Metamorphosis of True West

As we have been watching the movie True West, the places and roles of the characters have begun to change, or switch roles, much like the members of the family did in the metamorphasis and there are some key similarites that relate these two works. The first can be found in the roles of the characters. Austin represents the role of Gregor. He is the one who did the work to provide for his family and to get a good chance to write a screenplay, much as Gregor did with his job, working up to a salesperson. Then he suddenly has a radical change in his life that  causes his job to be lost and he worries about this overrall else. For Gregor it is the turning into the beetle. Austin on the other hand has his great opportunity lost at the success of his brother Lee. However, his beetle is not just the success, but his stubborness to not help out his brother with the project which would still benefit him in the end. Saul is like the manager, in the fact that he does his best to persuade Austin to "come out" of his idea for hisown movie, much like the manager warning Gregor to come out of the room. However, he gives up on him completely when he sees his stubborness and determination to not help and disgusted, he leaves him with no chance at the career he wants. Lee is Gregor's family in this book as he goes from being a man who is in need of help and relies on his brother to support him, just like Gregor supports the family, and when Austin is in trouble, he rises up and becomes a knew man, not dependent on his brother anymore. Another similarity comes from the scene in which this story takes place. While the characters leave the house, the camera does not and much like the Metamorphasis the viewer has this added feeling that the characters are trapped. The difference between the two is how characters interact and that is what makes this unique from the Metamorphasis. Whereas in the book, everyone abandoned Gregor and he died miserably, Lee does still have a connection with his brother that he is not willing to leave, despite their constant arguing. So while they are not the happiest at this point in the movie, they are still together and working things out.

Modernism Metaphors

In class we talked about the new age of modernism in literature and art as it came about in the 19th century. We also talked about how this very controversial movement that brought a change from the traditional way of "natural" to the modernistic way of " rational as Mr. Kunkle said in class. We also talked about the Explosion of Modernism in the early 20th century and the political upheavals that it caused as well as creating metaphors aligned with different issues of the time. In my U.S. History class, while discussing the Guilded Age, (the first 35 years after the Civil War), we discussed how L. Frank Baum's "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" was less a children's book than it was a metaphor for Bimetalism, the headlining political issue of the Democrats and Republicans in the 1896 election, as well as for other things such as western farming. He depicts many aspects of these issues through his characters and settings:

One of the controlling forces at this time were Big Businesses who had the support and influence over the Republican party. Their main source of labor came from the massive influx of immigrants seeking jobs who they could easily manipulate into low paying jobs. Labor unions popped up looking for better conditions however the government did not do much to help. In the book, Big Business is represented by the "Wicked Witch of the East" as they were mainly located on the East Coast. Immigrants, who were not very highly thought of at this time are represented by short, less-than-human beings with annoying odd voices also known as "Munchkins." When the house drops on the witch, the munchkins are freed from the oppressor. The "Tin Man" represents the steel worker labor unions, looking for a "heart" of the business owner to give better conditions. The "Wizard" is a representation of the position of President at this time. A man that is in a highly esteemed and popular position, but who does not have the power to really do anything. The Emerald City is Washington D.C.

The issue of Bimetalism is brought up as well. This refers to the want of inflation by farmers and debtors by adding silver to the gold standard which said that the nation could not print off more money than it had gold for. Adding silver at a 16:1 ratio would increase money and inflation in the U.S. In the story, the "Yellow Brick Road" represents the Gold Standard. In the book, but changed in the movie, the "ruby slippers" are actually "silver slippers" and represent the addition of silver. "OZ" being the symbol for ounce represents the 16:1 ratio with 16 ounces of silver per pound of gold.

Finally, farming in the West was also a problem around this time. Land was barren with little to no water and faced locusts that could eat up crops in a day. Farmers made more and more crops that caused the market prices to drop and they made little money. L. Frank Baum represents these farmers as the "Scarecrow" without the "brains" to work together to control the market. The "flying monkeys" are these locusts that leave the crops wasted, and the "Wicked Witch of the West" represents the heavy drought that made land hard to cultivate. Her "melting" by the water symbolizes the advanced irrigation that helped end this drought.

For anyone who so chooses to do so, I encourage him or her to add any other stories, movies, works of art, etc. that could have had a symbolic or metaphoric meaning to the time. Please explain and feel free to go into as much depth as you choose, whether it be short or lengthier like mine.

Setting the scene for the other

This course is a large focus on the others of society and how writers depict them in their novels, movies, plays, etc. But one interesting thing to think about is in what setting did the author decide to place the character, and why. These characters that we are learning about are really only outsiders in the places that they are in. Given the right situation, these characters would just be an average person of a society. For example, take the Indian father of the first short story and change his race to that of a white man and compare him to the many others that have walked out on their families, as the story suggested, and his story is not all that much different on a general scale than that of the others. Or in a similar way you can change the place and get the same result happens. If the author of "A Rose for Emily" had Emilies life end in the small southern town, but in a mental institution after someone had found out what happened, then she is no longer an other because she ends up surrounded by other people who are just like her in some way or another and she then enters the norm.

So why does the author put these characters in these odd places that don't suit them. Why not put them in a place where they fit in? This answer is different for each story. In Slumdog Millionaire, why isn't Jamal instead a person who rises from nothing in America?  Why is he placed specifically in India? In this case one answer might be that it becomes more inspirational because there are far less people who are able to do this in India where social classes are meant to stay seperated whereas in America, economic growth is a supported idea. Or in Bartlby the Scrivner, why is such a peculiar man placed in the job he is? One answer could be simply to add comedy, or another to give a simbolism of death and silence.

So my question to anyone who may so choose is to explain your characters in your novels of the different groups. Why did the author of your book choose to place the other in whatever situation they are in. In the Perks of Being a Wallflower, Charlie, the main character is an out of the ordinary kid who does not always connect all the dots, and as he rights down what happens to him in letters, questions or things he wonders about are clear to the reader and I think that is why he is here. So that the reader can see some of the innocence that he has in not knowing exactly what is going on.

Kevin Bio

Hello and welcome to my blog. This is a quick introduction as to who I am. My name is Kevin. I enjoy many sports including: swimming, soccer, and running distance track. I like listening to music on the radio, but don't own many CD albums myself. I enjoy watching TV and using the computer, as well as reading books, though it has been a while since I have read one. My favorite book would have to be Eragon, and my favorite movie would likely be The Green Mile. After High School I hope to go to college to study something to science and also swim on the college level.