Short Story Analysis

The Lost 'Beautifulness':
This short story is about a mother who is trying to make her house 'beautiful' for the arrival of her son who is coming back from some sort of armed services. As Hannah Heyyer is so proud of her painting of her kitchen, she decides to show it off to her friends and then her landlord. This then backfires when her landlord raises her rent as he believes that the painting of her kitchen increases the value of the flat, but knows that she will be unable to pay it as she is poor and can barely pay the rent as it is. Hannah tries to raise a bit more money with the help of the woman who she works for, Mrs Preston. Even though she does start earning more money, the landlord puts her rent up again. After she realises that she will have to move out, she decides to trash the kitchen that she painted so to spite her landlord. The story ends with her son coming home from the army, but finds that is mother is now homeless and all of their belongings on the street.

The moral of this story seems to be that living in America for immigrants is not all it claims to be. The night before her eviction, Hannah says:

      "Someone who got nothing but only money will come in here and get the pleasure from all this beautifulness that cost me the blood from my heart. Is this really America? What for was my Aby fighting? was it then only a dream - all these millions people from all lands and from all times, wishing and hoping and praying that America is? Did I wake myself from my dreaming to see myself back in the black times of Russia under the czar?"

This implies that the work done by immigrants to America is not recognised by the white Americans and they take what they want from them as they think they are better off. The 'beautifulness' of Hannah's kitchen could represent anything that immigrants found pleasure or were proud of as citizens of the US, and the rise in rent and her eviction could represent America taking that way from them as soon as it becomes valuable and not caring what the outcome is for them. Overall, I think Yezierska is trying to put across that the moral is that immigrants shouldn't expect to have a beautiful home and make money right away; making a life in America is a lot harder than stories of success make it out to be.

Soap and Water:
'Soap and Water' is a story about a woman who is trying to earn a diploma to be a teacher, but it being denied it because of her rugged appearance. The teacher who is withholding her qualification keeps on repeating "soap and water are cheap. Anyone can be clean". This could imply that white Americans saw immigrants as being dirty and unkept and so didn't deserve to have such things as diplomas if they still looked like that. The story goes on to explain why she didn't have time to keep clean and looking nice; she had to work in a laundry in the evenings till late to earn money to pay for school and then get up early in the morning to go to her lessons. The story also delves into the womans past and how, even though she was a poor Russian immigrant, she could still go to college and get some sort of education. She says how she only became conscious of the way she looked when she went to college, as it was seen as college was more for the wealthy and well dressed. This may suggest that the moral of the story is that even if you can work hard to make it in America, you can still be looked down upon because you are not American and don't come from a wealthier background. This shows the difficulties that immigrants faced when moving to America and how isolated and pushed out they felt from the rest of society. This shows the other side of the story of coming to America, as it is mostly seen as a positive move with mostly positive outcomes.

Anzia Yezierska Analysis

"What are the moral lessons in each story and how would you account for their meaning to immigrants?"

'The Lost "Beautifulness"' - 

The moral of this story is less obvious than the second story, perhaps because it is a negative moral or a very realistic moral. It follows a mother who is incredibly proud of her son and just wants to make him happy by painting her kitchen, spending only the money she has made. This causes her rent to go up and she has no way to pay for it. The moral here is that life isn't fair. Whilst this may be quite pessimistic and grounded, to a very large extent it's is true. For immigrants of the time in America, this was a message they would have firmly believed, as they live in poor conditions doing hard jobs for long hours whilst food and such items are still hard to afford. This story goes against the idea of the American dream, as the character says "is this already America?...Was it then only a dream", showing that the notion was just that, a dream. Her beautiful kitchen could exemplify this, acting as the dream, but is soon destroyed by greed and personal gain from people higher up then herself. This character, who worked very hard and fought for everything she had, actually ended up worse off after doing one thing that made her happy.

Another moral within seems to be the fact that, no matter how alone and isolated you may feel, there is always someone in your situation and is there for you. In the story, the landlord claims that Hanneh painted the room "for yourself", calling her selfish. He also is selfish after raising her rent twice to get more money and then evicting her after she cannot. However, this is later disproved later when many of the people from the same street see Hanneh's distress and bring her food and drink. This wasn't done by those people to make themselves better, but just because they were helping. Applying to immigrants, this suggests to them that helping in anyway you can is still helping and sticking together makes them stronger as they are all in a similar situation. Although, even after this, Hanneh is still evicted and lies on the streets.

