In this paper, you are required to watch the film On The Waterfront (1954). You can see the film in a variety of ways. It might cost $3 or so, but it’s worth it!
On the Waterfront embodies many of the ideas that were introduced a century earlier with the rise of the Realist Period. The Realist Movement (1840-1870) celebrated the common man and his or her daily, mostly unrecognized, struggles to survive. Heroes changed too. Even the most menial and unheralded occupations, like being a dockworker, could be invested with “heroic” dimensions. Probably the most famous American example is Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, but On the Waterfront also borrows from the Realist tradition.
In Classical Drama, stretching back to the Greek and Roman ideas of tragedy, the “outcome” of the hero’s life is determined by the choice or choices the “hero” makes. And, about 90% of the time, the hero’s final choice is based on loyalty. The “side” the hero ultimately takes, leads to either triumph or tragedy. In tragedy, the hero seems to “chase,” and finally choose, betrayal; in triumph, the hero chooses loyalty, but he or she does so ONLY AFTER recognition of betrayal. The hero sees the truth.
What “truth” does Terry Malloy finally see? Is his story a triumph or a tragedy?
Please use MLA format, citation
