Discussion n. 12: good writing example (due June 28)

Here is the essay by Amanda from last assignment:

Read it over and COMMENT on how she interpreted the assignment, and the analysis she performed on the text.

  TASK 4:   Essay for grade

These films make it look like it's easy for Italians and ItAms to get in touch with their feelings  -- good or bad.

Is this what non-Italians have in mind when they say that Italians of all stripes are "passionate?"

Do these films offer a key to understanding what kind of psychic mechanism are at play? 

In Moonstruck this "being in touch with one's feelings" leads to cheating, emotional betrayal, complications, etc. So, is it all good?

Pick a topic along those lines, look at your reactions inside yourself and explain to yourself what you feel-think. Are you conflicted?

 

            In the three films watched throughout this class thus far, The Italian, L’emigrante, and Moonstruck, Italians and Italian Americans seem to always be in touch with their feelings and never fail to express them. The Italians in these films have portrayed a long list of emotions. What these characters are going through in each film directly affects the emotion they express. In the movie The Italian, for example, Beppo went from happy, to angry, to sad. The character’s demeanor changed from happiness due to the birth of his son to severe sadness with the death of his son. Every emotion felt by these characters was never hidden and only always expressed in their actions.

            A common theme in each of these three films is the aggressive nature of Italians. The psychic mechanism used by Italians is one that involves action. Instead of acting out in a rational way, the characters act out with aggression. They let their emotions get the best of them and it caused irrational decisions to be made. The character Beppo in The Italian, believed a man Bill Corrigan was the cause of his son’s death. Beppo felt nothing but anger and this anger caused him to change from a man to an animal. He wanted nothing but revenge and he set out to kill Corrigan’s sick child. The main character Peppino in L’emigrante receives news on his family in Italy. He automatically feels nothing but anger and as a result he wants to kill the leader of the Italian gang. These two characters, Beppo and Peppino, are quick to raise a hand when something does not go their way. In the movie Moonstruck, the character Ronnie is a very aggressive man. When first meeting him, he threatens to kill himself because his brother ruined his life. Then when talking to Loretta he throws the kitchen table because she is saying something he does not want to hear. Instead of rationally dealing with their emotions, these three characters take action in an aggressive way.

            Non-Italians describe Italians as being very passionate. Being passionate is defined as being compelled by intense emotions or strong feelings, good or bad. The characters in these three movies are all very passionate which is evident in the way they express their emotions. The passionate nature of Italians is seen most evident in the movie Moonstruck. The Italian characters in this movie are very emotional and most passionate towards love. To them love is more than just a feeling of tender affection towards someone. The passionate personalities of the characters causes them to basically be a mess. The movie is filled with cheating, betrayal and family complications. This can lead one to question whether or not having such passion is always a good thing. When looking at the struggle these characters face throughout the movie, one can say having such passion is overall not a good thing. However, at the end of the movie every character is happy with their life and what it has come to. Loretta believed that she did not have good luck and she believed that getting married the right way would make her happy and satisfied. She did not love Johnny, but she knew she had to get married and could not wait any longer. When her feelings for Ronny made her overwhelmed she said, “I can take hold of myself. I can say yes to somethings and no to other things that are going to ruin everything.” Loretta thought she was ruining everything by cheating on Johnny, but in the end she was doing what was best for herself. She finally found love and it was her passion for Ronny that allowed her to do so. Being passionate, like the characters in this movie, can cause many small disasters. However, in the end it is their passion that allows them to feel happy and fulfilled.

            Cheating is a very questionable topic. I do not in any case think cheating is a good thing. It is usually the result of not being satisfied or happy. This causes me to question if cheating is all around bad and if one does it because they want to be happy, then how can one see it as being bad? Loretta’s father Cosmo, was cheating on his wife because he wanted to feel young again. He knew this was not the right thing to do and he did it anyway. In the end, cheating on his wife allowed him to realize that he is never going to be young again and he will only truly love his wife. In Cosmo’s case was cheating on his wife ultimately a bad thing if he learned the truth? Loretta cheated on Johnny because this was not the man she loved. She had no feelings for Johnny and only said yes to marrying him because of her age. She cheated on him and found the love of her life. Although I believe cheating is never a good thing, I do think it helps people realize and learn things about themselves they have never knew before.