Influence: Stefan Zweig & Wes Anderson

This week’s post is based on the chapter Twenty-four Hours in the Life of a Woman written by Stefan Zweig, and the movie The Grand Budapest Hotel, directed by Wes Anderson.

It is clearly shown throughout Wes Anderson’s films that he gets a lot of his influence from Stefan Zweig’s writings. There are some very similar aspects found in both Zweig’s and Anderson’s storylines. Some of these include the location, characters, plot, and theme. There is also a strong common theme of nostalgia connecting both Zweig and Anderson.

In Twenty-four Hours in the Life of a Woman, it starts out with a group of people at a hotel, which is practically the central theme and hub of the story, similar to The Grand Budapest Hotel. It goes on to talk about a married woman with two children running off with a man who everyone thinks they just met. This incident turns the hotel upside down and puts some of the hotel guests against each other. This gives the story a somewhat melancholy feel, which is similar to some of the moods in Anderson’s films, especially The Grand Budapest Hotel. The storyline in The Grand Budapest Hotel centers on the famous hotel, with the blossoming friendship between the legendary concierge and a young, new bellhop. However, the melancholy comes from the two wars going and the multiple deaths that occur in the film. The nostalgia factor that also shows Zweig’s influence on Anderson is shown both in of their works as well. In Twenty-four Hours in the Life of a Woman, the main focus is on the reminiscing of the twenty-four hours in a woman’s life, one day that changed her life forever. This is similar to The Grand Budapest Hotel, since it focuses on an old man who reminisces on his life as a bellhop in that famous hotel. I feel like Anderson got most of his influence from the authentic nostalgia that Zweig writes about, because it shows up a lot in Anderson’s films. A final connection shown between Zweig and Anderson is the acute detail that is present throughout both storylines. The overall mood is also very intense and both have a very interesting style that makes the audience intrigued and apart of the story.

The Dew Breaker

This week’s post is based on the chapters The Book of the Dead & Seven from Edwidge Danticat’s The Dew Breaker.

What are the precise strategies that are used by its creator to convey the world to us and us to the world?

Both of these chapters are similar in the way they present their world to us. They both give long and distinct descriptions of what is going on in their world, which lets us, the reader, become a part of the story as well. It’s almost as if the creator, Edwidge Danticat, wants the reader to see what is going on through the eyes of the characters already living in the world. Because we are able to read the personal thoughts of the characters, we are able to feel what they feel, and in turn are placed deeper into their world. The way we are conveyed to the world is how the creator translates the Creole language into English so that we can understand it. It’s as if the creator wants his characters to feel comfortable with us so he allows them to speak the language they feel most comfortable with, yet he also wants us to feel comfortable in that world as well so he translates it for us.

In The Book of the Dead, we are immediately placed in a serious setting with the main character, Ka, talking to a police officer named Bo, and a hotel manager named Flavio Salinas about her missing family. There is no hesitation to introduce us to the world, because Ka instantly describes her surroundings in acute detail. She talks about the “striking pair of chartreuse eyes” and the “island Spanish lilt in his voice” of Manager Salinas, along with the “baby-faced, short, white Floridian with a potbelly” of Officer Bo.  She then goes on to describe the “gaudy” look of Manager Salinas’ office, which is decorated with “orange-and-green wallpaper” and a “giant gold leaf-bordered print of a Victorian cottage”. Ka’s detailed descriptions allows her world to be brought to life, and it lets the reader imagine themselves sitting right next to her in the same room. The beginning of this chapter sets the mood for the rest of the story to develop and conveys the overall tone of the world we are presented. Despite the fact that they were in what is known as The Sunshine State and their journey was supposed to good and have a much happier ending, the circumstances and overall feelings of the characters ultimately turned their happy world upside down, and the sensory descriptors perfectly conveyed this to us.

In Seven, it was a similar mood and feeling to the previous chapter, The Book of the Dead, which helped connect the two stories and tie both of their worlds together. However, unlike The Book of the Dead, we never really got to connect to the main characters on a deeper level because we never were told their names. This made their world slightly more distant and less interactive for us looking in. Although the detail of their names was never mentioned, the description of the surroundings still allowed for the creator to convey that world to the reader. Similar to the way The Book of the Dead was started out to be happy, Seven started out with a happy mood as well, with the long awaited reconnection of the married couple. However, as the story develops, and all the time spent away from each other is realized with the emotional disconnect, we start to feel the sadness and empathy develop, which is perfectly conveyed to us through the silence of their world.

