anymore.  His decision is to find people that need organs and sacrifice his life so that they can live.  He, in the end, finds those people and donates seven pounds of his organs, hence the title.  This movie is a tragedy because a successful happy person has a downfall due to his own flaws.

McMurphy, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

In Ken Kesey's novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, the tragic hero of his story enters a psychotic ward  and takes pity on the mentally ill patients, who are being terriorized by the tyranical nurse of the ward. The wards of the hospital had been oppressed by Nurse Fletcher until McMurphy is admitted. McMurphy, in his overconfident manner, undermines Nurse Fletcher and she gradually loses her control over the patients. Nurse Fletcher regains her power by destroying McMurphy. McMurphy soon dies after recieveing a lobotomy.

McMurphy sacraficed his relatively safe position in the psychotic ward in order to help heal the patients. McMurphy's fatal mistake came from his overconfidence in his growing power over Nurse Flethcher. The lobotomy Nurse Fletcher ordered on McMurphy destroyed his mind and the confidence the patients had gained from his presence.

Freedom!!!!

Some define tragedy as characterized by a seriousness and dignity involving a great person who experiences a reversal of fortune.  Including a change of fortune from bad to good, but the change from good to bad is preferable because this effects of  pity and fear within the spectators. Tragedy results in a healing for the audience through their experience of these emotions in response to the suffering of the characters in the drama.

No movie shows this definition like Braveheart and his main character William Wallace. William Wallace is the perfect tragic hero. Even though he is not of noble social background, he is an educated Scottish hat have earn some privileges from the England invaders. He witnesses his own downfall when he marries Murron and they are caught and Murron is executed. Wallace is now compelled to rebel against the English, and as his legend spreads, hundreds of Scots from the surrounding clans join him. At the end of all the fighting, Wallace is brought before an English magistrate, tried for high treason, and condemned to public torture and beheading. Even after being hanged and mutilated, Wallace refuses to submit to the king by begging for mercy. As cries for mercy come from the watching crowd, the magistrate offers him one final chance. Wallace instead shouts the word "Freedom!" Just before the axe falls, Wallace sees a vision of Murron in the crowd smiling at him. This scene shows some supernatural or unusual condition that a tragic hero has to have. But his death is not in vein, years after Wallace's death, Robert the Bruce, Scotland's king, leads a Scottish army before a ceremonial line of English troops on the fields of Bannockburn where he is to formally accept English rule. As he begins to ride toward the English, the Bruce stops and turns back to his troops. Invoking Wallace's memory, he implores them to fight with him as they did with Wallace. He then leads his army into battle against the stunned English, winning the Scots their freedom.

The spectator watching this movie is moved by the suffering that William Wallace endured before his death.

Snape Snape . . Severus Snape

My blog is about Harry Potter because it's awesome. When I think of the word "tragic", Snape's life comes to my mind. He loved Lilly, Harry's mother, ever since he first layed eyes on her! He helped her through situations, had her back, and always reassured her that she wasn't wierd . . and helped her become one of the best witches in history. No big deal right? I've always disliked Snape. I thought he was cruel and bitter, but in the last book/ last movie, when Voldemort killed Snape, I cried like a baby. When we saw the truth in the penseive . . I was touched. Lilly betrayed him when she picked James, but he still never stopped loving her. He tried to save their lives by going to Dumbledore, but Voldemort ended up finding them anyway. He promised Dumbledore he would work with The dark lord to plot against him. He's helped Harry the whole way, and his life ended in a tragic death. What dedication. Tragic Life for sure. R.I.P Severus Snape :(

The Presitge: A Tragic Tale

"The Prestige" is an incredibly interesting film set in the early twentieth century, when London would endorse the immortal idea of the magician's act in its theatres. The movie begins with Alfred Bordon and Robert Angier--the two main characters--working as ringers for "Milton The Magician", both of whom are very gifted at the art of practicing illlusions. Bordon makes a mistake of tying a knot too complicated for performer to undo in the typical "predicament escape" (look it up) trick. the result is that she dies, and Angier--her husband--blames Bordon for her death forever after.

