Play vs. Film

I thought that they did a really good job picking actors for these roles. You can completely believe that Blanche is crazy; her facial expressions when she talks, and the reactions to the voices she hears in her head sell the crazy bit. I felt a little more sympathy for Blanche reading the play rather than watching the film, this may be because actually seeing it had more of an impact than reading it. While reading it I must admit that I did not notice a lot of blanches double loaded lines. Each time she goes to lie in the film she puts her hands up to her throat and chest, as if to help block the fact that she is seeping lies. I also thought it was interesting the way the actress that played Blanche varied her voice, when she would lie and on most occasions it was soft, airy and fast paced. However, when she was actually telling the truth, her voice would go deep and become slower. This was an interesting contrast to me, it made Blanch seem like she was crazy and brought her character to life.

Stanley’s character was also made believable; the actor did a great job portraying this overly masculinized and sexualized person. The movie made me feel more sympathy for Stanley than the play did, because you actually felt bad that this crazy sister in law was really messing up his life. While I still greatly disagreed with all of his actions, it was easier to see where he was coming from when you actually were able to watch it.

I thought that Stella’s character was portrayed differently in the movie then in the film, she seemed to be more physical with Stanley, at one point she ripped his shirt and pushed him around a bit, i didnt see that at all in the play. she also, seemed a lot more independent, and willing to stand up for what is right. While she did not do these things completely, the play led you to believe she never did these things and never would. The new ending also made Stella a stronger character, even though she sent her sister away to a mental hospital, she resists Stanley completely after that, where she actually tells him never to touch her again, and says that she is never going back there as she ran up the stairs with her baby. I think that his new scene helps to add to the theme of the play and to the character Stella. It made it so that I was that mad at her for sending her sister away, because in the end she at least made the right choice and left Stanley.

Some of the scenes that they added made it all seem more realistic. Such as the police officer that comes when Blanche freaks out, and the fact that she just screamed like crazy rather than yelling fire.

I thought it was interesting how open they made Stella’s and Stanley’s house, at one point you see Blanche rushing around closing all these shutters and curtains and it makes it seem like their home is a lot bigger than it actually is, while still maintaining that fact that it’s a really poor house. I also thought that the scenery chosen for Blanche and Mitch’s date did well to show the gloominess of Blanche’s character. The fog over the lake, and the dock setting worked well with Blanche’s dark story that she tells Mitch.

I just feel in general watching this play is much easier to pick up on everything than reading the play. It brought it to life more and helped the themes in the story to be easier to pick out. In addition, the ending made me a lot happier; I was not as disappointed as I was with the play. This may be due to the fact that I am a product of the time where endings need to be happy or at least somewhat politically correct to ease my feelings about movies.

A streetcar named desire

I am not sure I completely understand the significance of the name of this play. A streetcar named desire, it brought Blanche to her sister’s apartment, but it does not really come into play at all after that except for a mention here and there. Maybe it is just that each character has their secret desires and the streetcar just symbolizes that they are more common then they realize, even though they come from different class levels, and backgrounds they still have the same hopes and dreams as the rest: The American Dream. On the other hand, it may not mean anything at all, and it just sounds nice…

To tell the truth, I was somewhat disappointed in this play. I was expecting it to be a little deeper than it was, this may have been due to the title. I thought there was going to be this epiphany, or some monumental experience. Rather, you find that Stanley is as abusive as he seems, Stella is a weak person who is greatly influenced by the fear of being alone and a single mother, and Blanche is crazy but may just be more sane than the rest. The end also disappointed me, just because it did not end in a way that I would have preferred. No one was better off at the end; Blanche was sent to a mental hospital in front of everyone she was side swiped, embarrassed and humiliated as she realized her own sister sent her away. Stella realized she made a mistake, traded her sister for security built off of abuse, and Stanley got away with everything, he was the successful villain. I do not need a happy ending to like a story, but this one just had to many disappointments.

Stanley reminded me a lot of Tea Cake, at first you think he’s this really nice guy and perfect for Stella, but then as the plot goes on he beats her, rapes his sister, and really isn’t as great of a guy that you would like him to be. But at first glance, he has all these friends, and makes a decent first impression that makes you second guess his character. Stella also reminded me of the grandmother from their eyes were watching god. Two weak characters who depended upon others for their support. The grandma towards the end of her life relied completely on fait and god, she gave up being someone to look up to for Janie, sent her away so that someone else could take care of her. Stella, realizes that there are weaknesses to Stanley’s character; the way he acts when he is drunk, the way he treats her sister, and the abuse part, and yet she will stay with him no matter what, even if it means turning her back on her sister in order to lock in on some form of security. She does not want to think about what would happen to her if she were a single mother, where she would go, or what she would look like. Even though she has a sister that will love her no matter what, who maybe demanding and crazy sometimes but will always be there for her because they are sisters.

Stella also reminds me of Janie in their eyes were watching god. In the sense that they both rely on men to achieve, live, and gain in their lives. Even though they could each get along fine without, and Stella could rely on her crazy sister, she chooses each time to kneel down to Stanley.

Their eyes were watching god, part 3.

In the last third of their eyes were watching god, Janie began off really happy. Happy that she could finally live life, and experience things that Jody had always told her were only for men to do. Tea Cake showed her new things, helped her to redefine her image of herself and cast away all the negative thoughts that Jody had instilled on her. When she ran off with Tea Cake she said, “It made her so glad she was scared of herself.” It was everything she dreamed of, with new exciting things to do and crazy Tea Cake always making her laugh.

