Monday, October 22, 2012
Hard Times:Discussion
Since Louisa has been the character most involved with the fire metaphor, I thought that it might be helpful to find an outside reference that would aid with the understanding of her inner struggles. In the Disney production of "Pocahontas", a young Native American woman demonstrates similar battles: Marrying not for love, but to help the family, taking a path to a newer and more flexible world, and obeying her father. This exerpt from the film exemplifies some of Lousia's struggles through the character of Pochontas: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRliKvrs2jA
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Natalie, I think that this is a really good outside source to use! Throughout the entire story it was apparent that Louisa was being faced with hard decisions. When she was first introduces to Sissy she begins touse her imagination and think outside of just facts. She is quickley shut down as her mother stated for "her to do nothing of that description" (Dickens 57).Louisa was then faced with this issue of sticking to facts, or amending her ideas to be different like Sissy. Further on in the story we are introduced to this staircase that Mrs. Sparsit always talks about. Here we see that Louisa is faced with metaphorically going down the staricase by veering away from facts or staying where she is at with Bounderby and living life by her fathers philosophy. Ultimatley "she descended steadily"(Dickens, 196), and chose a path away from this factual society. This comparison of Pocohontas is great because she too is faced with some very hard decisons, just as Louisa was!
ReplyDeleteWell i really like this parallel and since its disney that makes it even better!! really pocahontas and Louisa are confronted with very similar situations. One thing i find to be different between them however is I feel like Pocahontas made her decision individually to support her family, where as i feel that Louisa really had a decision made for her by her family because she really can't make decisions as shes been taught to be a robot her whole life! and the decision that is made by Gradgrind is thought to be the best decision for Louisa (emphasing the fact that I really think he wanted the best for Louisa he just was confused on what the best was) simply because it fits with the societal standards of Coketown. ok off topic but can someone refresh me on what happens at the end of Pocahontas cause it has been quite a few years, and i remember the plot and how Pocahontas has to face serious decisions but after like 12 years i've forgotten the ending haha can someone help me out?
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