Most people in society simply go about their daily business with their heads down, few actually try and take matters into their own hands and make a real change, but among the rarest of people, are the men and women like Edward Bloom. He is the main protagonist in Tim Burton's "Big Fish", who, on his deathbed, attempts to reconnect with his distant son by telling him the extraordinary and dramatized story of his life. Through the structuralism lens, the truth of the story is that Edward Bloom is a larger than life character who impacts all those he meets along his journey. This truth is revealed through: the setting of the circus, the conflict that Edward experiences during the Korean War, the character of Karl, the town of Ashton, and finally …show more content…
the town of Specter and the people that inhabit it. During his time with the circus, Bloom proves he is unlike any ordinary man through his actions and strong intentions despite the near-impossible circumstances. The setting of Calloway’s Circus, when examined through the structuralism lens, demonstrates Edward’s truth that is his greatness, and his significant effect on the lives of others, by providing him with undesirable conditions that put him at odds with the world, and drive him to change people’s lives. It is shortly after departing from the town of Spectre, that Edward, along with Karl the giant, embark on a journey to discover Edward's destiny, which promptly leads them to Calloway's Circus. It is here that Edward gets his first glimpse of his future wife, at a crowded exit, but he loses her in the chaos and is unable to locate her on the grounds. Bloom learns that Calloway is a family friend of the girl he is in love with and begs for him to tell him her name and where he can find her, they work out an arrangement where each month Bloom works for free, Calloway tells him about his love. This setting shows Edward's extraordinary and rare determination that is unlike that of the average man. He is willing to work for free, exposing himself to exhaustion, hunger, pain, and almost outright hostile conditions for upwards of three years of his life without complaint, to obtain ambiguous hints about a girl he saw across a big top. However, Edward Bloom has already made up his mind that he is going to marry this woman one day, despite her not even knowing his name. Later in the story, when he finally does end up meeting her, he ends up changing her life in so many ways, like causing her to leave Don, her fiancé, marry him instead, and ultimately spend the rest of her life with him. It can be safely said that almost no man would subject himself to this kind of work before having even met their love and similarly, it is a rare circumstance that he already wishes to marry her and spend his life with her, but it is clear that Edward Bloom is not like most men. After meeting his wife, Edward continues to go above and beyond what any average person is expected by society to do when he is conscripted to fight in the Korean War. By applying the structuralism lens to the conflict of the Korean War and Edward, it is clear that the war is simply another medium for Edward’s truth to develop by prevailing against all odds, all the while having the time and kind-heartedness to impact the lives of complete strangers. It is when he is called upon by his country to participate in the war, Edward becomes conflicted. Having just spent three years of his life working tirelessly to find the love of his life, he is wrenched away from her before they can even begin their lives together. This frustration with the United States of America and desperation to return to his wife causes Edward to take extreme risks by taking on top secret missions during his conscription. This is done in the hope that his time will be cut down, so that he may return to his wife sooner, due to the added risk and stress of these special operations. That being said, it goes without saying that special operations are not a job for regular soldiers, usually a certain level of dedication and aptitude is required; Edward displays these traits dominantly because he is so much larger than life, and is thus sent to deal with difficult missions on his own, like stealing Korean plans from a power plant. During his escape, he encounters two Korean vocalists, twins, named Ping and Jing. He tells them that he knows the biggest man in show business, Calloway, and that if they help him to America, he will get them bookings. They agree, and begin a rather undetailed journey back to the United States, where upon their return, it can be assumed that Edward made true on his promise. Ping and Jing were fated to live in Korea together, where they were apparently stressed and displeased with their lives, however their encounter with Bloom changes all of that. Edward has a very similar effect on Karl the giant’s life through the element of conflict with society. Conflict versus society that Karl endures in “Big Fish” can also have the structuralism lens applied to it, and what it will show is that Edward is still able to heroically defend his town and it’s people, while still doing everything he can to help out someone in need regardless of his standing with them or society, because that is his truth.