In a way, both Bordon and Angier present themselves to be characters that begin from a place of "noble stature". both of them are very accomplished in the art of what makes a magician--Bordon seems to be very good at both understanding and creating illusions, while Angier is very good at the publicity necessary. Bordon presents himself as being a character who has a flaw--he is very proud of his ability to tie knots and carry the weight of Milton's act. it is his character's disposition that allows this tragedy to occur.

the result is a dangerous and damaging rivalry between the two magicians. Bordon loses his finger in his "bullet catch" trick when Angier shoots them off. Bordon's wife kills herself because Bordon has spent too much time worrying over their rivalry. in the end, both characters learn a lesson from the terrible outcomes of their dealings in illusions--both about themselves, and about each other.

 

Media Causes Tragedy

I think one of the biggest modern day tragedy is the effect that media has on people's ideals. For example, the media exposes many different females and have created the ideal females. This perfect woman is exposed all throughout the media from advertisements to celebrities, girls want and expect to be like these models or celebrities. A girl needs to be skinny, have big physical features, and a face that is perfect. The media forces these girls to look like this "perfect" woman and therefore causes girls to go to the ultimate extreme. The media has caused a tragedy because teenage girls are now suffering from eating disorders. Since the media portrays women to be skinny and there are all these products about losing weight, girls have gone to the extreme low and decided to be anorexic. Teenagers are more likely to have an eating disorder which can cause death. This may not be your typical tragedy because there is not an exact reason for death that relates to the media but these girls are slowing dying because of the expectations that the media has put on them.

Stock market tragedy

A modern day tragedy.  Finding one was harder than I thought it would be, but I think that's because I was limiting myself to writing.  A real tragedy was the stock market crash.  I think the main way it follows the criteria of tragedy is how the people directly affected deserved to be so, investing in unsafe mortgages.  It might not feel like a tragedy because of the lack or real death, but something can be tragic without death.

Sad Harry

Yeah, so my example of a contemporary tragedy is Harry Potter.  I wasn't in much of a "think outside the box" mindset tonight.  Anyways, for anyone who is unfamiliar with the Harry Potter series, Harry is led to believe by Professor Dumbledore that he must destroy all of Lord Voldemort's horcruxes in order to finally defeat him and bring piece to all of the good guys.  But what Dumbledore leaves out is the part about how part of Voldemort's soul is actually attached to Harry's soul.  So in order to completely destroy Voldemort, Harry must first sacrifice himself to be killed by Lord Voldemort so that the piece of Voldemort's soul which resides in Harry will be blasted to bits as well.  It's a pretty awful situation for anyone to be in, but it's made especially terrible because of how much Harry trusted Dumbledore's advice up until that point when he found out about the last bit of Voldemort's soul.  The audience was even led to believe that Dumbledore was to be trusted on everything.  If Harry had not come back from the dead I would say this story had the potential to be extremely tragic.  But since everything works out in the end it's not altogether tragic.  But for that brief instant in the story when Harry marched out to meet his death I think I, along with a lot of other readers, felt very betrayed and sad that Harry had to die this way. 

Benjamin Button's Tragic Case

As I was thinking about tragedies, no one event or story came to my mind. I looked up what defines a tragedy and found that tragedies consist of unfortunate events, the downfall of a character, and unhappy endings. After going through a few of my favorite love story movies in my head I realized that The Curious Case of Benjamin Button fits every element of the definition of a tragedy. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is the story of a man named Benjamin who is born completely aged, and grows younger as his life goes on. This is already a tragedy on its own, because Benjamin is abandoned by his father as a baby because of his elderly looks, and then he will never be able to experience life like everyone else.

When Benjamin is in the beginning of his life, but at the same time an old man, he mets a young girl named Daisy in a nursing home. Benjamin meets Daisy and immediately enjoys spending time with her. They become friends and stay up late talking together on many occasions. However, soon Daisy gets older and travels away to start a dancing career. 

After Daisy and Benjamin spend some time apart, they are finally reunited in their home town. It is perfect timing to reunite because Benjamin and Daisy have become close to the same age. They quickly fall in love and start a life together. Unfortunately they know that their love cannot last a life time because Benjamin will age into a child. Benjamin and Daisy love each other, but finally accept that they have to move on to their different stages of life. Daisy ends up having Benjamin's baby and it is tragic that Benjamin has to watch his daughter grow up with a new father. From the first time they meet Benjamin and Daisy know that they are destined not to be able to live a life together, but they make the most of the time they are given.

