On the waterfront. HELP ME IM CONFUSING MYSELF.

[Imesha]

This is an Email to my teacher explaining my confusion, although I'm not sure when he's going to reply and i want more opinions. :

I'm not sure how to get my point through in an email. But I'm a little perplexed. I just keep confusing myself even more by thinking about it.

So as you know, the essay question is " It is simply love that changes Terry. To what extent do you agree?"

I know that "love" is referring to Edie and her effect on him, but i also want to talk about his own desire to become something more and become a "contender" and all that. Also, the fact that his has this new awakened conscience.  But  then i keep thinking that it is in fact Edie's love that ignites this desire and this conscience. But is that its own point? I'm not sure if that made any sense.

Is it Edie's love that triggers his sense of morality and his conscience ( which leads him to change)  , his desire to become something more than a  "bum" and all that.

OR  It is Edie's love a point on its own (which I'm not sure how to discuss about, maybe how she ignites his moral conscience?) , and then his own desire to become a "contender" rather than a "bum" ( which was initially triggered by Edie, but had always been a desire of his)  , then Father Barry's influence to provide justice and do the right thing and then Charley's death as a final trigger and pivotal moment of change. 

?

I apologise for the large amount of word vomit above, i just get confused because most of the change occurs as a consequence of his own thoughts and desires, but they're mostly reignited by Edie's love, so is it therefore the love that changes him, or his own thoughts/actions ?

Yes. Anyways, I'm not sure if any of that makes sense, i tend to confuse myself so i won't be surprised if you didn't really get any of that.

However, if you do get anything i was blabbering on about, please relieve me of my absolute confusion.

[literally lauren]

...I know that "love" is referring to Edie and her effect on him...

Just this?

I've only seen OTW once and I've never studied it, but I'd hazard a major theme like love isn't just evident in the way Edie feels about Terry.
Even at a most basic level: in order for love to change Terry, it must either be felt for him, by him, or both. You seem to be limiting yourself here to how one character shows him love, but there's no reason why that should be the only focus of your discussion. Broaden your focus of 'love' and 'change,' and all the other point you wanted to talk about are suddenly a lot more relevant.

...his own desire to become something more and become a "contender" and all that. Also, the fact that his has this new awakened conscience.  But  then i keep thinking that it is in fact Edie's love that ignites this desire and this conscience. But is that its own point? I'm not sure if that made any sense.

Don't jump into examples too quickly. Try to think about this prompt and what it is suggesting without using close textual evidence for a few minutes.

It is simply love that changes Terry. To what extent do you agree?
So the prompt denotes (ie. has the literal, obvious meaning that) = love changes Terry.
It doesn't say whose love, or how it changes him; that's for you to argue.

But it also emphasises 'simply love,'  implying that the emotion is straightforward, or seemingly insignificant. So beyond just talking about the different forms of love in the film and the way they change Terry, you'd also be expected to examine (and possible challenge) the idea of the simplicity of love.
It also implies it is 'simply love' --> and therefore nothing other than love which changes him. That's an area you might want to explore...

Remember, you are allowed to disagree with the prompt. In fact, rather than trying to find a bunch of evidence, and then try and put it together; instead begin your planning and writing just by coming up with a contention.

eg. 'Edie's love changes Terry' is not a great contention, because it's not dealing with the ideas in the prompt. A better one might look like:

'Although love has a profound impact on Terry, both in terms of the love he feels, and that which is felt by other characters, ultimately it his his own desire for something more that precipitates his change and development.'


Apologies if I've misunderstood your issue, let me know if you're still struggling

[grannysmith]

Although I don't do English anymore, I did study On the Waterfront last year. I'll just post an essay of OtW I wrote last year; I forgot what the prompt was but it must've had something to do with his 'moral conscience' contributing to his change. There may be some ideas in there you might find interesting (or not).

P.S. Now you know why I discontinued mainstream English :p

Spoiler

Silhouetted against the backdrop of the Hudson River, Elia Kazan’s film On the Waterfront explores the moral transformation of Terry Malloy. Kazan depicts Terry as a malleable figure who is more influenced by his own thoughts and actions than the people around him. It is through his sense of regret and resentment that causes Terry to adopt a moral conscience, while it is his desire for revenge that ultimately coerces Terry into testifying in court and becoming a ‘winner’ of the waterfront. However, Kazan reminds the audience that the people around Terry acts as catalysts; characters such as Edie and Father Barry are used by Terry as vehicles that facilitate his understanding and eventual adoption of a moral conscience. Hence, the people around Terry are his advisors and helpers, however it is ultimately Terry’s own thoughts and decisions that cause him to change.