Perhaps another moral here is the idea that showing off is bad. Whilst she worked hard to finish the kitchen, Hanneh also felt the need for everyone to see it, including the other immigrants around her and her landlord. This boasting proved to be her downfall as the landlord wasn't originally going to go into the house and look at the kitchen, but she made him and due to this he raised the rent. Perhaps the message here to immigrants is to be modest to those around you and not to be arrogant with any slight success.

'Soap and Water' - 

The major lesson conveyed in this story is the idea of not "judging a book by its cover". The main character, looking to graduate from college, is denied this right by the dean of the college based solely on the fact that the student wasn't a "well-groomed lady". This reinforces the class inequality and class judgement of the time, where many in the upper echelons looked down upon any they concluded were of a lower class. "She never perceived that I had a soul" states the protagonist. The title is 'Soap and Water' due to the dean repeating that these items "...are cheap. Anyone can be clean." This reinforces the delusions of grandeur perception of upper class peoples, where they assume just because they have something, everyone should have it, without taking care of who they are speaking to or their situation. For a lot of immigrants in the US at this time, this would have been prevalent everyday in their lives as they worked so called 'less desirable' jobs and lived in poor conditions where the richer would look down upon them. 

The story also implies a battle between the institutional power of the college, versus the working class underdog, a classic narrative in American pieces. The idea of the underdog working their way up and defeating the evil imperialism echoes that of the American dream notion. The main character does "eight hours of work, outside my studies" whilst also attending the college, wanting to better herself from her humble beginnings through hard work and education, mirroring the American dream ideal. However, the story also goes against this as she states she got "a crushed spirit, a broken heart, a stinging sense of poverty that I never felt before" after all of her hard work. In the end her success comes from a fluke meeting of someone she used to know, instead of her actually ascending the ladder of work and success herself. However, it could be read that after her work, the luck was deserved and well earned, similar to how 'Ragged Dick' was. This idea links to immigrants as they would've probably travelled to American based solely on the thought of bettering themselves and earning more because it made them "like a bird just out from a cage" enforcing the 'land of the free' notion, something which a lot of Americans still believe today.

'Triangle of Desire' - http://www.ropeandwire.com/FullStories/Triangle_of_Desire.html

This short story follows a female saloon dancer, Bianca, as she tries to get someone to finally end her abusive former lovers life, Carlos. Whilst performing at the saloon, she spies a lone cowboy and asks him to dance as Carlos comes over to confront him. Bullets fly and Bianca and the cowboy lay dead whilst Carlos is taken to prison and eventually hanged for his crimes. 

The morals of this story seem to be the idea of the evil doer not prospering, as the abusive male gets bought to justice for his illegal actions. This reinforces the moral of justice always prevailing and supports the legal system. However the person he abuses is also killed quite horribly along with her accomplice. Perhaps this suggests the notion that even though bad things are happening to you, to try and solve it in an arguably questionable and just as extreme manner, you are just as bad as the abuser and bad things will continue to happen. Comparing this to the immigrant short stories, it has to be remembered that they are in quite different contexts. The western stories suggest a time where gun crime and shoot-outs were common place whereas the immigrant period in question is not very similar.

American Studies Blog 6

Select any scene in The Searchers and write an analysis of how it represents and whether it questions or reinforces the myths of the American West.

The Searchers is one of the most well known classic Western films, directed by John Ford in 1956. Throughout the film there are a lot of stereotypical elements used within, which reinforce the ideas of American West myths. The story follows the protagonist Ethan Edwards and his companion Martin Pawley, who have embarked on a journey to find a missing family member, Debbie Edwards, captured by a tribe.

Although not very dominant throughout the movie, there is the subtle element of the American Dream. James Adams coined this term in 1931. The Western films were very much directed and marketed to those living in the East, but also to those further than the North Atlantic, to appeal to people who wanted a new, prosperous, beginning. 

