"The Hurricane: Film Analysis

1.   One of the reoccurring motifs in The Hurricane is perseverance. Although most citizens recognize Rubin “Hurricane” Carter as innocent, he is still locked up in jail for the believed reason of the hatred towards black people. The movie shows the journey Carter goes through and the consistent persevering to prove justice. Even when thrown in jail Carter still does what he can to prove his innocence. Though he seems to give up at one point, the perseverance of Lesera and his friends are what end up boosting the attitude of Rubin with the eventual freedom of Rubin.

2.    I found that one of the most significant symbols in “The Hurricane” was the jail uniform. They symbolize guiltiness. Carter made a point of refusing to wear the uniform for that very fact. He knew he was wrongfully accused of being guilty and would not tolerate being treated as guilty. Another symbol could be Carter’s boxing jacket. It is a symbol of who Carter is and what his motives and desires. He is reminded of all of this when Lesera send him the jacket. It reveals to the audience the significance of boxing to Carter.

3.     Both The Hurricane and To Kill a Mocking Bird are examples of African Americans being prosecuted due to the color of their skin.  Both Tom Robinson and Rubin Carter were wrongfully accused of murder, but still thrown in jail due to ignorance of particular white colored folks. Both had their chance in court (Carter had it three times), but it was evident that the courtroom and the jury were bias and fearful of claiming a black man innocent against a white man’s word. Carter however, was privileged to have a judge that realized the injustice while Tom Robinson did not have a realistic or understanding judge. In both scenarios it was easy to notice the unwillingness of the police and judges to even listen to the stories of the convicted individuals. They were taught and surrounded with the knowledge that colored people were inferior to whites and were often treated inhuman. During Tom Robinson’s trial, Atticus seemed confident and relaxed while Rubin Carter’s lawyer seemed uptight and nervous. Carter however seemed sedate even when addressing the judge. Carter’s speech seemed to be what convinced the judge of the wrongful conviction.

4.    The most recognizable motif between To Kill a Mocking Bird and The Hurricane is racism against African Americans. The behavior of the majority (white people) is very similar between both stories. In both scenarios the white people are arrogant and believe they are superior to the African American race.  This results with treating them extremely poorly. The idea of racism towards black people has been carried on through many generations and is a slow process to break down. Many people decide to not take action when it comes to racism with the fear of being judged themselves and frowned upon by their common neighbors. So these people choose to keep their mouths shut as the rest of the strongly opinionated people talk unbelievably lowly about this race and thus further passing the horrid idea down to the children.  Racism is an ongoing cycle passed through generations that desperately needs to be broken. 

Character Sketch: Aunt Emily

·      “She is the one with the vision” (Page 32)

·      “A word warrior” (Page 33)

·      Voices her opinions vigorously

·      Overwhelming

·      Intellectual

·      “One of the world’s white blood cells, rushing from trouble spot to trouble spot with her medication pouring into wounds seen and not seen” (Page 35)

Aunt Emily is recognized to consistently be a very vocal person. Uncle Sam claims that she isn’t a woman because of her big mouth. She is known to have an opinion about everything and does not hesitate to share it with the people in her surroundings. On page 32, Naomi uses an analogy to express the characteristics and intentions of Aunt Emily: “For my part, I can only see a dark field with Aunt Emily beaming her flashlight to where the rest of us crouch and hide, our eyes downcast as we seek the safety of invisibility.” Aunt Emily brings attention to occurrences and issues that others try to hide and forget about.  Naomi particularly seems to find Aunt Emily annoying and unpredictable. She refers to talking Aunt Emily as “walking through a minefield” because she “never quite know[s] when she’ll explode.” Aunt Emily can be seen as person that would often catch someone off guard with her open opinions, but it is interesting to see that no one in their family ever dares to talk against her. I think this may have to do with the desire to refrain from causing conflict that everyone in Naomi’s family seems to have.

“Injustice rages Aunt Emily” (said by Naomi on page 32). Aunt Emily attacks anything that she deems as injustice. She firmly believes that the racism of Japanese is/ was far greater in Canada than in the United States. Naomi tells us of Aunt Emily’s continuous rants of how terrible the prejudice was that they faced. Aunt Emily also believes that the government has the power. So much power that they broke up their families, controlled where they could live, what they could do and censored all communication. Despite all of this, she proudly claims that the Japanese race in Canada should not be referred to as Japanese, but as Canadian citizens.  She tells Naomi, “What this country did to us, it did to itself” (Page 35). She sees herself, as well as other Japanese Canadians, as part of Canada and in harming the Japanese in the past, they also harmed their own country. 

Taming of the Shrew

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Kate and Petruchio’s Relationship

Kate and Petruchio’s relationship changes and develops drastically though the play. Petruchio agrees to marry Kate, wealth being the only reason. Kate is referred to as “the shrew” in the book and is known among the area for her big mouth and rudeness. Petruchio is aware of this, but does not mind, for he is in it for the money and he is confident that he can tame her. Baptista is quite happy to have is eldest daughter married off, for at moments he was unsure if she ever would, due to her behavior. However, Kate despised Petruchio and was not hesitant to conceal it.  Even then was Petruchio not fearful of being married to Kate. He tells her in Act 2, Scene 1:

Thus in plain terms: your father hath consented


That you shall be my wife, your dowry ‘greed on,


And will you, nill you, I will marry you.


