The film “Miller’s Crossing” is a story about a man named Tom Reagan. After sleeping with his boss’s wife, Verna, Tom leaves and starts working for a guy named Johnny Casper. Johnny orders Tom to kill a man named Bernie, Verna’s brother. After bringing Bernie into the woods, Tom spares Bernie’s life and “fake kills” him. I believe there are two main reasons that Tom did not kill Bernie and saves his life. One reason being that Tom see’s how keeping Bernie alive could benefit him in the future, and the other one being that Bernie is Verna’s brother. First, Tom views Bernie as a possible valuable asset that he could use later. When he was in the woods with Bernie he respectfully had two options, he could kill Bernie or pretend to kill Bernie
by shooting two shots and letting him go. He chooses to fake the shooting because Casper would believe that Tom remains loyal to him and Tom could use Bernie to his advantage later. Knowing that Tom is still secretly loyal to Leo (his original boss), he brings Casper and Bernie together where Bernie kills Casper and then he kills Bernie, framing a classic murder suicide. Lastly, Verna is Bernie’s brother and this plays with his empathetic side. After having an affair with Verna, who is the wife of his former boss (Leo), Tom develops feelings for Verna. He knows that killing Bernie will cause Verna a lot of emotional hurt and pain and he can’t do that to her. When Verna believes that her brother is dead, she confronts Tom about it on the street. However the most solid piece of evidence for Tom’s affection for Verna is at the end of the film when Leo offers him his job back but Tom declines, not being able to bare the pain of seeing Verna and Leo together.
...t through, the director wanted to show that they were also bad times for his doting mother and his concerned brother. In particular, Tom led to very emotional times after he was shot by the rival gang, burns and was hospitalized (Wellman, “The Public Enemy”). One particular scene that the director of the movie included is that of Tom beating his wife with grapes. The director indicated over media interviews that he added the scene from what he faces at home especially when dealing with his wife.
At the beginning, Tom is very self-centered and preoccupied with his work. He finds what he wants to do more important than what his wife wants to do that night. Once faced with the reality of death, he realizes how important his wife is to him. This forces him to be strong and stay alive, for her sake. The only reason he made it back into his house was because of how much he cared for her. Tom then decides to go find her at the movies, which shows that he has become less self-centered and more aware of his wife’s feelings.
However, the most compelling item in Miller’s early section is the note left in Harris’s diary. It says that there was nothing that could have done to thwart what was to happen. Also, it was observed that their parents were not at fault for their actions – they had been raised fine. The administration did what they could, and it would seem unreasonable to place laws on PVC pipes for they were a “select case” and “don’t think [that] this will happen again (Miller 422).” Their actions are according to Miller, are without motive or meaning. Moreover, along the way, they became lost in the struggle, like McCandless, in finding their way to mortality while being misguided (Miller 422). This misguidedness was because of the type of culture we live in – the world of reality shows, video games, constant media attention on the bizarre behaviors of others, and all other
Here Tom stands up for himself, yet at the beginning of the story we see that Tom was too scared to reply to his parents when they were fighting, but now he can stand up for himself. This is illustrated when Tom thinks to himself, “I was thinking that I might take a drink to my father, but dared not as yet suggest it” (Ross 221). This little outburst from Tom shows that he is trying to make his voice and opinions be heard over the adults. He wants to be heard and wants to be seen like a responsible person and is trying with some, but little avail. Tom also tries to work against fate by trying to teach Phillip how to stook.
This whole play by Arthur Miller shows how our community will turn on each other to save ourselves no matter if it’s right or wrong and it’s true in our society today. It also shows how a good man regained his happiness and holiness by standing up for what’s right against the lies and sacrificed himself for the truth.
But he is not in any way greatful for any of it. Despite everything Tom has he still belittles others, and cheats on Daisy. Tom has a racial attitude, for example, he disapproves interracial marriage. He is very egoistic and has a high opinion of himself. Even more supporting that he has no morals and a dark side also, Tom's affair with Myrtle Wilson also supports the conclusion that he's quite the
So every day he is risking his life with everything he does. The first way he risks himself is by going to school. He couldn’t get too excited and play with the other kids because his heart couldn’t take it. “ Don’t run, don’t fight, whispers Mother. No games. For Tom the schoolyard seems a thousand acres of sizzling pandemonium. His first day, he lasts and hour, Mother finds him beneath a tablecloth with his fist in his mouth.”(37-40) He can’t handle school, it is too much for him. This shows risk because his mother is risking his life by sending him to school when she knows that if he gets to overstimulated like in the quote he could possibly die from it. The second way he risks his life is when he runs home from the butcher shop after going to the pond with Ruby. He isn’t supposed to run or exercise really because it works his heart to much and he feels faint. “Then Tom ran to the butcher’s and runs home, and his heart races, and spots spread like inkblots in from of his eyes.” Since he is running when he isn’t really supposed to, he is causing his heart to overwork itself. So he is risking his life to run to the butcher shop and home because he doesn’t want his mom to find out that he hasn’t just been going to the butcher shop like he is supposed to. In the end, while he was
The Reeve which is Osewold does take offense at the Miller’s tale of a stupid carpenter and counters his tale of a dishonest Miller. Osewold speaks in the Millers churl’s terms to basically lay it on the line for him on basically how he feels about the Miller’s tale, but in a weird, friendly way. Osewold speaks “I pray to God his neck may break into pieces, he can well in my eye see a piece of straw, but in his own he can not see a large piece of timber” In Lines (3918-20). Basically, the Miller and the Reeve don’t like each other at all due to them working with each other as carpenters in the same mill. Osewold is basically, trying to explain that the Miller is a thief and a dishonest miller and not fully honest with the company. Plus, the Miller is drunk so it’s still going to look bad on him because of him still being dishonest with his
During Author Miller’s era of the 1950’s, the ‘cold war’ was happening. Senetor Joeseph McCarthy was completely against communism and began to arrest the communists and people assosiating with them. Those arrested were forced to either name names to identify those who were communists or thought to be, or else they would remain in jail. This was callef McCarthyism For many, being prisioned was a terrible frightening thought so they would name names including any that they could think of that could be innocent. Author Miller was arrested for associating with communists and refused to identify others, and wrote The Crucible, using it as an allegory to identify the problems of society and it’s flaws of the corrupt government.