It is through Edie’s compassion that Terry realises the notion of a moral conscience. From the outset of the film, Terry is depicted as a “bum” who prioritises his own survival at the detriment of those around him. In essence, he is akin to an “animal”, which is heightened when his modus operandi of “do[ing] it to him before he does it to you” is revealed. However, Kazan juxtaposes Terry’s animalistic attitude with Edie’s notion that “everybody [should] care about everybody else”, to which Terry replies “that stuff can drive you nuts”. Although Terry’s blatant refusal of morality is manifest, Edie’s words provide him the opportunity to realise of such a notion, which would otherwise not have happened. This is further highlighted by the fact that the longshoremen follow the “D and D” code, which is essentially a personification of the ignorant. Kazan emphasises on Terry’s obscured perception of a moral conscience by the dimness of the bar. This is further exemplified when Terry is seen wearing Edie’s white glove, which is an extension of Edie herself. Hence, this suggests that Terry is made to realise the existence of a moral conscience, and yet it is limited only to realisation as only one glove is worn. Hence this symbolises that although Terry is ‘trying on’ an embodiment of morality, he is not yet fully agreeing with such a notion. Therefore Kazan suggests that not individual is predisposed, like Terry, with a moral conscience, yet one can be made aware of it through the compassion and willingness of other individuals. Likewise, Edie acts as catalyst to Terry’s realisation of morality itself.

However, it is truly Terry’s own sense of regret that facilitates his development of a moral conscience, and his eventual adoption. More specifically, it is his involvement with the mob that engenders conflict within Terry. This is demonstrated when Terry states that he thought the mob were “only going to lean on [Joey] little bit”, accentuated by close-ups that reveal his uneasiness. Terry’s sense of regret, however, is in stark contrast with the mob’s crude humour that Joey “could sing but he couldn’t fly”. In effect, Kazan juxtaposes the heartless nature of the mob with Terry’s sense of regret, which in turn illustrates Terry’s developing moral conscience and abandonment of being “deaf and dumb”. Furthermore, Terry’s inner-conflict is symbolised through his checked jacket, which is a metaphor for his conflicted state of mind.  This is further illustrated when Terry explains that he “would like to help, but there’s nothing [he] can do”. Hence, the audience is made aware of his preference towards morality, but at the same time, he is torn between loyalty towards the mob or his newly acquired conscience. However, his sense of regret provides him the courage to “glad[ly]” stand up against Friendly, who he labels as a “dirty, stinking mug” whose “gut” is in his “trigger finger”. Therefore, by labelling Friendly as such, Terry outwardly denounces the mob, the “D and D code” and everything that it embodies, further highlighting on his adoption of a moral conscience. Hence, through this scene, Kazan asserts the view that those lacking in morality are the exact same ones who are toxic to society; conversely, justice can only be upheld by those guided by moral principles. Nonetheless, Terry’s complete transformation from being a servant of the “D and D” to an individual acquiring morality is demonstrated when he exclaims that he was “ratting on [himself] all them years and didn’t even know it”. Therefore Kazan suggests that feelings of regret has the capacity to morally transform an individual, and Terry’s actions testify to this claim.

However, Kazan also presents the view that despite his moral conscience, it was ultimately Terry’s desire for revenge that coerced him into opposing Friendly. In turn, it is an act of revenge that causes Terry to oppose injustice and demonstrate his moral principles. This is clearly manifest when he intends to “take it out of their skulls” for the mob’s murder of Charley. However, Father Barry advises Terry not to fight Friendly “like a hoodlum in the jungle”, but rather, to “fight him in the courtroom”. Although it may seem that his moral conscience coerces Terry into testifying in court, it is in fact his desire for revenge that does so. This is evident when he replies via the rhetorical question “what do you think?” upon being asked whether he would like to “fix” Friendly “for good”. This serves to highlight Terry’s motive for wanting to “win the war” by testifying in court; that is, to enact revenge for his brother’s death. However, this does not negate the fact that Terry’s confession was purely driven by revenge. Nevertheless, as Terry is guided by moral principles, he carries out his revenge appropriately: in compliance with his principles. Hence, Kazan implies that revenge is compatible with a moral conscience, so long as it complies with its principles. Therefore it can be seen that it was solely for revenge that ultimately caused Terry to testify in court.