Now Kate, I am a husband for your turn,


For by this light, whereby I see thy beauty— 


Thy beauty that doth make me like thee well—


Thou must be married to no man but me,


For I am he am born to tame you, Kate,


And bring you from a wild Kate to a Kate


Conformable as other household Kates.


Here comes your father. Never make denial.


I must and will have Katherine to my wife.

The fellow men doubt that Petruchio would ever be able, but in the end, it turns out that Petruchio was indeed able to tame her. But, it was shocking to see that Kate became more obedient to her husband, Petruchio, than Lucentio’s and Hortensio’s wives were obedient to them. Kate finishes the play with a long speech declaring “thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper,
 thy head, thy sovereign, one that cares for thee…” All were astonished that this shrew could ever be tamed. Petruchio, although arrogant, was able to.

Kate and Bianca’s Relationship

Kate is a short-tempered, big-mouthed maiden that never seems to show any extent of happiness but only anger. In result, many doubt her to be wed to any man. Bianca (Kate’s younger sister) on the other hand, is gentle and kind and is loved by all, especially men. Kate has her insecurities and it is believed that her anger and hatred comes from her knowing that no man will marry her, but no man will marry her because of her anger and hatred. Kate thinks that she will be unmarried until she dies, and therefore is incredibly jealous of her sister Bianca. In Act 2, Scene 1, Kate fights with Bianca and ties her up to show her anger. When Baptista comes to free Bianca, Kate responds saying:

“What, will you not suffer me? Nay, now I see 
    

She is your treasure, she must have a husband; 
    

I must dance bare-foot on her wedding day 
    

And for your love to her lead apes in hell. 
    

Talk not to me: I will go sit and weep 
    

Till I can find occasion of revenge.”

This reveals that Kate is also angry because she feels that her father favours Bianca over her, which adds a significant amount of tension in the relationship between Kate and Bianca as well as Kate and her father, Baptista. This puts Bianca in a difficult position because she hadn’t done anything wrong. Besides this circumstance, there is not much interaction between Bianca and Kate throughout the play.

Disguises/Deception

Disguises are something that reoccurs in Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew. In the Induction, Sly is disguised as a wealthy lord for the enjoyment of the Lord. In the play, the amount of people disguised and deceiving others becomes an overwhelming amount. Both Lucentio and Hortensio disguise themselves as schoolteachers and tutors to be able to interact with Bianca, for the both claim to be in love with her. Tranio disguises as Lucentio in his place and Pedant as Vincentio. They repetiveness of people disguising as different people proposes the idea that the clothes you were determine how people see you and treat you. In Act 3, Scene 2, Petruchio shows up late for his wedding and is accused of wearing unsuitable clothing for being wed, he defends himself by saying: “To me she's married, not unto my clothes…” This quote reflects that people shouldn’t be treated for the way they dress but to who their personality and character is.   

To Kill a Mocking Bird: Chapters 12-20

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First Purchase Church:

While Atticus is out of town, Calpurnia decides to bring Jem and Scout to her church (First Purchase). This is a significant event in the book, for it is the first time the reader gets a glimpse of the black community in Maycomb. First Purchase Church is in an old building and everything inside of it reflects their poverty. On page 159, Lee describes: “First Purchase was unceiled and unpainted within.” She then continues to say: “There was no sign of piano, organ, hymn-books, church programs--- the familiar ecclesiastical impedimenta we saw every Sunday.” These quotes show the lack of funding the church has. Scout then talks about how different the black church is from the white church. But Scout likes the black church. She likes the closeness of the congregation and the feeling of a stronger community and bond than her own church. The overall experience of the black church was comfortable and memorable for Jem and Scout. They begin to realize that the “Negroes” aren’t as terrible as all the white people say.

Aunt Alexandra:

Aunt Alexandra comes to live with Atticus, Jem and Scout with the intention to teach the kids about their family heritage, bust most significantly wanted to make a young lady out of Scout.  Aunt Alexandra makes it clear on page 170 when she says: “We decided that it would be best for you to have some feminine influence. It won’t be many years, Jean Louise, before you become interested in clothes and boys ---“ Scout was utterly annoyed to hear this. She had no intention to become any more “feminine.” She feared that in becoming a lady, she would be rejected by Jem. So, she blocks out the idea and views Aunt Alexandra as a narrow-minded, inflexible lady who should have no authority over her.

Visual Representation:

This picture of cornbread is a literal representation. When Jem and Scout found Dill underneath Scout's bed, all Scout got him as a meal was a pan of cold cornbread. When Atticus appeared, he has said to Scout: "Scout, we can do better than a pan of cold cornbread, can we?" Scout didn't view Dill as company. She didn't put an effort to may him feel welcome. She simply grabbed the easiest thing that he could eat. Atticus showed hospitality towards Dill even though he new that Dill's actions weren't exactly rewarding.   

