from Breakfast at Tiffany's to possible writers block...and everything in between
"People don't own people...I'm never going to let anyone put me in a cage."
-Holly Golightly, Breakfast at Tiffany's
I was watching Breakfast at Tiffany's last night, and that line sparked something in me. When I look at Audrey Hepburn's portrayal of the ultimately independent woman, I always stand up a little bit straighter. She is somewhat of a role model for me. But last night, I noticed something for the first time. The entire movie is based on the theme that people DO belong to people. That true love DOES exist, and that it's foolish to strive to be as independent as Holly was. While I don't necessarily agree with this, it made me take a step back, and really look at how this pertains to my life.
No matter how people choose to look at the movie, it can't be ignored that Holly Golightly is a gold digger. There is no way of getting around that fact! And that she is completely naive to some things, while she is worldly and experienced with others. I always looked at the movie as a pure romance, where the depth of the characters didn't really matter. It took only my billionth time of watching it last night, to realize how many adult situations there were in it.
Like, for example, the whole prostitution theme. Paul's "decorator friend" who pays him for their "time spent together", in addition to Holly getting paid fifty dollars to go the powder room and essentially spend an evening with a man. While it's certainly more suggestive than I had ever noticed, the whole theme sort of stands out in my mind now. It makes the whole movie a bit more realistic.
While Holly is not a complete bimbo, she definitely doesn't help that stereotype by not having a real job. And Paul doesn't exactly hold all the characteristics of a world class hero himself. These flaws make the movie even better though...because it gives it a bit of reality that otherwise it wouldn't have.
In my life, I have constantly pushed people away from me that I didn't feel comfortable around. I have never had serious relationships with anyone besides a few close friends and of course my family. While that's horribly self centered of me, I have always only focused on myself. I have created situations where I create ultimatums in my head, trying to see what decision I would make in a bind. Would I choose to help others before I help myself?
The answer is never clear...and somehow the quote from above seems to take over my life even more. I have constantly told my friends that I will probably end up never married, without kids, but living my own life, filled with success and happiness. They just roll their eyes, and tell me it will be a mistake. I just brush it off, and continue in my fantasy world of money and fame.
I think I'm more like Holly Golightly than even I notice.
The move in itself is wonderfully entertaining. But the messages that came across to me last night were much more than entertainment. I see myself as independent and strong...but am I more of the foolish and naive girl that Audrey plays in Breakfast at Tiffany's?
Like she says, "We belong to nobody, and nobody belongs to us. We don't even belong to each other." It's kind of a defeatist attitude...but it still carries that oomph that I just love. It just hits me right there.
While I'm going through all of this, I have to literally re-think where I am going to go with the last two chapters of the story I've been working on. In romance movies love is always the result. But is that realistic? I'm still going back and forth on how I want to end the five chapter story. I could go the more realistic route and end it unresolved...or I could go the cliched romantic way, and end with a crazy declaration of love.
Or, I could quite possibly be missing an in-between level that incorporates a little of both.
I think the ending is going to be a surprise to everyone, including myself. I think it would be fun to go out with a bang! I just can't foresee how it's going to end...and I have yet to start on chapter four. I wouldn't go as far as to say that I have writers block...because I have a lot of different ideas floating around in my head...It's more of a confusion that I need to get past before I type another word.
So, we'll see where it goes! Hopefully in a good direction!
-Holly Golightly, Breakfast at Tiffany's
I was watching Breakfast at Tiffany's last night, and that line sparked something in me. When I look at Audrey Hepburn's portrayal of the ultimately independent woman, I always stand up a little bit straighter. She is somewhat of a role model for me. But last night, I noticed something for the first time. The entire movie is based on the theme that people DO belong to people. That true love DOES exist, and that it's foolish to strive to be as independent as Holly was. While I don't necessarily agree with this, it made me take a step back, and really look at how this pertains to my life.
No matter how people choose to look at the movie, it can't be ignored that Holly Golightly is a gold digger. There is no way of getting around that fact! And that she is completely naive to some things, while she is worldly and experienced with others. I always looked at the movie as a pure romance, where the depth of the characters didn't really matter. It took only my billionth time of watching it last night, to realize how many adult situations there were in it.
Like, for example, the whole prostitution theme. Paul's "decorator friend" who pays him for their "time spent together", in addition to Holly getting paid fifty dollars to go the powder room and essentially spend an evening with a man. While it's certainly more suggestive than I had ever noticed, the whole theme sort of stands out in my mind now. It makes the whole movie a bit more realistic.
While Holly is not a complete bimbo, she definitely doesn't help that stereotype by not having a real job. And Paul doesn't exactly hold all the characteristics of a world class hero himself. These flaws make the movie even better though...because it gives it a bit of reality that otherwise it wouldn't have.
In my life, I have constantly pushed people away from me that I didn't feel comfortable around. I have never had serious relationships with anyone besides a few close friends and of course my family. While that's horribly self centered of me, I have always only focused on myself. I have created situations where I create ultimatums in my head, trying to see what decision I would make in a bind. Would I choose to help others before I help myself?
The answer is never clear...and somehow the quote from above seems to take over my life even more. I have constantly told my friends that I will probably end up never married, without kids, but living my own life, filled with success and happiness. They just roll their eyes, and tell me it will be a mistake. I just brush it off, and continue in my fantasy world of money and fame.
I think I'm more like Holly Golightly than even I notice.
The move in itself is wonderfully entertaining. But the messages that came across to me last night were much more than entertainment. I see myself as independent and strong...but am I more of the foolish and naive girl that Audrey plays in Breakfast at Tiffany's?
Like she says, "We belong to nobody, and nobody belongs to us. We don't even belong to each other." It's kind of a defeatist attitude...but it still carries that oomph that I just love. It just hits me right there.
While I'm going through all of this, I have to literally re-think where I am going to go with the last two chapters of the story I've been working on. In romance movies love is always the result. But is that realistic? I'm still going back and forth on how I want to end the five chapter story. I could go the more realistic route and end it unresolved...or I could go the cliched romantic way, and end with a crazy declaration of love.
Or, I could quite possibly be missing an in-between level that incorporates a little of both.
I think the ending is going to be a surprise to everyone, including myself. I think it would be fun to go out with a bang! I just can't foresee how it's going to end...and I have yet to start on chapter four. I wouldn't go as far as to say that I have writers block...because I have a lot of different ideas floating around in my head...It's more of a confusion that I need to get past before I type another word.
So, we'll see where it goes! Hopefully in a good direction!