Questions and Essays
Question #2
It might be argued that the character of Ned Kelly is a Robin Hood-like character. A 19th century outlaw, Carey illustrates him as the conventional bad guy with positive qualities. This is why it can be said that Kelly is a Robin Hood like character, as Robin Hood executed certain aspects that were not necessarily morally correct, or ethically right - but nevertheless allowed for positive outcomes. Much of the novel consists of Ned encountering bad luck and being manipulated and lied to. As such, he is forced into the seemingly bad guy lifestyle ending up in jail and learning the elements of crime or rather what could be said as trying to live as best as possible with the cards that one has been dealt. The positive aspects associated with Kelly are that he does try to do the right thing, even though he is forced into a life of crime. Kelly recognizes this and informs the reader early on when he states that "God willing I shall live to see you read these words to witness your astonishment and see your dark eyes widen and your jaw drop when you finally comprehend the injustice we poor Irish suffered in this present age" (7).
It stands to reason how Kelly was able to remain positive throughout the experiences that he underwent. One particular aspect where Carey reveals Ned to be positive or essentially making something negative into a positive, is when he takes the bush with a gang of allies and his brother, Dan. He overlooks the betrayal that he encounters instead identifying and reasoning that it is the negative dynamics that the Irish people encounter. The Robin Hood-esque nature is reflected in his ability to not show much emotion and to play the proverbial hand that he is dealt regardless of the plight that he encounters.
Short Answer II
Question #1
The film, Thelma and Louise, can be viewed through the lens of Marxism, because the theory assists in explaining the oppression of women based on the conditions that they encounter. Both characters are relegated to a male dominated society, which is reflective of actual society. Much of the influences that Marx speaks on when he discusses the oppression of women is that they are relegated to roles that are almost slave like due to the capitalist system that society operates under. The characters are to a certain degree, seeking to break free from these chains. It becomes rather straightforward to make an argument about Marxism in the film because the characters tap into their potential as women and see themselves as being on an even keel with men, in spite of the disproportionality to men that Marx speaks about.
Short Answer III
Question #1
Thelma and Louise is typically considered to be one of the most well-known movies that has ever been made. Particularly, because of the way in which the characters are constructed and crafted. The acting adds a considerable depth to the film's script as well. From the perspective of the essay writer, the film is very good. It presents the idea of women versus men through sequences and scenes that are enlightening, and enlivening. Perhaps the most fascinating part is that each male that Thelma and Louise interact with highlight the prominence of the theme. From the truck driver to the state trooper to JD and Hal, there is an undeniable feeling of conflict between the genders.
This is intentionally done in order to provide a lot of drama to the script. The actresses, who play Thelma and Louise - Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon, respectively, bring the film to life in a sense. Their acting chops are unmatched in terms of the brazen bravado that they offer to each of the characters. It could be argued that the characters themselves are also brave and looking to break away from the conventional roles that women often play – but Davis and Sarandon seek to stress the importance and relevance of women being viewed on the level as their male counterparts. There is not a scene or sequence in the film where this theme is not illustrated. According to Roger Cormier, the film was considered to be extremely controversial at the time of its release (1). This is due in part to the two main characters, seemingly getting away with everything. Cormier writes that it made men uncomfortable and this is due to the gender constructs that exist in society (1). Women at the time of the release, and to this day are viewed as subservient creatures to the men. They are seen as cooks, cleaners, etc. and if they happen to have high paying, powerful positions then there are usually two thoughts about it 1) they manipulated their way to the top or 2) they should not be given the respect that their male counterparts are given via pay, etc. This is why the movie makes so many people – men, more than women – uncomfortable. The potency associated with the theme of men versus women is so heavily entrenched in the sequences and scenes that it is difficult to overlook what actually occurs in real life. It is a realistic portrayal and depiction of society’s views about both genders and their respective places.
Question #3
The film, Set It Off, is about four friends that decide to rob banks for a variety of reasons, but much of the focus of the plot is on them being outlaws and cast aside by society in their roles as individuals. Directed by F. Gary Gray and written by Takashi Bufford, and Kate Lanier, it is a powerful film about feminism and breaking free from the oppressive nature that society has placed on the gender, specifically African American women. Gurkan and Ozan in their article, "Feminist Cinema as Counter Cinema: Is Feminist Cinema Counter Cinema?," they identify the importance of Hollywood creating films that present a counterviews to the normal narratives that women are often thought to be in. While some feminist films that are directed by men tend to still have a visual presentation of women being passive, there are some that do provide a substantive and emotional identification (74) that women are oppressed. This is why the film, Set It Off, is so powerful. The characters, are African American, and have found themselves encountering a significant amount of issues and problems in their lives. They are forced to the breaking point by robbing banks.
