Over the break, I watched "The Talented Mr. Ripley," a great movie starring Matt Damon and Jude Law. Matt Damon plays Mr. Ripley, a complex character who pretends to be a Princeton student and is sent to Europe to bring Dickie Greenelaf, a rich and spoiled millionaire playboy, back to his father. Mr. Ripley fails to pry Dickie from Italy, where Dickie is living in luxury without any thoughts of coming back to America. As Tom stays in Italy with Dickie, he begins to crave his lifestyle and starts to emulate his behavior. Tom, who lies about himself from the beginning, begins to shift between personas, eventually assuming Dickie's identity. When we talked in class today about Gregor undergoing an identity crisis, I thought of Tom Ripley and his transformation, although his was a voluntary one. Gregor's conversion affects his thoughts, actions, and the lives of the people around him, just as Ripley's personality shifts damage those around him and especially himself.
Can you all think of any other movies or things we have read this year that relate to identity crises?
5 comments:
I feel like I am often able to link our current readings with "Notes from Underground," and this instance is no different. Like Tom Ripley and Gregor, the Underground Man also suffers an identity crisis. Dostoevsky's irrational narrator claims to despise conformity, yet he desperately attempts to conform to society. This can be noted as he frantically buys new clothes and obsesses about the color of his gloves in order to be accepted. His contradictionary and hypocritical nature bears witness to his identity crisis. However, the Underground Man's crisis differs from Gregor's in that the former character's is brought on by himself, while the latter's is not.
When I think of something along the lines of an identity crisis, I think of Shakespeare's Hamlet. Hamlet begins his journey as someone who is pretending to be mad, when really at the end of the play we question if it is all really an act. I believe that Hamlet's change in behavior is exactly what you are talking about in "The Talented Mr. Ripley." The characters begin controlling their behavior but without even realizing it a transformation has occurred. As we continue to read "The Metamorphosis" I am sure we will continue to see the transformations and adaptations Gregor has in regards in becoming a bug.
Julia, I love how many connections you make to popular culture. Another example of an identity crisis is seen in American Beauty. Although I'm sure most of you have seen this movie, it is about a man suffering through a mid-life crisis. His suburban American life is no longer fulfilling him. He feels trapped into a life he doesn't enjoy anymore. He has troubles with his wife and begins lusting after his daughter's friend. The concept is similar to Gregor's story. He wakes up one morning and feels different. He goes through a Metamorphosis, as the title suggests, and must deal with his new feelings and life.
I would add that Fight Club also deals with the protagonist's identity crisis. Like Kevin Spacey's character in American Beauty, "Jack" in Fight Club experiences dissatisfaction with his consumption-driven life and a meaningless, if not downright unethical, job. As a result, he "creates," at least subconsciously, Tyler Durden as his alter ego. Very interesting comments, everyone!
King Oedipus in Sophocles' Oedipus Rex suffers a great identity crisis that transforms his life. Unknowingly the King fulfills the riddle of the Sphinx, a prophesy that predicts he will kill his father and have children with his own mother. Once he realizes who he truly is and what he has done, he purposely injures himself as a result of his identity crisis.
Post a Comment