Image 1 - The Jorgensen family

Source - http://derekwinnert.com/the-searchers-classic-film-review-349/

The scene where Ethan and Martin stop by the Jorgensen’s house, about mid way through the film, focuses on the two stark contrasts of the outcome of the American Dream. The first being the successful, where the Jorgensen family have created a lifestyle, which suits them and where they can live comfortably. However, on the other hand, the failure of the American Dream, which implies freedom within the land, where the Native Americans murdered the Edward’s family at the beginning of the movie. The Jorgensen family offer Ethan to stay with them and provide him with opportunities, allowing him to prosper, but he still declines. This is interesting as it plays on the idea of rags-to-riches, that if anyone were provided luck, hard work and perseverance, they would be able to achieve. It reinforces the idea that to be a Western hero, you rebelled against the classic image of individualistic drive and left that to the ranchers, farmers and settlers. This is again reiterated in the final scene where Ethan walks away from the American Dream, where he leaves the promise of wealth and to some degree, comfort.

Image 2 - Ethan with the Jorgensen family

Source - http://microbrewreviews.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/the-john-ford-blogathon-rescue-or.html

Image 3 - Ethan and Martin on their search for Debbie

Source - http://derekwinnert.com/the-searchers-classic-film-review-349/

The myth of the American Dream appealed to many, however John Ford negatively portrays this subtly throughout the movie. There are further implications that there is not enough land for everyone to live happily, but also that the lifestyle of the individual prospering does not suit everyone. Although, arguably, the Jorgensen family are happy and comfortable with their lifestyle and in the end Martin can be interpreted in joining them, as it is only Ethan who walks away.

'The Searchers' Opening Scene Analysis

 

The Searchers Opening Scene

 

Reviewing The Searchers as a film that is so highly regarded as one of the best in the Western genre, it is understandable that the opening scene of any film, let alone this one, sets up lots of themes and thoughts for analysis, in terms of comparing it to the rest of the film. The opening scene highlights the theme of the mythic in terms of how the film begins with a demonstration of the wilderness versus civilization - the most seminal theme throughout a Western. After the opening credits which creates context to the film, set in 'Texas 1868', the camera follows Martha Edwards emerging from her household, yet it is critical to note how Martha is walking from the darkness, from her home, toward the bright light from the open landscape or the wilderness. The use of dark versus light, conveys the stark difference between the oppositions and how they represent the context of the time in nineteenth century America. It is interesting to note how the wilderness is represented by bright light, showcasing the blue skies and open desert (famously filmed in Monument Valley), as it represents the freedom, and purity of nature and the endless opportunities and potential of endlessness. Conversely, the darkness coming from behind Martha portrays the reality of civilization; the restrictions and social responsibility that is embedded within communities and institutions. This in turn sets up the quest narrative that is associated with Western films, and particularly with the theme of the mythic and epic as it demonstrates how there is a clear divide between the two. Also, as Martha looks out to the wilderness, watching as Ethan arrives, foreshadows to the audience as to what may happen as the wilderness and civilization meet.

The mythical entrance of Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) riding through the valley toward the house, reinforces the iconic American hero due to the masculine appearance and ideology as constructed by society that a strong man who comes to the rescue on a horse from the rough and isolated desert. This conveys a binary opposition since the wilderness is generally described as being masculine, and civilization being feminine, which emphasizes the difference, as shot in the opening scene. Again, it highlights the notion of the epic, since the film uses the landscape to show the paradigm of the West. It is also interesting to note that the opening scene, is symmetrical to the closing scene as Ethan enters back into the household (though it being the Jorgensen property) bringing Debbie, a representation of the acts of savagery in the West, into the civilized home. To me, this illustrates the importance of the context at the time considering both the wilderness and the Western frontier, compared to the civilization of the East as the United States of America transformed.