Girl

Are there any female characters in the work that you identify with?

This short story, Girl written by Jamaica Kincaid, wasn’t a typical one. Rather than having multiple sentences with numerous periods separating similar ideas, this story is made up of multiple fragments separated by semi-colons each consisting of different ideas. The basis of the story was a list of what a girl should do to be appropriate and socially accepted in this world. The fragments may be different, however, they do come together in the end to make a unifying story with a bigger meaning. Another difference between this short story and other typical short stories is the way this story is told. You would normally think that the author of the story is also the narrator of the story. However, in “Girl”, the narrator is actually the author’s mother, telling the author how to act in life. Consequently, the “Girl” being talked about, and to, is the author, and this is the female character that I identify with rather than the narrator. The reason I identify with this female character is because my mother is always telling me things that I should do. To her, it was obviously good advice that she thought would make my life as a girl easier in this world. However, to me, and to Jamaica Kincaid, sometimes that “advice” can seem like mandated rules that you would have to follow in order to be seen as a lady in front of other people. There were moments in the story where you can see that Jamaica doesn’t fully agree with what her mother says, which is represented by italics. I identify with this as well, because although mothers have good intentions and think that what they say is for the best, children don’t always see it that way, and we think that we know ourselves better than our mothers do, especially when we are young. I bet when I get older, I will eventually see it the way the narrator does, and soon I will start to identify with that female character.

Wonder Woman

If I were to design my own version of a heroine, she would go beyond the typical stereotypes that most superheroes get, such as being able to fly, invisibility, or super strength. I want my heroine to go against all odds; to fight for what’s right no matter what gets in her way. To do this, she will have numerous powers, including some stereotypical one’s that I mentioned like the ability to fly, but also more unique powers, like the ability to change her appearance into something else, the ability to freeze time, or telekinesis.

My heroine would be named Renee, a once typical girl who got transformed into a tiny superhero from a science experiment gone wrong. She would be about 2-4 inches tall, depending on which pair of shoes she decides to where that day, which would help her stay clear of enemies and out-of-sight from regular human beings, making it much easier to fix trouble. Her main goal is to fight the complexity of life. Meaning, my heroine will combat the hardships that make life complex, which include stopping the worst of catastrophes, one that would have been that terrible science experiment. Renee will be able to get into the tiniest of places in order to fix what could have gone terribly wrong, saving millions of lives and stopping the breaking of hearts. My heroine won’t be the typical superhero that “fights the big bad monsters destroying the city”. She will be seen but not heard; behind the scenes doing the things that no one really ever thinks about, but are so glad that they happened.

From Renee, I would want women to emulate how strong she is, how she doesn’t let her flaws get in the way of fighting for what’s right, and how she stands up to the worst of demons that this life has, including depression, stress, and anxiety. Even though she may be small, she has the strength and power to overtake the most difficult obstacles. Renee would be the toughest hero in the smallest package, because size doesn’t matter. He heart is bigger than superman, batman, and even wonder woman combined, which would make her the most successful hero that no one ever sees. However, although you may never see her, you know that she is always there, and will always be there, fighting for you, looking out for you, and protecting you. Renee is the heroine that I would want fighting for me.

True Grit

True Grit was an interesting read for me. I normally don’t go for the Western genre when choosing a book to read or a movie to watch, but after reading this novel and watching the 2010 version of the film, I found myself wrapped up in the story rooting for Mattie to get the revenge for her father, and for her and Rooster to remain friends in the end, even though that part didn’t quite happen. The 2010 version of the movie directed by the Coen brothers was closely related to the original novel more than the 1969 version directed by Henry Hathaway, especially in the way they depicted Mattie. However, both films along with the novel accurately stayed true to the whole idea of American mythology, as well as the myth behind the Western hero. In the Western genre, there are about six myths surrounding it, and each has some form of similarity with this novel.