The Professional Tragedy

When we were asked to think of a contemporary example of a tragedy, the first thing that came to mind was the movie Leon: The Professional. The movie centers around a young girl whose family is killed by a corrupt police officer who was involved in a drug deal with the girl's father. The girl, Mathilda, was getting groceries when her family was killed, so she survives only by walking to her neighbor's apartment until the corrupt officers leave. While the girl was unhappy in her family, her brother's death strikes her hard. She then realizes that Leon, her neighbor, is a professional assassin and she teaches him to love people and he teaches her to kill. In my opinion, it fits most of the criteria for a tragedy very well, but it provides an interesting twist on those criteria at the same time.

The first criteria for a tragedy is that the hero must be someone of "noble stature." While Leon is not of typical noble stature in any way, he is presented at the beginning of the movie as the only person with his life in order, living comfortably in his apartment, and maintaining a well-respected and comparatively moral position in his career even if it is an innately immoral career. So, compared to the rest of the characters, Leon begins the movie in a relatively high standing in the audience's eyes, since they don't yet know he's an assassin and they just see that he helps out a little girl willingly when she most needs it. Then, the tragic hero must be good, but not perfect, which Leon definitely fits because he's good-natured, but he is still a professional assassin.

In terms of Leon's troubles being tragic rather than pathetic, I think they definitely are. He leads to his own eventual death by taking in Mathilda and allowing her to show him how to really care for someone and enjoy life. Here is where I think this movie provides an interesting twist on a tragedy. The action that Leon takes that leads to his untimely demise is actually a positive thing in his life. Still, it leads to a revelation on his part that enjoying life is important and worth whatever costs it may involve, so even though he dies as a result of this choice, it is not a complete loss for him.

Finally, the movie is structured in a way that makes the audience sympathize with Leon even though he is an assassin, which subsequently causes them to fear for him in times of danger and experience genuine sadness when he dies, which is also a criteria for a tragedy.

Overall, in my opinion, this movie definitely qualifies as a contemporary tragedy.

A Recent Tragedy

When asked to identify a real life tragedy the Iraq War is something that immediately comes to mind.

At the center of the story you have the 43rd President Bush playing the role of the tragic hero. His intentions are good. He does not have malice or spite or any negative emotions in making his decisions.  He is simply trying to depose a murderous dictator and bring freedom to an oppressed people.  However, his noble intention is negatively affected by his tragic flaw: his hubris. He justified war on shaky grounds and in the build up he only listens to those who agree with him. His confidence in himself, his justification, and the ensuing invasion borders on arrogance. This arrogance leads him to be woefully unprepared for what is to come. As a result, this war which was supposed to be swift and cheered by all, drags on with diminished public support.  His hubris caught up to him when the justification for war proved untrue and his strong belief that his troops would be greeted as liberators turns out to be false. However, contrary to the wish of some, Bush does not die. The death he suffers is in the court of public opinion. He suffers unfathomably low poll numbers and international detest.

What do you think about this situation as a tragedy?  

Tim Tebow: A Modern Tragic Hero

In the Denver Broncos' 41-23 loss to the New England Patriots last Sunday, Tim Tebow demonstrated each and every trait of a tragic hero.

For those that don't know, Tim Tebow is the current starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos who was a backup to quarterback Kyle Orton until the sixth week of the NFL season. Under Orton, the team struggled and was the worst team in their division with a 1-4 record. Under Tebow, the team surged to an 8-5 record going into their game against the Tom Brady-led New England Patriots and was the leaders of the AFC West Division. Denver fans regarded Tebow as a savior to what seemed certain to be a season of failure. Tebow was, in that respect, a man with noble stature.

Then came the Patriots.

Now, as I said, the Broncos lost and the aura of Tim Tebow was significantly diminished. Yet, Tebow did not play all that poorly. He completed eleven of his twenty-two pass attempts for 194 yards and ran for another ninety-three yards on the ground. He did, however, fumble away a ball for a turnover and got sacked for a huge loss toward the end of the game. In that way, he fulfills the next three requirements of being a tragic hero. He played well, but not perfectly, and the loss was in part brought on by his own doing. Yet he was also not wholly to blame for the loss. The Broncos' defense played poorly, and two other players fumbled the ball away so that the Patriots could easily score.