Tom can now start to show his maturity everywhere, including at home. In the beginning, Tom is running from Aunt Polly's punishments, hurries through chores, and plays hooky from school. When he convinces kids to do his job of whitewash the fence for him, it shows immaturity. Also when he runs away from home to the island, he doesn't leave a note.
The author continuously characterizes Tom in a way that makes the readers deride him and not want to follow the example of his like. For example, after Tom's wife takes all their valuables and tries to strike a bargain with the devil as Tom won't do it himself, Tom goes looking for her. The reader sees that he doesn't really care about her as much as he cares about the valuables: "He leaped with joy; for he recognized his wife's apron, and supposed it to contain the household valuables"(263). That shows that he is really greedy and ruthless; no one wants to follow someone portrayed like that. Furthermore, Tom had evidence that his wife was fighting with the devil when she tried to strike that bargain. The passage that provides his reaction has a satirical tone: "He shrugged his shoulders, and he looked at the signs of a fierce clapper clawing."Egad," said he to himself, "Old scratch must have had a tough time if it!" Tom consoled himself for the loss of his property, with the loss of his wife"(264). Contrasting words like fierce and prowess, which are serious words, with words like clapper clawing, egad and old scratch, Irving highlights...
Case: You are at home one evening with your family, when all of a sudden, a man throws open the door. He’s holding a shotgun in his hands, and he points it directly at your family. It seems he hasn’t seen you yet. You quietly and carefully retrieve the pistol your father keeps in his room for home protection. Are you morally allowed to use the pistol to kill the home invader?
The crimes that Tom commits throughout the film are in the name of self-preservation. He kills because killing becomes necessary to preserving his assumed identity. Every murder carried out after Dickie’s is done in the name of protecting Tom’s ability to continue life as Dickie. Nonetheless, Tom exhibits the remorse and struggle with his actions that ultimately serve to humanize him as a criminal. Tom does not kill for the thrill; he kills because it is the only way to preserve this life that he has always longed for, a life that until now he had only experienced as an outsider. In the final moments of the film, Tom, living as Dickie, goes on a cruise with his partner, Peter. While on board, Tom runs into his friend Meredith, who has seen Peter (an old acquaintance of her own) on board. This sighting puts Tom’s duplicity in jeopardy and ends up being the ultimate reason that Tom has to kill Peter. In the scene where this murder occurs, Tom’s remorse and dread are evident. Before he kills Peter he grapples with the deception that has led him to this point. As he explains this deception to Peter, the camera pans to a medium shot of Tom toying with the scarf around his neck that he will eventually use to strangle Peter. In the shot, the use of flickering light and shadows on Tom’s countenance seem to allude to the internal identity flux that Tom is experiencing. As the scene develops and Tom carries out the strangulation, his sobs are audible over the struggles and shouts of Peter, supporting the image of the remorseful, regretful character that makes Ripley more relatable for viewers. Although Tom carries out some heinous acts in his pursuit to maintain his life as Dickie, he doesn’t consider himself completely evil, and the viewer isn’t led to think to this about him either. Instead Tom’s struggle
Also, providing more than enough information proving that Tom is a white supremacist, he presumes himself higher than everyone because he has white privilege, coming from playing college football and being born with a silver spoon made him more spoiled and privileged than the normal person. Examples of this include, on page 11, “Now, don’t think my opinion on these matters is final.” Tom said, “Just because I’m more of a man than you are.” This proves that Tom believes himself higher than the people around him because of his physical appearance, which could lead back to him growing up with
She wants Laura, if not herself to be taken care of. At that moment in the play Tom is the breadwinner in the family and up to this point Tom is the underpriviledged child that wants to move on. He wants to pursue his dream, a more adventurous life. Tom was a likable character until we find out he didn't pay the electric bill with the intended money. When Jim is over and he says "I paid my dues this month, instead of the light bill".