'The Searchers' Scene Analysis

I have chosen the scene in 'The Searchers' when the Edwards house comes under Indian attack. In this scene, all the expected stereotypes of the Native Americans are reinforced, through the portrayal of them as savage and unmerciful. This scene also represents the Indians as cowardly, due to the way they wait until nightfall, and until the family have no way of protecting themselves to attack. Although we do not see the actual attack on the house, the scream from Lucy and the panic among setting in throughout house helps create the representation of the Natives as savages. This reinforces the myth of the American west that Indians are cowardly fighters, having lured Ethan and the Priest away from the house, leaving only one man to protect the household. Not even Debbie is able to escape from these brutes and is captured.This further supports the notion of the Indians as savage, as they are not afraid to kidnap a helpless young girl. 

When the Indian is first shown in this scene, the music becomes more sinister sounding, and the man is made to look bigger, and more scary, through the way the camera is looking up to him. The Indian is also portrayed as quite mysterious, because he appears in a shadow, and in the whole scene he does not speak, but just blows the horn. In that sense, the western myth is reinforced, as it can be said that here the Indian is portrayed as almost animalistic. Further mythic portrayal of the Indians, is not in this scene in particular but the aftermath of the attack. The house is left burning, and all the family except for Lucy and Debbie are left dead, in the house and the implication is that their deaths were brutal, and again, savage.

Not only does the attack in this scene show the Indians as savage, it also reinforces the Western myth of isolation. The Edwards' house is completely out in the open, seemingly with no other signs of non-native life for miles around. Even though Ethan is not present in this scene, because of this he is, perhaps, still the flawed hero. Because he is not their, the family are all killed, so it is implied that he was lured away from the house by the Indians, who knew that he would have been capable of protecting them. This is because throughout the whole film, he is presented as entirely ruthless when it comes to the Comanche. 

'The Searchers' scene review

(unfortunately I was unable to find the full scene where Ethan does shoot the body, but this depicts the earlier part of the scene and we have already seen it as a class)

This scene depicts the search party coming across a dead Indian that has been buried by his people and ends up with Ethan shooting at the body. These actions by Ethan seem to reflect the hatred that seemed to have been felt by many Americans of the time. According to 'Indian legend', the face of the dead is covered so to protect the eyes so that the soul will be able to see where to go to pass into the afterlife. Due to the fact that Ethan decided to shoot the body in the eyes, he was condemning him to forever wandering in limbo and never getting to the after life. The fact that Ethan knew to shoot him in the eyes suggests he knows about the legend, and therefore did this on purpose to cause more pain to the Indian in his afterlife. This shows the scale to which hatred was felt towards the Native people and that killing them was not enough, he felt like he needed to harm them in the afterlife as well.

The fact that Ethan knows enough about the Indian culture to know that shooting the Indian in the eyes is interesting as it would suggest that even though he has an apparent racist and has a hatred for them, he has taken the time to learn their legends, and even their language (as seen later in the movie). This almost contradicts the notion that Ethan has a hatred for Indians as you wouldn't take the time to learn about a culture that you hated. This can seem to contradict the hatred seen in the rest of the film, but may of been included so to create an understanding of Ethans actions and for dramatic effect.

Even after shooting the dead Indian in the eyes, Ethan then continues to shoot the body repeatedly until he is made to stop by the other men in the search party. One way that this can be interpreted is that he is releasing his anger out on, by what is suggested by the rest of the scene, one of the Indians that carried out the raid on his families house, killing most of them and kidnapping the remaining two girls. This almost suggests that the anger and disrespect towards the body was justified as he was just taking some sort of revenge and that the body almost deserved it. This could therefore be suggesting that, as an overall, all the violence and hatred was justified as this is what the Indians did to Americans, so therefore it was deserved - an eye for an eye. The other way Ethans multiple shootings can be interpreted, is that it was due to his racist view of the Indians and disrespecting one of their dead was a way to express his views and the apparent view of the rest of population. However, the fact that he was told to stop shooting can imply that his actions are not completely condoned by the rest and that he had gone too far.

It is important to note the fact that the way the Indians had buried the body of their fallen is one that contradicts the message that the film is putting across - that they are careless savages. The way that it seems they have taken time to bury their dead in a respectful way, and maybe of had some sort of burial ritual, gives the message that the Indians were a civilised and respectful people. This sign of civilised behaviour is also seen later in the film after the shootout across the river, whereby they take the time to retrieve the dead and take them back to their village so that they can be buried properly. This respect for the dead, therefore, shows signs of civilisation on the part of the 'savages' which almost humanises them and almost makes them seem like the same as the Americans as this is what they would of also done for their dead. The way that Ethan decides to shoot at the dead body can therefore be seen as his way of him letting out his anger at the fact that there may be a connection of similar civilisation to himself, which again reflects the hatred and racism towards the Native people as he doesn't want to be associated at all with 'savages'.