In essence, although Terry is largely influenced by his own thoughts and actions, it would be remiss to state that it was solely these factors that caused his moral transformation. Rather, people such as Edie and Father Barry aid Terry in his moral development, and arguably catalyse his progress. Through Edie, Terry was made aware of morality, while it is through his sense of regret that Terry finally adopts a moral conscience. Nonetheless, his testifying in court was merely an act of revenge; however, it is Father Barry who guided him with moral principles.

[Imesha]

But it also emphasises 'simply love,'  implying that the emotion is straightforward, or seemingly insignificant. So beyond just talking about the different forms of love in the film and the way they change Terry, you'd also be expected to examine (and possible challenge) the idea of the simplicity of love.
It also implies it is 'simply love' --> and therefore nothing other than love which changes him. That's an area you might want to explore...

Thanks so much for the help. As you have seen before, i am amazing at confusing myself and i am unable to comprehend the bigger picture.

Also , in reference to ' the simplicity of love' , how would you discuss that? Given that you've only watched the movie once and haven't studied it, thats quite a question but you seem super knowledgable.

Also , i was intending to approach the question from the point that there is "nothing other than love that changes him".
Im hoping to say that love does indeed have a significant impact on Terry although several other factors and characters also contribute to his development throughout the film. 

The BPs will probably be something like

1. The feeling of value (and the realisation of his own potential to be somebody), that Edie's love and presence provides him with .
- Her love brings out the good in him that had always existed , but had always been buried (due to being in the constant presence of the Mob and their ability to always justify their wrong doings)

2. However, his change it not only fuelled by Edie’s affection, but also by his own desire to become something more than a “bum” and the reawakening of his conscience and sense of morality.
 > desire seen in the car ride with Charley (“I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am”)
> moral conscience exposed in his decision to confess to both Edie and Father Barry  & also at the hearing. (“Conscience... that stuff can drive you nuts!” - Terry)

3.  Father Barry’s determination to provide justice in a long-lasting and morally just form, assisted significantly in Terry’s development as a character.
>  Father Barry is determined to expose the truth
“Terry: If I spill, my life ain't worth a nickel.
Father barry: And how much is your soul worth if you don't?”
> Tells Terry to transpose his violent anger (after he finds Charley dead) and use it to expose the truth about Johnny friendly “Father Barry: You'd better get rid of that gun, unless you haven't got the guts, and if you don't, you'd better hang on to it!”

4. Charley’s Death is the final, pivotal event that changes Terry and causes him to expose the mob. Although he has been aware of the injustice that the mob created, he himself had never been a victim of its unjust ways. When they kill Charley, its suddenly hits Terry that the mob did not have any values or mercy, even for one of their own. This causes Terry really question his loyalty and comes to the decision that he must do the right thing, despite the much obeyed
“D&D” code.


I'm not sure if that makes much sense and I'm afraid that it's straying away from the actually topic of "simply love" changing Terry.

What are your thoughts? - sorry to dumping all this on you

[literally lauren]

Try paraphrasing the prompt instead, that might help clarify the bigger picture, (ie. 'It is only love that changes Terry.')
Then you'll have to work out the 'to what extent to you agree' part. Just a heads up, it's risky to completely agree or disagree with a prompt; try and challenge it in a way that hints at a bigger discussion, but is still very much based on the text and the prompt.

So what you've outlined here:

Also , i was intending to approach the question from the point that there is "nothing other than love that changes him".
Im hoping to say that love does indeed have a significant impact on Terry although several other factors and characters also contribute to his development throughout the film

is a bit of a contradiction because you can't begin by saying love is the only factor, then later claim there are 'other factors.' Try to tie these concepts together and look at how they might be related (eg. it is love that initiates the desire to change, but a variety of other factors [be more specific - apologies for my lack of textual detail on this one] are what actually change him.)

For the body paragraphs:

1. The feeling of value (and the realisation of his own potential to be somebody), that Edie's love and presence provides him with .
- Her love brings out the good in him that had always existed , but had always been buried (due to being in the constant presence of the Mob and their ability to always justify their wrong doings)

Good, but make some explicit link to the idea of change. This prompt isn't just about the fact that Terry changes, but that love is the only thing that changes him. Here you seem to be dealing more so with the idea of whether Terry truly does change, or whether Edie merely brought out a different side to his identity - which is an interesting challenge, but not one that is based on the prompt or your contention. You could incorporate these ideas, but think about what this paragraph is suggesting on an idea-level, because at the moment it's contradicting your overall argument:
   Contention: Love has a significant effect, but >insert other factors< are more important for >these reasons.<
   B.P: Edie's love brings out characteristics within Terry that were always present --> so not really changing him entirely.
I'd recommend unpacking the idea of change in the text as well. Like, what change(s) does Terry experience, and can we truly call his character 'changed' at any given point? How much of his identity has to be altered before we can call his character 'changed' overall?
Again, try and shy away from packing on evidence and just think about what you're arguing, and why.

