Oedipus Complex

The Oedipus Complex is when a child has a physical attraction for the parent of the opposite sex, and feels anger and aggression towards the parent of the same sex. The feelings are usually kept at the back of the mind in a place where they would not consciously be able to access, yet the affects of those feelings can be behaviorally apparent.  When the Oedipus Complex first was discussed it was only discussed through the mans point of view. This theory was derived from the, Oedipus Tyrannus,

I personally think that this theory is rather strange, but then again it’s a theory, and would be very unlikely for this to actually occur. 

StreetCar Named Desire Response

I will be discussing scene one of the play. This scene might be one of the most important scenes in the entire novel as the scene introduces every character, and gives you an idea as to what each characters spine is. As I was watching this scene, I almost felt as if there was of a charm to New Orleans. New Orleans is very different than most places in the United States, as the people there are very carefree and live the life that they want to live.  I believe that the setting of New Orleans helps in the character devolvement throughout the movie, and this can be seen by the use of lighting and the editing throughout the movie.

I personally think that the use of light was very well done in the movie. When the scene first starts off it is dark outside, which as we know is Blanche’s favourite time of the day as no one can see her face, be able to tell her age, or see that she has aged. This to me is a brilliant effect as Blanche’s true self is being shown right off the bat. Another use of light is when Stella and Blanche are catching up back in the house; the lights in the background (coming from outside the window) turn on and off more rapidly than they do in any other time in the play. This is used as an effect to show Blanche’s descent into her loss of reality. When Stella and Blanche sit down at a table in the bowling alley, there is a light shinning on Blanche and she moves it down, to shade her aging face.  This is used as a lighting effect and as a character flaw, as this is one of her main areas she lacks confidence in.

When the first scene started off in the movie, I was rather surprised that it didn’t start off the same way as the scene starts off in the play. In the play the scene starts off with Stanley throwing the meat to Stella, where as in the movie the scene starts with Blanche arriving in New Orleans and her journey getting to Stella’s house. For me this was rather discouraging, as in the play you instantly get a sense of what Stella and Stanley’s relationship is, and knowing this helps you understand events that happen in the play between Stella and Stanley. When Stanley throws the meat at Stella, he says, “Meat” and then “catch” (4). In this part of the play it is instantly seen that Stanley is the alpha in the marriage.  Although I can see why the scene in the film started off with Blanche getting off the train in New Orleans. It shows that she is lost, and is trying to find her way.

 Bibliography:  

A Street Car Named Desire. Dir. Elia Kazan. Perf. Vivien Leigh. 1951. Film

Williams, Tennessee. A Street Car Named Desire. S.l.: ND, 1947. Print.

Blog #9: ISU Book

For my ISU I am reading, "Those Who Save Us," by Jenna Blum. "Those Who Save Us" is about two women, Anna and Trudy, who were taken to America during WWII by an American Soldier. Trudy was only three at the time when she was taken from Germany and shipped to Minnesota. While Trudy was growing up, Anna refused to talk about her past with Trudy, leaving Trudy with unanswered questions about her past. Later in life Trudy becomes a German History Professor and starts to learn different things about her mother's past. 

I think this book relates to, "The Book of Negroes," as both Trudy and Aminata were taken from their home country at a young age, but they both had questions about where they came from for the rest of their lives, and both Aminata and Trudy both did jobs that tried to help figure out where they came from.