The character Karl undergoes a conflict with society comes when he first visits Ashton, when Edward is just eighteen years of age. He is seen as posing a threat to the people of Ashton because of his gigantic nature and, and as a result, the people look towards a violent alternative to preserve themselves from Karl. To avoid this, Bloom heroically volunteered to risk his life to protect his people from a threat when nobody normal would. Edward meets Karl, expecting to die as a sacrifice, because he does not wish to harm him, despite what the townspeople want. Instead he ends up sympathizing with the giant, sharing the philosophy that they are big too big for such a small place like Ashton. Rather than attempting to harm the giant, or cause him to flee, Bloom invites the giant along to accompany him on his journey to find his destiny away from Ashton. Karl accepts his offer and the two depart from Ashton to follow Edward's. This journey eventually leads to the giant being recruited into a career in Calloway's circus, where Bloom meets the love of his life. As opposed to when Karl was a wanderer, he no longer scares people or is seen as a threat to them, because he is part of the circus, where his abnormalities are appreciated and valued by everyone around him. As previously mentioned, during his teenage years, Edward Bloom lives in Ashton, where even at such a young age his truth is still very much present and
prominent. The setting of Ashton itself, is a symbol that aims to represent how Edward is such a big man for the small and simple town of Ashton, and by applying the structuralism lens, it is obvious that Bloom is too big for the town, that is why he starts going so far above and beyond any expectation he can realize. Beginning from his days as a young child, Edward is seen and accepted as the big man or the star of Ashton. He excels at both baseball and football, being the star player and crowd favourite on both teams; his intelligence is also recognized when he wins a high school science fair competition; he charges into a burning house, completely unprotected in a heroic feat of saving a family's dog; and so much more. In Ashton, nobody can compare to Edward in almost anything, simply because he is such a remarkable man, even at such a young age. The townspeople do not look towards a police force or their government, in fact, they all seem to look towards the teenage Edward Bloom to solve their problems, which he always does. On a plethora of occasions Bloom impacts the people of Ashton, whether it is bringing a win for a local team, saving a family pet, or defending the town from a giant. Clearly, his contributions to his hometown were significant, as he is awarded the key to the town at his final departing party. At this party, nearly every resident of Ashton is in attendance to see a young boy off in life, because he has done so much for them. Immediately after departing Ashton, Bloom arrives in the hidden town of Spectre, where without fail, he proves himself to be so much more than anyone else, and in doing so, helps a townsperson out not once, but twice. Once again, the structuralism theory may be applied to “Big Fish”, this time to the setting of the town of Spectre, where it is clear that the setting aims to provide a larger perspective of the actual magnitude Bloom’s larger than life aura and his effect on others, both unintentionally and intentionally When Bloom arrives in Spectre for the first time, as a teenage boy, he has just left Ashton on the pursuit of adventure. When he accidentally finds this hidden town, he is met by a community of very friendly, sociable, and downright remarkable townspeople, who without asking any questions, invite him into their homes, and to join in festivities. Everything in the town is tidy, and picture perfect, yet Edward still finds a way to make a mark for himself among these prestigious individuals by deciding to leave Spectre. Despite his love for the town and its people, Edward is unable to find it in himself to settle down in Spectre. Instead, he opts to continue on his adventure, which he recognizes will most likely land him some place not as perfect as Spectre. The choice he makes is so important because it is the first time anyone has ever made the decision to leave the town. It comes across as outrageous to these people because they have some of the best lives imaginable, but Edward Bloom decides that his life does not need to be perfect, it needs to be lived through plenty of experiences. The reactions from the townspeople are very similar, each one of them heavily critical of his decision, but many years later, Bloom runs into the town's poet, Norther Winslow at a bank. Immediately, Winslow attributes his leaving of Spectre to Bloom, who inspired him to live his life for himself, to which he seems much happier than he was in Spectre. However, Winslow in the present day is an extreme criminal who robs the bank they are in. Bloom, rather than abandoning his lost friend from so many years ago, helps him out by aiding in the crime, and when the bank vault is empty, he gives some of his own money to him. He gives him a lesson about finances and once again inspires him, this time to go to Wall Street, where he ends up becoming extremely successful in the world of business. Even when a picture perfect life was handed to Bloom by the people of Spectre, and even when his friend makes an extremely poor choice in life, he always takes the highest road in life, which is the one that rarely anyone can find it in themselves to take. In conclusion. Tim Burton's character Edward Bloom, in the movie “Big Fish”, is a primary example of how elements of fiction combine to form a unified truth. Using the structuralism lens to examine the key elements and situations of the movie, such as the setting of Calloway's Circus, Edward's involuntary military service, his sympathies with Karl the giant, his hometown of Ashton, and finally the town of Spectre, it is no surprise to discover that so many of the movie's elements of fiction lead to a definitive and undeniable truth about the character of Edward Bloom. That truth being, he is a man who goes above and beyond what any other person should ever do, and always manages to change people's lives for the better.
