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Themes in ‘On the Waterfront’

Themes in ‘On the Waterfront’. Acceptance. D & D culture provides acceptance for many Terry also finds acceptance in ‘The Golden Warriors’ Edie and Father Barry, perhaps guided by Christian principals, do not accept the culture

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Themes in ‘On the Waterfront’

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  1. Themes in ‘On the Waterfront’

  2. Acceptance • D & D culture provides acceptance for many • Terry also finds acceptance in ‘The Golden Warriors’ • Edie and Father Barry, perhaps guided by Christian principals, do not accept the culture • End sequence- Terry is rejected after the court case but is finally accepted by workers after ‘The Walk’ • Edie- is she worried about acceptance?

  3. Goodness • Edie “with patience and kindness” represents goodness. “everybody is a part of everybody else”. Wants to be a teacher. • Does she want to change Terry? • Father Barry “There is light” • K.O.Dugan- does he know right from wrong? Why him? • Charley- “It’s not your night” but shares the winnings with Terry- good or bad? • What/who else represents goodness in the film?

  4. Respect • Is respect self-perpetuating? • How does Detective Glover get Terry talking? • Tommy and Terry- respect? • Do the longshore men respect Father Barry? Terry? • Pop Doyle- is he respected? Does he deserve to be?

  5. Conscience • Beginning: • Longshoremen- D &D blocks conscience • Father Barry- conscience awakened “who ever heard of a saint hiding in a church?” • Later: • Longshoremen- “if • He don’t work we don’t • Work” • Father Barry, to Terry • “how much is your soul • worth” “You’ve got • Some other brothers” • Question: Is everyone’s individual conscience the same?

  6. Loyalty • This is a major theme in the film • Edie’s loyalty to Joey is a driving force. It makes her courageous and infects others • Is Terry showing loyalty to Edie through his confession? • The mob- a mixture of fear and loyalty is the glue that sticks them togeether • Charley- loyal to Terry? • Pop- loyal to Joey?

  7. Courage • Edie- naturally courageous? • Terry- needed courage to be a boxer. Loses courage (why? Too kind to succeed in boxing?) but regains it • Father Barry- helps people find courage- who? • Is courage something innate (natural) or can it be taught? (mentor) • How is courage • linked to respect? • How is courage • linked to anger?

  8. Justice • Is justice the same for everyone? • The mob • Father Barry • The police • Tommy “pigeon for a pigeon” • Edie • How are Edie’s ideas of justice at the start and at the end of the film different? • Do the workers get justice in the end?

  9. Realism in ‘On the Waterfront’

  10. What makes the film seem so real? • Location: mise en scene- the New Jersey docks. What other locations are memorable? • Black and White: suits the mood of the film • Slang: pigeon, bum, cheese-eater, rat, canary, dummy-up, goof-off, D & D, stooling, juicehead… • Double negative: “he won’t take no loans” (JP) “if I was wise I wouldn’t be no longshoreman for for 32 years” (Kayo) Why is this realistic? Why does Father Barry use no double negs? Edie: “I didn’t day I didn’t love you”- powerful • Marlon Brando: method acting

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