Overall, this scene has some very contradictory events to do with racism and hatred towards the Indian people. The understanding that Ethan has about Indian ways suggest that he doesn't hate them as much as his other actions suggest. However, Ethans other actions does seem to try to represent the apparent history of racism that was felt by Americans, due to the severity and multiple times he shoots at the body and the anger he conveys while doing it. The various things that are said and done to the body shows the complete disrespect for the Indian people and that the American felt that hurting them in real life wasn't enough, they hated them enough to cause them pain in the afterlife as well, which extends the believed history of racism.

'The Searchers' Scene Analysis

'The Searchers' Final Scene

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoDigplUtKU

The final scene of this film conveys many messages and implied meanings. The conflicted protagonist Ethan Edwards finally brings his niece back "home" and watches as the rest of his acquaintances celebrate. It begins with the Jorgensen family noticing the impending arrival. This reinforces an already established theme in this movie, as well as Westerns in general: that family and home is the safe haven and the place in which the heroes retire to upon completing their objective, a place where prejudice and alienation do not belong, as evident here by the acceptance of a mentally challenged Mose and the return of the now Comanche assimilated Debbie, so too was Martin "adopted" into the Edwards family. This representation of the homestead is typical of Westerns, as a place that will remain safe, however it is also a place that comes into conflict with the wilderness. 'The Searchers' shows this when the Comanches (a representation of nature) destroy the Edwards' home, and the fact that Ethan, Martin and Debbie are coming in from the wild to the home. However Ethan does not partake in this fully. 

In the scene, this theme of conflict is also evident. Ethan does not cross the threshold into the house, where as everyone else does whilst the song "Ride Away" plays. Ethan is the problematic hero. It is implied that he has roamed the wilderness mysteriously years previous to the film, and has done so with Martin to find Debbie, it's the only thing he's ever known and understood fully. He is the wilderness, formerly displaying savage actions such as shooting the already dead Comanche to stop him from reaching their equivalent of the afterlife and to wander "between the winds". This can be strongly linked to Ethan himself as he actually does wander around the lands. This link extends to Scar as well, both of them are similar in terms of behaviour and attitude as they both act to avenge family, Ethan even scalps Scar in the end, something the Comanches do. In the end he knows he cannot enter the home because he has that rage in him and knows that it will not change, instead deciding it's better to stay out of there. The film begain with the door opening, allowing Ethan to enter but it end with the door closing on him. This is a trope of the western as the hero must decide whether to "settle down into or reject and leave" (Pumphrey, The Movie Book of the Western p.52). As Pumphrey also mentions "the wilderness is a sphere for masculine action" and Ethan is very much a manly man that does manly things, as opposed to the feminine idea of the home.

Overall, this scene reinforces many of the expected tropes of the western genre, however also subverts it slightly. The happy ending is there concerning Debbie coming home and Martin and Laurie finally being together. But, there can be arguments made that Debbie was seemingly happy living her life with the Comanche, being treated equally among them and that the only thing she was really saved from was Ethan. The major subversion comes from Ethan in this scene as he chooses not to be involved in the happy ending with the others. This rejection of the home is very ambiguous and still to this day not fully explained. Does Ethan ever come back? Does he now wander aimlessly among the west? This both questions and reinforces myths. It questions as you would expect him to finally embrace family after completing his quest instead of just leaving as he knows he hasn't developed fully as a character. It too reinforces the idea of the 'lone wanderer', a man who doesn't change for anyone, focusing solely on his goal and the whole idea of a gun-toting cowboy.

American Studies Blog 5

Choose any classic Western film (except The Searchers) from the era 1930-1960 and write a review of it, using the ideas out forward by critics as the basis for your analysis.