2. However, his change it not only fuelled by Edie’s affection, but also by his own desire to become something more than a “bum” and the reawakening of his conscience and sense of morality.
 > desire seen in the car ride with Charley (“I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am”)
> moral conscience exposed in his decision to confess to both Edie and Father Barry  & also at the hearing. (“Conscience... that stuff can drive you nuts!” - Terry)

This is much better. Can't vouch for the specifics of the examples, but if they make sense to you and you know what points you're going to draw out from them, then great!

3.  Father Barry’s determination to provide justice in a long-lasting and morally just form, assisted significantly in Terry’s development as a character.
>  Father Barry is determined to expose the truth
“Terry: If I spill, my life ain't worth a nickel.
Father barry: And how much is your soul worth if you don't?”
> Tells Terry to transpose his violent anger (after he finds Charley dead) and use it to expose the truth about Johnny friendly “Father Barry: You'd better get rid of that gun, unless you haven't got the guts, and if you don't, you'd better hang on to it!”

This is verging on 'topic dodge' territory. When you're given a prompt like 'Love changes Terry' (simplifying for clarity's sake,) and you write a paragraph about how someone/ something else changes him instead, this constitutes a 'dodge' whereby you twist the argument into areas that may relate to one key word in the prompt (here: 'change') but don't relate to the idea behind the prompt ('love, and only love, changes Terry.')
I'm not saying every single component of your contention has to be evident in every paragraph, but try to move beyond the structure of using evidence as a means of structuring your arguments. So rather than looking at the fact that Father Barry was determined, consider focusing instead on the idea of determination being a more powerful and long-lasting fuel than love. This will enable to talk a little about Terry's ambitions and drive as well.

4. Charley’s Death is the final, pivotal event that changes Terry and causes him to expose the mob. Although he has been aware of the injustice that the mob created, he himself had never been a victim of its unjust ways. When they kill Charley, its suddenly hits Terry that the mob did not have any values or mercy, even for one of their own. This causes Terry really question his loyalty and comes to the decision that he must do the right thing, despite the much obeyed
“D&D” code.

This is just summary, and doesn't tell us anything about the idea that love changes Terry. You're exposing a key event that leads to him changing, but you need to make it clear to your reader what this means on higher level.
ie. The confronting realisation of his friend's (?) mortality causes Terry to change. Therefore, we can conclude >what< about the nature of love as an impetus for change.

Or you could argue the opposite; the more I try and remember this text, the more I forget, lol Hopefully the structural outlines will be sufficient and other sources can fill in the blanks!
I'd say spend some time sorting out your contentions and sub-arguments, as that seems to be where the trouble lies

[Imesha]

Thank you so much, again for all your time and effort. Much appreciated!!
 
Although i think I've just dug myself into a massive hole that i cannot get out of, and i just get more and more confused, so i thought i might approach it differently (: - this is a part of an email i sent back to my teacher, which i hope makes sense  :

Is it fair to say that ' It is love that initiates the desire to change, however it is ultimately Terry's yearning to be a ' contender' that carries out this transformation' ? Or is that too much of a closed statement that does not allow much evidence or ideas to discuss?

Is it better to say that ' Various forms of love play a vital role in the development of Terry, however it is not the only agent of change. Terry's own growing conscience and his desire to be a 'contender' also contributed to his transformation.'
 > With this contention, i think i'de be able to incorporate a few paragraphs of the different forms of love & then Also a paragraph of Terry's own conscience that had always existent, but developed significantly through internal conflict. Also,  his own desire to be a contender instead of a bum ( which had been reawakened by love, but had always been buried inside - “I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am”)

( Edie's romantic love, Charley's Fraternal love [exhibited in the car scene - lets terry go + the confronting realisation of charley's death - pain from love changes him] and Father Barry - i don't know how to define his love exactly, but he cares for the longshoremen and is determined to expose the truth and provide a just outcome for the community, which consequently impacts Terry's transformation as well)

Does that make somewhat sense? I hope it does. What do you think?