True Grit

There are many stereotypes when it comes to Western films. When one thinks about a western story, one usually associates it with cowboys, one on one gunfights, outlaws, Native Americans, robbers, lawmen, and lots of harsh wildlife. The protagonists are usually male and they are usually a cowboy, gunman or a bounty hunter. The women are usually pretty and there for a little romance but not needed to tell the story successfully for it is meant to be action packed. Women are usually minor to men and are usually one of the four roles: mother, teach, prostitute, or sometimes an outlaw. In True Grit, not all of these stereotypes are represented.

For one, the main protagonist is a female – a young female no less with a lot of spunk and determination. She wants revenge despite the risks. In the book, it is all told from her point of view but in the movie, her character is a little overshadowed by Rooster. Even LeBeouf does not seem that strong of a character in the movie in comparison to Rooster. This follows the western film stereotype even though the book deviates from it. On top of that, the story in general does not include a lot of Native Americans. They are mentioned briefly during the hanging of one but they are not the main focus and there is not any real interaction between the protagonist and a native.

I think this story really does give an interesting twist to westerns and Mattie is a very strong character in the story. When she is hurt at the end, one cannot help but feel saddened by the fact that she must be amputated. We are conditioned to hope for a happy ending in movies and books. This was a happy ending in terms of a mission being completed but not in terms of all the blood that was shed and who had to suffer after. It is a very realistic ending and it is good to see a story pushing the boundaries of its genre.

Pride and Prejudice Response

I have read the original Pride and Prejudice before so I decided to read Pride and Popularity. The first thing I noticed about the characters was the change in the Darcy character’s personality. He is still caring and stubborn, but unlike the original, he is a player. The original Darcy was seen as a really cold and arrogant man. The Elizabeth’s character was not impressed by his popularity, devilish good looks, and charm. They made Wickham’s character a lot more dangerous than the original for effect. Other than that, the story followed the original quite well. I think the changes in the character personalities were done to shape the classic into a stereotypical teenage romance story. This is not the first time this has been done. The book Beastly by Alex Finn is a story that did a similar adaptation of the classic fairytale Beauty and the Beast. The popular boy denies the unpopular girl – it is repeated in a lot of teen fiction.

Why? I think it is because popularity is such a big deal for teenagers. When you go to high school, you sometimes have this notion that your status in the big pond matters. They scare freshmen with the idea of “freshman Friday” and cliques form all too quickly. It is usually either the main girl wants to be popular or rejects anyone in the popular crowd because they think they are superficial, but they have a change of heart in the end or someone proves her wrong. This idea of romanticizing high school is very popular because it gives teenagers (usually the females) the idea that romance can happen at a very young age but it also causes them to have a lot of high expectations for their high school years.

I think the reason that the story line for romance has continued to be so popular because it shows that love can happen to anyone – rich or poor. In this case, it can happen whether you are popular or not. The need to be loved is very evident in today’s society. Hollywood makes a lot of money from young girls' desires to be loved by the guy everyone wants. 

Questions from Instructor

Origins
What is your lineage?

I am originally from Jamaica but I have some ancestral ties to some other countries. The first place is Ghana where a lot of slaves were shipped to Jamaica into slavery. Another ancestral tie is India. My father's side of the family is Indian. His father traveled from India, came to Jamaica, and married a Jamaican woman. The last tie would have to be on my mother's side of the family. Her grandfather is originally from Syria but he moved to the island. I think of my origin as where my ancestors are from and where they ended up. My children would grow up with a similar origin story but more added to it since I am no longer in Jamaica, they might be born here, and who knows what the father's origin story might be.

Who are your influences?

My mother is my biggest influence because she was ultimately responsible for what kind of person I would end up being. I have always had strict parents so following rules was never a problem for me. I tend to hesitate when it comes to speaking up and due to their high expectations, I work really hard to make them proud and stress a lot if anything were to go wrong or if I upset them. Other influences would include the teachers I had throughout my education, books, poems, documentaries, and movies.

What is your ideology?

You can't make everyone happy.
Sadness is inevitable.
If you work hard, good things will come to you.
Love exists. People just give up too quick.
Weight loss can only be achieved healthfully through good diet and exercise.
Too much of anything is bad for you.
Beauty is more than just what you look like.