Set It Off is typically viewed as a successful portrayal of the oppressed and outcast dynamics that women are viewed in. In his review on the film, Roger Ebert, he states that it is rollercoaster ride of believability and that it raises the question of how far women will go to achieve their independence in society. Through the characters of Stony, Cleo, Tisean and Frankie, the audience is given a firsthand account of the what it takes to push one's buttons and to deal with life's struggles as a woman. "It is so psychologically accurate" (Ebert), that it is not to be dismissed in offering the harsh realities and bitter edges of men in society. To Ebert's point, the viewer can reason as to what would have happened had these been four men - and whether they would have been treated differently both by the police in the film, and by Hollywood in the illustration. The possibility is there.
At the conclusion of Set It Off, Stony is the only one who survives, thereby achieving the freedom from the oppressive nature of men in society. She only achieves this freedom, though as a byproduct of the cop who had killed her brother at the beginning of the film, overlooking her in hiding. Each of the women in the film are outcasts because they have been essentially cast aside as being ‘good for nothing’ except janitors and the like. It is an interesting illustration done by the scriptwriters to show them trying to make ends meet, yet not being able to because of the dominance of their male counterparts. There are points in the film where the audience is given insight into as Ebert states, the horrendous treatment that women encounter in their daily lives, and are left to question if the same things happen to men – or if it is solely a women thing so to speak.
Mini Essay
Thelma & Louise
A central focus of Thelma & Louise is the use of outlaw characters as protagonists. The characters are very different from each other. Thelma transitions from dutiful housewife into robber, while Louise remains the same throughout the film. It is important to state, however, that it is Louise's behavior that sets the story in motion. It could be argued that only Thelma is the protagonist of the movie, as her goal is to escape the issues that she is dealing with in her marriage. Yet, both women are indeed protagonists because they mutually understand each other, and the various aspects that lead them to operate in the manner that they operate within.
Protagonists in all stories are individuals that the reader, or viewer experiences the bulk of the story through. One of the interesting aspects of outlaw characters is that they provide not only an interest functionality to the story, but they drive the narrative in such a way that makes the theme compelling. The main theme, in Thelma & Louise, is that of freedom. It is freedom from life, its concerns, responsibilities, etc. The goal of the writer is to construct the characters in such a way where the viewer empathizes with each protagonists' desire to break free from the chains of their current life and progress into something newer, and fresher.
The theme of freedom is what ultimately makes the outlaw character dynamic of both Thelma and Louise, uniquely intricate because in some ways the audience can relate to them as far as wanting to not only escape from the circumstances of their lives, but embarking on a different journey. The writer crafts the story in such a way where there is an emphasis placed on seeing if Thelma and Louise are able to separate themselves from their current lives and walk into a seemingly new adventure in their ‘new’ ones.
“Wildcat” by Flannery O’Connor
Flannery O'Connor's “Wildcat” tells the story of an African American blind man, who is faced with the prospect of death. O'Connor uses the wildcat as a vehicle to move the plot along and to a certain extent, as the outlaw character. Wildcats, in general are considered species that are more ferocious than the conventional cats that individuals are used to. The term wild evokes a kind of fear because it suggests that the animal will strike at any time - and while this is true, the degree to which they react is based on the stimulus as is the case with any animal. While it might be argued that the outlaw character in the story is the blind man, it is actually the wildcat who has instilled fear in him.
O'Connor opens the work by stating that "Leon could smell the wildcat. The windows lay open at night and the ripe August air moved inside, carrying a trace of damp feline fur" (1). The idea is to immediately show the outlaw characteristics of the cat and its roaming nature. The boldness of the character of the cat is reflected in the lines "he had smelled the cat every night this week" (O'Connor) indicative of the cat not only having said boldness to exist near Leon for a while, but to overtake the environment in smell and atmosphere. What makes the story compelling is that there is an anticipation of what the wildcat will do throughout. The readers are put on the edge of their seat with the story as O’Connor sprinkles in dashes of adjectives about the wildcat and its aura. From phrases like "cat breath" (O'Connor), to Leon describing it by saying "picture a regular cat's paw, now think of one just like that, only the size of my hand" (O'Connor), the reader cannot help but to wonder how huge the cat is and what has prompted the characters to have fear about it.
Works Cited
Carey, Peter. True History of the Kelly Gang: A Novel. Vintage, 2001. Print.
Cormier, Roger. "15 Things You Might Not Know About 'Thelma & Louise'." Mental Floss, 5 Apr. 2016. Web. 25 Apr. 2016. <http://mentalfloss.com/article/64289/15-things-you-might-not-know-about-thelma-louise>.
Ebert, Roger. "Set It Off." Rogerebert.com, 8 Nov. 1996. Web. 24 Apr. 2016. <http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/set-it-off-1996>.
Gürkan, Hasan, and Rengin Ozan. "Feminist Cinema a s Counter Cinema: Is Feminist Cinema Counter Cinema?" Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies 5.3 (2015): 73-90. Web. 23 Apr. 2016. <http://www.ojcmt.net/articles/53/535.pdf>.
O'Connor, Flannery. "Wildcat.." The Free Library, Web. 23 Apr. 2016. <http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Wildcat.-a0233492501>.
Set It Off. Dir. F. Gary Gray. New Line Cinema, 1996. DVD.
Thelma and Louise. Dir. Ridley Scott. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1991. Videofile.