I think that after all the doubts that the town had expressed about their relationship, and the actual site of it happening to Mrs. Tyler made her secretly wonder if she was going down the same road. She brought the 200 dollars just in case, to find that Tea Cake had taken it and spent it. Even though he paid her back, it was still not right of him to take her money. I think it showed that he though he had control over her enough to be able to say what is hers is now his. Even though they had only been married about a day. Also, when he would randomly pop in, and show up to see her at weird times that he used to not, when he should be working was also controlling. He expected her to be there each time, what would he have done if she wasn’t there? When she questioned him about where he was and if he was with another girl all he said was, “If Ah ever gets tuh messin’ round another woman it won’t be on account of her age. It’ll be because she got me in de same way you got me- so Ah can’t help mahself.” It is almost as if he is stating early on, if he cheats it’s obviously not his fault because the girl was too much like her so he can’t be blamed. That is a pretty awful response to give when you are trying to defend your loyalty if you ask me.

I think Tea Cake is like two different people. He acts one way to her, all sweet and loving, he promises her the world and him by her side for all of it. Then, he goes and gambles, gets into knife fights and beats people up, goes missing for days, and does some shady things. It is strange how he is one way with Janie and then another around everyone else.

I thought it was interesting that Hurston described both Jody and Mrs. Tyler as having hanging bodies when they met their failure in life. They are both described as their bodies giving up and bags hanging and resting on other body parts. It was as if they became broken once their pride was gone, and there was no regaining it or use in living anymore. They both decided to give in and attempt to die in peace; life had defeated them as they both had their self-importance shaken.

Thier eyes were watching god, pgs 1-50

My favorite part of this book thus far, is the beginning, the opening to the story and the opening to the life of Janie Crawford. I think that the first page carries an underlying message that is the theme of her life. She is consumed by this struggle between the barriers that separate women from men. Like so many other pieces of literature that we have come across in class, once again there is this internal and external tension that is building in those who are oppressed by the idea of strict gender roles. She strives to be this person whom her heart desires, only this person is on one of those “ships that will sail forever on the horizon, never out of sight, never landing until the watcher turns his eyes away in resignation, his dreams mocked to death by time.”

There is a connection between Janie Crawford and Frederick Douglass that can be seen possibly through the products of slavery. “Ah ain’t never seen mah papa. And Ah didn’t know ‘im if Ah did. Mah mama neither. She was gone from round dere long before Ah wuz big enough tuh know. Mah grandma raised me. Mah grandma and de white folds she worked wid.” Frederick Douglass was also raised by his grandmother, and never knew his mother or his father. I think they are also similar because they each had to struggle with a sense of identity. Neither one knew completely who they were, or where they came from. I think that this influenced their actions and relationships with others.

Another theme that is very familiar is that of interracial friendships. Janie grew up with white children, to the point where she though she was white and couldn’t even identify herself in a photo. Similar to Nannie and the Grandmother in Porter’s stories, there is a strong friendship between them. Janie identifies with these children until she realizes in the photo that she is different. It remains a completely innocent friendship, until the other children at school taint it and discolor it by signifying a difference that to them is important. This ‘tainting’ also occurs in Nannie’s and Grandmother’s friendship by the classification of not only race but social hierarchy.

I was also reminded of “The Grave” while reading this book. “She was seeking confirmation of the voice and vision, and everywhere she found and acknowledged answers. A personal answer for all other creations except herself. She felt an answer seeking her, but where? When? How?” It is a coming of age, learning the information that no one will come out and tell strait out. Just like Miranda, she had to seek and discover this knowledge on her own and put it together in her head, and from then on hold this as a secret. Miranda learned where babies come from by a rabbit her brother had killed in the forest. Janie learns what marriage is by watching the interactions between a bee and a blossomed tree. This striving for knowledge and understanding, is a driving force in their lives, and behind their actions.

Living Jim Crow

The Ethics of living Jim Crow by Richard Wright is nothing but disturbing and awful. Slavery has been abolished and Black men and women can live free and own their own home, material items and chose what job they will work. Yet, they are forced to respond to all white men with Sir and if they are unable to, forget or are not heard clearly enough it is seen as the most heinous crime towards man, and punishable by death. Often in this story, if the white man does not kill him, he says how lucky he is. He has befallen upon some godly luck, for he was not killed for forgetting to put sir before their name. These actions are so petty; it is sad and pathetic to read. It is one-step beyond what was before to instill control, or what little they have left. For this is a result of each person realizing that it is a very unstable and threatened hierarchy.

I don’t know what is worse, reading about the hideous acts towards the slaves in Fredrick Douglas’s piece or the petty actions over those in Richard Wright’s piece. Is it worse to be defined as a mere piece of property and treated as something less than a pet? Someone who is denied their personal identity, whipped and beaten without a second thought, and after finishing working for the plantation owners they are sent back to their hard floor and withering blanket to prepare for the next days work. Shoo fly shoo…

Or is it worse to be told, sorry we made a mistake slavery is over you are free, maybe even equal. Such fleeting words swept away with the actions of those who once relied on you for survival. Is it worse to have your dreams waved in front of you on an iridescent flag, while the rest of America declines your existence, punishes you for making strides, and picks at all those threads in your flag, one by one?

Every man new with each inch of their body how wrong it was to be treated in such a way, but they could do nothing. For the fear of death, was greater than any action one man could make against a thousand actions to bury each question and each seed of bravery.