American Adam Myth: This myth describes the ideal male, or someone who is physically fit, intelligent, experienced, wealthy, mainstream, and single. True Grit has at least two possible contenders for this role, Mattie or Rooster. Although Mattie is a female, she has just as much grit and gut as the guys, even more at times, and is beyond fearless, knowing exactly what she has to get done and at what price. She is also perhaps the wealthiest out of the group and has enough smarts to get her through the Wild West. Rooster, on the other hand, is more experienced and a little more physically fit despite his age, and is intelligent at being a Marshall. However, where these two fall off and where LeBoeuf comes in is the mainstream part of this myth. LeBoeuf is certainly full of himself and cares more about his appearance than much of anything else, yet, he is still somewhat of an outsider along with Mattie and Rooster.

The Edenic Myth: This myth focuses on the longing to find Eden, or the place of paradise. Practically all Western films are centered on romanticized Eden, such as with a Monument Valley, grassy plains, or mountainous backdrops. Even films that use harsh landscapes, such as Death Valley or so on play upon the love for nature. True Grit is no different and uses similar nature scenes and landscapes throughout the film and in the novel.

The Child Savior Myth: This myth is not common in all Westerns, probably due to the gun violence and harsh language; however, it’s still an important part of the overall Western myth. It describes the image of youth as innocent and incapable of dishonesty, ready to be taught important lessons and values. In this novel, there isn’t really a strong sense of a child savior. However, Mattie, being the youngest but not necessarily a child, could possibly fit this category. She is only fourteen years old, yet she is not afraid to go after the man who killed her father, only with a gun in her hand and the clothes on her back. Throughout the book, Rooster often refers to Mattie as his little sister, and he could possibly be seen as being the intelligent adult that could teach her the valuable lessons of life. In the end, though, Mattie holds her own and comes out as much more of a strong woman than a child.

The Myth of Male Camaraderie: This myth states that the American Adam prefers the company of other men, and that men are happier, more fulfilled, and more male in the presence of other men rather than women. True Grit, both the in the films and the novel, show a lot of camaraderie between groups, the first being with Mattie, Rooster, and LeBoeuf. Although it starts off with Mattie and Rooster going after Chaney on their own, and then LeBoeuf trying to get Mattie out of the way, they all end up coming together and helping each other out in order to capture Chaney, and take down any bandits that get in their way. There is also a comradeship between Lucky Ned Pepper and his gang of bandits, who all help each other to rob certain places. One could also say that Chaney and Frank had an extremely short camaraderie, because they were traveling together and Chaney was his hired help. However, that relationship was never truly developed during the story due to the tragic, drunken act of Tom Chaney.

The American Dream: This myth holds that having luck, work, and perseverance will allow anyone to succeed. It informs the motives that propel everyone one else in the Western setting, although it’s not apparent in the Western hero himself. In a way, you can say that Mattie lives out the myth of the American Dream after all is said and done. She is more than motivated and determined to find Chaney, and perseveres despite almost being left behind by Rooster and LeBoeuf. Although she does have to get her arm amputated, she still ends up becoming a successful businesswoman with a good amount of money.

The American Eve Myth: This final myth serves as the female counterpart to the American Adam myth. However, in the Western genre, beauty is its only universal attribute, everything else is basically irrelevant. In this novel, we only are really focused on one woman, Mattie, and she is almost the polar opposite of an American Eve. Mattie is able to flip the script on stereotypical female roles in Western genres, and she provides more than just motivation for male action.

The assumptions made in True Grit about the nature of humans, society, and morality are that you need to be extremely tough to survive out there in the Wild West, and you need an exponential amount of grit in order to get what you want done. All of the main characters, Mattie, Rooster, and LeBoeuf are great examples of the Western hero, in the sense that they are all outsiders in their own way who will do whatever they can to defend and protect not only themselves, but the ones they care about most. Their morals can be quite skewed at times because of their motive to carry large guns and kill whoever provokes them. However, they do have a strong depth of care and love, which is seen mostly in Mattie, with her will to avenge her father’s death, as well as the sorrow she felt for her horse. Rooster also had a sense of good morality when he stood up for Mattie against LeBoeuf, as well as when he immediately rushed Mattie to the hospital after she had been bitten. Overall, there is a great reflection of American mythology throughout this novel, and is seen in more depth during the film.