Cheat Emotion

Remember this spiffy monologue from "500 Days of Summer"?

~~~
It's these greeting cards, Sir,
these cards, these movies, these
pop songs. They're responsible for
all the lies, the heartache,
everything! We're responsible!

I think we do a bad thing here.
People should be able to say how
they feel, how they really feel,
without some strangers putting
words in their mouths. The truth. A
card is a nice thought, but it
shouldn't do the dirty work for
you. You love someone, tell them
yourself, in your own words. Maybe
it's not love at all. Maybe there's
no such thing as love. Maybe
it's... "galoogoo."

Yeah I made it up, so what?!

It's all crap. We make and peddle
crap. And sometimes people believe
in this crap. I just can't do it
anymore, Mr. Vance. There's enough
bullshit in the world without my
help. I quit.

~~~

Well, in "500 Days of Summer," Tom rebels against this method of cheating emotion. Especially love. We don't want to bother with a heartfelt conversation. In fact, we've lost the skills. Instead, we sign our name on a pretty card with a generic message. Job done. Check "loving" off of your To-Do list.

The people in the world of "Dead Man" cheat animosity with bullets similarly to the way love is cheated with cards.

Instead of winning an arguement with wit or even natural strength, a gun can be pointed and you've become the winner. It's much too easy. With the the ease comes reliance and comfort. That makes death as normal an occurance as honking horns on the road.

"Have you read my Poetry?" William Blake knows that guns have replaced words, and rather than die, he's chosen to speak with his gun.

Comments

[Bernie]

Absolutely love the connection, Alicia.

I would only add that at the beginning of "Dead Man," when an innocent William Blake finds a gun under Thel's pillow, he asks her, "Why do have one of these?"

"Because it's America," she responds.

Yes, part of this might be individuals' unwillingness to do the hard work to communicate and to listen, but we are immersed in an entire culture that doesn't value it.

[Liz R.]

I never thought of this connection, but I think it makes a lot of sense. It seems that in order for people to almost "get by" without being in a lot of pain, almost is denying themselves of any true passion in love or bravery. It seems that there is also this lack of honesty not only between you and other person you love or what to confront, but also yourself. You do not want to deal with all the emotions that come with true love. I think Tom is a prime example of self-awareness, a figure Milkman could look up to. It seems he understands the complications of being a emotional and aware person. This then contrasted with Dead Man, it seems that they can all "get by" by killing each other and moving on, but it solves nothing and is in a sense cowardly and lacks a lot of self-awareness. Again the parallel, not the first connection I would think of, but a very good one at that.