Fort Apache - 1948

Director: John Ford

Writers: Frank S. Nugent (screenplay), James Warner Bellah (suggested by the Story ‘Massacre’

Starring: John Wayne, Henry Fonda, and Shirley Temple

Source: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040369/

Trailer: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040369/videogallery?ref_=tt_pv_vi_sm

“Salty, sizzling, visualization of regimental life at a desert fort, of strong masculine personalities and of raging battles beneath the withering sun.”

Bosley Crowther, New York Times

“Fort Apache was the first of Ford’s valentines to the US cavalry … through which he venerated his own sacred trinity of family, community and nation”. (Coyne, 60)

John Ford based his story of, Fort Apache, on James Warner Bellah’s, Massacre. Bellah’s story was controversial at the time due to its racism towards the Native Americans. His own son characterised him as a “fascist, a racist and world class bigot.” (Scott Eyam). Therefore, screenplay Frank Nugent, adapted the novel to become more popular within current audiences. The story follows an honest and veteran war captain, (John Wayne) who arrives home from the Civil War to a change in his regime. A new Lieutenant Colonel (Henry Fonda) has been placed in command and he is characterised as young and glory hunting. Most importantly, he has no respect for the local Indian tribe and the story unfolds.

Fort Apache is a very typical Ford picture. The film’s original budget was $2.8 million and both John Wayne and Henry Fonda were paid $100,000 each. The Wild West was established in Hollywood by 1910 and was popular as it was viewed as nostalgic and a way of life, which could have potentially been lost without the genre. This allowed John Ford, director, producer and writer to become so successful with his famous Western movie films that won him six Oscars. Ford captures all the key ingredients in his movie Fort Apache, with the captivating scenery of the Wild West, a trace of romance and the Calvary and Indians. The Civil War was still a recent memory at the time and therefore, Ford captivates his audience by creating tensions within his viewers as well as in his characters in the story.

Source: http://www.doctormacro.com/Movie%20Summaries/F/Fort%20Apache.htm

Image of: John Wayne, Henry Ford

Interestingly, the story doesn’t focus on the stereotype aspect of the violent Native Americans but instead on a vengeful Lieutenant Colonel, blinded through his ignorance. Moreover, Ford uses Native Americans to play the Native Americans within the film. There is a strong presence of women within the film. Despite the initial military community intended, the community spirit functions due to the women within the film. Ford uses the theme of the importance of women throughout his films.

The cast is impeccable, which adds to reasons to why the film was and is so popular. John Wayne demonstrates all the positive qualities needed for being a captain and Henry Fonda portrays his stubborn character effortlessly through his Colonel rank. Actress Shirley Temple, who plays Philadelphia, is also recognized for her charming yet defiant character within the story.  It is of particular interest to note the recognition of the imperialist expansion through her name ‘Philadelphia’ – a city in Pennsylvania, which highlights the importance of this movement West and how her character portrays the East. As Cawelti implies, Westerns are often elegies about the end of the West. To those that looked for an outlook of a Wild Western film, they will have been thrilled, but furthermore, Ford captures the representation of the Wild West for future Historians; the dazzling scenery, the music and sounds of the surroundings, but also captivating life of those who moved on this journey West.

Source: http://www.doctormacro.com/Movie%20Summaries/F/Fort%20Apache.htm

Image of: John Wayne, Henry Ford and Shirley Temple

The story further continues with Henry Ford’s character wanting to use his new position in Fort Apache to his advantage. He lures the Apache chief, Cochise across from the Mexican border against the advice of others, in attempt to claim the military honor, which he believes rightfully belongs to him.

The critics used to write this review included a variety. The New York Times was a review written from 1948, which is fascinating as it really captures the response to the film. The writer, Bosley Crowther, opens his review with “rootin’ tootin’ Wild West show’ a positive reflection on the film. Wild West films and shows were extremely popular in the East and travelled around the Country. Jeff Pike’s Movie Fan Fare review is more recent (2011) and provides a detailed summary of the story as well as focusing on the characters. Lastly, the website Native American, written by Chris Smallbone presents a few critical themes.

Sources:

http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9B0DE5DA123EE03BBC4D51DFB0668383659EDE

http://www.nativeamerican.co.uk/fortapache.html

http://www.moviefanfare.com/fort-apache/