Edward Scissorhands is a fascinating story about a man created by Vincent Price, an inventor of amazing creations. A woman, Peg, finds Edward Scissorhands, while she looks for a customer for her makeup investment, alone in a dark and gloomy with uplifting topiary in the garden. Edward tells Peg that his father never woke up. Peg then takes Edward to her own home because she cannot bear the loneliness of Edward’s home. Edward then becomes famous around Peg’s neighborhood to being famous around town because of his outstanding scissorhands.
The book has vivid imagery making the reader imaging as if her or she was their right beside him in his whole investigation. Such as “In the winter of 1978, through, a fierce blizzard hit southern Connecticut. Temperatures were often below zero and at one point it snowed for thirty-three hours straight. Perhaps it was the cold that killed the fish, or the copper sulfate I helped the caretaker drag through the pond the previous summer to manage the algal blooms, or maybe even the fishermen id noticed trespassing on the estate one day, scoping out my grounds. But whatever caused it, after that never again did I spot a living fish in that pond again.”(Greenberg 12-13). This quote shows how good his imagery, tone, and diction is, when I read it all I could think of is that storm and the pond. The author has an excellent writing style and keeps the reader wanting more. Even though the book has a lot of good things for it the only thing I would tell the author would to give more connections of him to the story. It says “The transformation of salmon and sea bass from kingly and holiday wild fish into everyday farmed variants is a trend that continues with different animals around the globe.”(Greenberg 195). In every chapter about each of the fish it gives some connections to him but it would make it even
Northrop Frye is the author of The Educated Imagination. The book talks about literature and methods that improve and enthralls the reader from common fallacies, to how an author can manipulate what is put in the text. These lesson can be put to use outside in the real world such as advertising. These can also be connected to other media pieces such as other books and movies. The movie Big Fish directed by Tim Burton is one of those media pieces that can be connected to Northrop Frye work. The movie is about a son who trying to learn more about his dying father by listening to stories and myths about his life. The purpose of this reflection is to show that in the educated imagination the chapter
The captivity of large, wild animals is accepted for theme parks all around the world. Tickets are sold for people to come and watch these animals live and even preform in an exhibit that almost resembles their natural environment. It is impossible for parks and zoos that use animals as attractions to provide the same resources and space they would have in the habitat they are usually found in. They can, however, help injured or ill animals that cannot survive in the wild. This is where I believe they should draw the line for keeping animals in captivity. SeaWorld has gotten a lot of attention in the last few years, especially since the Netflix documentary, Blackfish, was released. This film targets the company for the mistreatment of their orca whales. In particular, it told the story of one named Tilikum and shows the problems he and the other orca whales face while living under the care of SeaWorld. Gabriela Cowperthwaite, the director
The paper will focus on the story that was later adapted into the film Antwone Fisher. Finding Fish depicts the life story of Antwone Fisher, a man who rose above his painful past to beat the odds. The purpose of this paper is to apply the strengths perspective and systems perspective to Finding Fish. Another outcome will be to identify and apply biopsychosocial, sociocultural, and social change theories to the situations in the book Finding Fish.
ultimate theme of 'The Fish" is that the carelessness of how we treat others and
Throughout Daniel Wallace’s novel, Big Fish, Edward Bloom encompasses the meaning of the title. He is immortalized through the many tall tales he has shared with his son, Will. The stories are a depiction of a man who is larger than life, someone who is too big for a small town. Edwards passion for being remembered and loved followed him to his deathbed, where he passed on his stories to his son. The term “Big Fish” is used to reference the magnificence of Edwards life, and is an embodiment of the larger than life stories that he passes down to Will.
Using the production elements of symbolism; especially hands themselves, and the use of allusion to elements from other genres; particularly those from fairytale and gothic romance/horror films, Tim Burton has directed the film in such a manner to illustrate, emphasise and ridicule the materialism and lack of imagination of society. The film however, is prominently a satire which has certain elements from fairytale, comedy and horror genres. Through the choices made by the director, the audience is invited to become aware of the inhumanity present in the way society functions, especially in its prejudiced treatment towards people who do not conform. The use of allusion in Edward Scissorhands is one of the most important choices in production that has been made by director Tim Burton. In order to fully appreciate and understand the plot, the movie is dependant on the audience being able to recognise certain references and elements emulated from other films.
