The main character,
Paul Kemp, is the epitome of the expatriate struggle. He finds himself in a
strange land where people talk a different language, which hinders
communication outwards from his little niche of similar people. There are basically
two distinct groups on the Island: the expatriates and the native islanders.
Herein lies his dilemma. It’s a classic example of in-group and out-grouping in
a story because the main character stays close to his own and feels excluded
from the rest, as do the native from the other perspective. This situation is
mainly due to the character’s location in the story, which is the island of
Puerto Rico.
One of the
major issues, if not the greatest, that Kemp faces is his alcoholism. An
addiction that destroys the lives and families of people in the blink of an eye
becomes Kemp’s biggest internal journey throughout the movie. It would be
optimistic to think that he shall overcome this crippling disease by the end of
the movie and earn the audience’s favor, but he later procures the use of drugs
and worsens things. Maybe I’m being too judgmental since this story was set in
the ‘60s and that was a time when drugs where incredibly popular and
commonplace, but it’s hard not to want the protagonist to overcome their own
self.
Another
obstacle that Kemp faces throughout the story is the reason he came down to the
Island in the first place: journalism. At first, he was an aspiring author who
was not able to sell a book, but he made the transition to journalism in the
hopes of completing himself as a writer. His boss, Lotterman, would not publish
any of the articles Kemp wanted to write about because they were about topics
like poverty in San Juan, which would be bad for tourism. At the end of the
movie, Kemp tries to write and publish the truth about Lotterman and another
character, Sanderson, after the paper closes. Kemp goes to great lengths to try
and publish his story, but by the time he gets the money he needed to do it,
there were no printing machines left. Even though he didn’t reach his goal,
that part of his internal journey had some sort of closure. By the very end of
the story he is shown back in New York where he is now a successful journalist,
bringing the story full circle.
I like what you wrote about wanting the protagonist to better themselves and overcome any vices they might've had in the beginning. I'd like to have an optimistic view on that aspect and think that once he went to New York he left that behind.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't the entire "not wanting to write about poverty because it'd be bad for tourism" remind you of Jamaica Kincaid's book? Wanting the tourist to feel like they're in a haven, happy and protected while completely blind to the problems of the place they're visiting.
I hadn't thought of it that way. It makes total sense because the director of the paper was basically doing what you described.
DeleteI agree wholeheartedly with you in that it relates to A Small Place in that sense. On the other hand, I believe that when she said she "wanted" to make them feel safe she was being cynical and sarcastic.
ReplyDeleteI can't ignore your extense vocabulary, really, it makes your blog more credible, and more interesting. Good job with your words use. Also, good summary about the movie, with the most important details and discussion.i really like your blog, and hope to read more about your ideas.
ReplyDeleteThank goodness for computers right? I can right-click a word and look for synonyms that sound more sophisticated haha.
DeleteThe way that you exposed the summary of the movie was perfect. I really liked it! I would like to know what you thought of the movie, and if you like it.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I didn't really like it as a movie. The premise per-se is interesting, but the execution I thought was done poorly. There isn't much engaging of the audience and it gets to the point where the whole thing is just a chore to watch.
DeleteI didn't like the movie but I love the way u describe everything <3
ReplyDeleteHahaha thanks. That means a lot.
DeleteGreat writing! The movie has it's lessons. Sometimes we reach our goals and sometimes we don't but life has it's ways of giving back to us which is shown when at the end Kemp becomes a successful journalist.
ReplyDelete