Ultimately, it was the entire team that contributed to the Broncos' loss, but Tim Tebow still undeniably learned a lesson about the types of teams that he will have to play against if the Broncos are to make the playoffs. I also saw as a spectator the fall of a great hero who many believed to be infallible and in doing so felt a sense of pity for Tebow as he was shown to be imperfect. I witnessed, right before my very eyes, the fall of a tragic hero. Tebow fell from grace, and though he may rebound to rally the team into the playoffs, the legend that was Tim Tebow does not survive today as much as it did before the game against the New England Patriots. 

Reviewing Rocky

Spoiler: at the end of the Rocky series, the aged Rocky loses to the proud, young Mason Dixon due to split decision. If you did not feel very disheartened or distraught from this ending, you definitely did not follow the movies closely enough.

Most of us have seen at least some installment from the Rocky series. For those who started from the beginning, they experienced the exciting, emotional journey of a small time boxer getting a chance to fight for the heavyweight title. As the series progresses, we see Rocky rise to fame following his subsequent victories, defeating the entertaining Apollo Creed, as well as Drago, the juiced-up, super russian. At one point, we see Rocky living a leisurely lifestyle: a mansion, exotic cars, and a happy marriage. Along the way, the audience sways with the emotions and tensions of Rocky Balboa, feeling the struggle and anguish Rocky experiences while facing near insurmountable odds.

As we enter the last stretch of Rocky's career, we see him come out of retirement to answer the challenge of a prospective new boxer. Yet again, we watch him train, facing some other challenges along the way. He constantly struggles to accept the death of his wife, and faces much conflict in how to "train," as Rocky stands as such a seasoned fighter.

After the much familiar drama of the Rocky movies, we watch as Balboa enters the fight and continues to the final round. After Rocky mentally reasserts his principles of resilience and determination, he comes back from near knockout to land the final punch of Mason. But, unlike the other movies, the bell rings and "victory" is not his.

This is where I feel this final Rocky installment proves a complete tragedy. At the end of it all, Rocky loses-and by split decision. Although Rocky states that he "released the beast that was inside him" and he seems contented walking off before the decision is made, this ending remains inconsistent and tragic in the world of the Rocky film industry. As the movie closes with Rocky symbolically joining Adrian in peace when he states, "Yo Adrian, we did it," I know I feel betrayed. If one ties tragedy explicitly to death, I am willing to make the argument that this movie killed not only the magical character of the Italian Stallion, but the enjoyment the real Rocky fans truly desire.

It's a Wonderful Tragedy

"Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he? " -- Clarence Odbody

My tragic hero is George Bailey. In the spirit on the season, I think my selection makes sense. If George is my hero, then naturally, "It's a Wonderful Life", the great holiday classic, is my tragedy. The only problem is that the film has a happy ending. For much of the film, however, George exists in an alternate reality -- a reality in which he was never born -- and this reality is a tragedy.

George grows up as the most well-loved boy in town. He saves at least two lives before he reaches high school, and his peers admire him. His father is a personable businessman and his brother a distinguished soldier. George dreams of world travels. George, one could say, is nobility.

Then his father dies. George is somewhat forced into adopting his father's Building and Loan company. Although he does not realize it, George slowly begins his downfall. George's uncle loses a large portion of their company's money, and the Building and Loan is almost shut down. George (out of frustration) drives his car into a tree and then staggers to a bridge, ready to commit suicide. At this point in the film, George has spiraled downward, partly of his own accord (he blames himself for not living his dreams), but also due, in large part, to the actions of others. George doesn't quite deserve the problems he faces. His "act of injustice", he does to himself. He punishes himself and nearly ends his own life. 

Lucky for George Bailey, Clarence, the angel, saves the day. Clarence shows George what his hometown would be like withouth George. The two people whose lives George saved died. The soldiers saved by George's brother, Harry, dies as well (Harry dies in his youth because George doesn't save him). Several other tragic events happen. I believe this is the catharsis. The audience feels it, and I find it interesting that George, the tragic hero, experiences the catharsis as well. 

In the end, George begs Clarence to bring him back to reality because George realizes that he loves the life he already leads. Although George doesn't die (he comes close), I attribute the ending to his discovery of self-knowledge. George clearly falls from nobility, and experiences what his life, as well as the lives he affected, would be like if he were dead. The catharsis occurs in an alternate reality, so maybe the tragedy exists inside of a comedy. I sincerely apologize to Aristotle if that's not allowed.