A fish is a creature that preceded the creation of man on this planet. Therefore, Bishop supplies the reader with a subject that is essentially constant and eternal, like life itself. In further examination of this idea the narrator is, in relation to the fish, very young, which helps introduce the theme of deceptive appearances in conjunction with age by building off the notion that youth is ignorant and quick to judge. Bishop's initial description of the fish is meant to further develop this theme by presenting the reader with a fish that is "battered," "venerable," and "homely." Bishop compares the fish to "ancient wallpaper.
In Daniel Wallace’s novel, Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions and Tim Burton’s film, Big Fish, the relationship between the dying protagonist, Edward Bloom and his estranged son, William Bloom, is centrally to the story in both the novel and film. Like many fathers in today's society, Edward Bloom wishes to leave his son with something to remember him by after he is dead. It is for this reason the many adventures of Edward Bloom are deeply interwoven into the core of all the various stories Edward tells to mystify his son with as a child. Despite the many issues father and son have in their tense relationship as adults, Daniel Wallace and Tim Burton’s adaptation of Wallace’s novel focalizes on the strained relationship between Edward Bloom and William Bloom. In both Wallace’s novel and Burton’s film, they effectively portray how the relationship between Edward Bloom and William Bloom is filled with bitter resentment and indifference towards each other. Only with William’s attempt to finally reconcile with his dying father and navigating through his father fantastical fables does those established feelings of apathy and dislike begin to wane. With Burton’s craftily brilliant reconstruction of Wallace’s story does the stories of Edward Bloom and his son blossom onto screen.
“We feel as if something inside us, in our blood, has been switched on. That's not just a phrase--it is a fact. It is the front, that has made electrical contact ... We are dead men with no feelings, who are able by some trick, some dangerous magic, to keep on running and keep on killing.”
Paradoxically, the creation does not result in progress but manages to destroy more than what it was made from, in turn, causing more conflict and damage. Whale’s cynical view towards the war was especially exposed in “Bride of Frankenstein” which was made three years after Hitler came into authority. The technology used within this film was beyond its time as was the gender reversal and concept of re-animation after death. This could symbolize the people’s resistance to evolve and improve. The community and people who make it such are also part of the symbolic battlefield that is Dr. Frankenstein’s laboratory. It is in this community of regression that the re-born creature is thrust into and immediately rejected. Similarly the returning wounded soldier is not taken in by the community; rather he is shunned and unwelcomed as if he has been de-humanized by the war. The people of the community do not see the soldier as “re-born”, they see him more as an abnormality that was supposed to die in the war. Although many in the community claimed they would rather see dead heroes happy in their afterlife they were often rejected when they returned home. This war that was referred to as “the war to end all wars” produced more hardship for populations. It was at this time that the re-birth from death of the creature undermined the meaning of death and obligation of those who had sacrificed all for their country. In the film “J’accuse” by Abel Gance the town folk flee from the “reborn” soldiers. They are not at all excited or grateful to see their deceased war heroes one last time. The villagers know that they have not shown appreciation for the soldiers sacrifices. They have been living petty civilian lives, taking advantage of soldiers’ bu...
...As we are examining the people on the screen, we are viewing ourselves. Burton produces a “perfect” figure of Edward who is kind, caring, and signifies the most striking feelings of individuals. In addition, his evil appearance exists only because humanity says that he is unusual. Burton wants us, as the audience, to be conscious of ourselves as a part of the social order, and to cautiously consider the realism we decide to accept as true and exist in.
Consider other parallels: heroes Leopold Bloom and Lester Burnham (same initials, LB) are both middle-aged, middle-class, mediocre, unappreciated admen (Lester describes himself as "a whore for the advertising industry"[49], neither of whom has had sex with their wives in years . Ultimately both Bloom and Lester yearn to regain the past unity and warmth of their homes.
In the novel Big Fish by Daniel Wallace, we are told the story of Edward Bloom, a man of many adventures, who is somewhat of a myth. Big Fish is a collection of the tall tales Edward tells his son about his life, and also of the effect his tales had on his son. The novel comes from an American author from Alabama, while the movie comes from Hollywood and is directed by Tim Burton, who is also American. This story is not an ancient sacred text, so the story’s function(s) is to entertain and to make money.