To Kill a Mocking Bird: Chapters 9-11

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“But remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.”

 This is a significant line in the book. Atticus teaches Jem and Scout that it is a sin to kill a mocking bird. Ms. Maudie then backed up Atticus’ point by telling Scout: “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us.” That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” A mocking bird is a symbol of innocence and all of Maycomb believes so. They believe that such a harmless creature should not be persecuted. I believe that the author (Harper Lee), wrote this to produce an ironic statement. Tom Robinson and Boo Radley can be seen as “mocking birds.” Although they are seen as guilty to the majority of Maycomb, while actually they are both innocent. The author is trying to get the point across that Boo Radley but more importantly, Tom Robinson are being persecuted while they have done nothing to deserve the isolation.

“Uncle Jack Finch”

Uncle Jack Finch attempts to make a positive influence on specifically Scout. He instructs her to refrain from using vulgar language unless used at an appropriate time. Although he does want Scout to become more of a Lady, he doesn’t want her to change entirely. Uncle Jack struggles when he attempts to discipline Scout and Scout says: “Well, in the first place you never stopped to gimme a chance to tell you my side of it—you just lit right into me. When Jem an‘ I fuss Atticus doesn’t ever just listen to Jem’s side of it, he hears mine too...” Uncle Jack becomes disappointed in himself when he realizes that his young niece was right. He even told Atticus that he will never marry due to the fact that he may have children. Jack feels that he is unable to raise any children.

Visual Representation: Literal and Symbolic

This is a picture of a dog walking down the street, resembling Tim Johnson. Jem and Scout were out hunting when they noticed Tim Johnson, but, he didn't look normal. They decided to alert Calpurnia. When Cal saw the dog from a great distance, she alerted all of the citizens on the street (including the Radley's) and she alerted Heck Tate and Atticus, who ended up shooting Tim Johnson. Although it was not the "season" for rabid dogs, it was assumed that Tim Johnson was rabid, not just sick or tired. This symbolizes that the people of Maycomb are eager to address or punish something/someone as guilty without fully knowing.

To Kill a Mocking Bird: Chapters 1-8

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SCOUT:

The book is told from the point of view from Scout. Scout is a curious and adventurous little girl that likes to ask lots of questions, like any other small child. She tries really hard to please Atticus and Jem and gets upset when she feels she doesn’t. There were a few instances when Jem had an idea/plan that Scout new Atticus wouldn’t approve of but in all cases, she decided to follow Jem. The most involved women in Scout’s life are Calpurnia and Mrs. Maudie, but Scout tends to rely on the male role models (Atticus, Dill and Jem) in her life more. She desires to be just like them and takes offense whenever Jem accuses her of acting like a girl.

JEM:

Jem is prideful and likes to think that he is always right. There are numerous occasions when Atticus will make known that Jem is wrong, but not often says it to his face. Jem has a lot of power over Scout and convince her do be involved in things/plans that she didn’t initially want to be the part of. Jem puts on a show that he fears nothing and even ran up to touch the Radley Place to “prove” he wasn’t scared.  The only time in the first eight chapters when Jem showed fear was when he had to retrieve his pants from the Radley Place. It did take a while for Jem to admit it, but he was afraid of the Radley’s and he only admitted that to Scout

Visual Representation: Symbolic

My representation is a picture of a house on fire. This resembles the part in chapter eight when Mrs. Maudie’s house caught on fire. Scout found this event frightening and tragic and expected Mrs. Maudie to feel the same. Scout was shocked when Mrs. Maudie wasn’t upset. She admired that although Mrs. Maudie’s house had burnt down, she was positive about it and was more upset about how much of a hassle it was for the rest of a town.  

"The Loons"

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PIQUETTE:

Piquette has a complicated and confusing personality. Although she did have the responsible role of cooking and preparing food for her family and maintaining the household, she acted rather rude and abrasive towards other people. She had no desire to get to know or play with other kids, particularly Vanessa. She would make comments no matter how hurtful they may be. She had very poor social skills and it was surprising to read that she even gets married. She seemed to hate life and wasted it away. She had no role model and no one to look up to. She had no hope.

BETH (VANESSA’S MOTHER)

Although Beth was not a huge part of the story, her character is quite interesting and resembles many personalities around us today. When Ewen, her husband, suggested the idea of bringing along Piquette to Diamond Lake, she was disgusted. She didn’t want her kids around Piquette and even went to the point of saying “If that half-breed youngster comes along to Diamond Lake, I’m not going.” But she later ended up going anyways. When Beth was telling Vanessa about Piquette’s death, empathy came out and Beth was regretting not trying to do something to help her. Regret is something that all humans struggle with. It was neat to see how Beth’s thoughts reflect our thoughts. It makes you want to live a life with no regrets and help people whenever you can. 

Representation:

This picture is a representation of Diamond Lake at night. This is a view that I think Vanessa would see as she was sitting on the pier, listening to the loons. This is Vanessa's peaceful spot where she can get away and have time to herself. This is also a significant place because she shared enjoyable memories with her father while sitting by the lake.