'The Waste Land' by Thomas Stearns Eliot

TOPIC OF THE BLOG:-

This blog is a part of a thinking activity given by Dilip Barad Sir from The English Department, MKBU, Bhavnagar. Check out Dilip Barad sir's Blog Site (Click here) for more information and knowledge about For 'The Waste Land' by Thomas Stearns Eliot and other works and writers. In this blog I like to tell something about 'The Waste Land' as per my understanding and also some answers of points to ponder from the blog of 'The Waste Land' by Dilip Barad Sir (Click here). 

 ‘Human kind cannot bear very much reality’.

- Four Quartets by T.S. Eliot

 

T. S. ELIOT:-

Thomas Stearns Eliot also known as T.S. Eliot. He was born on September 26, 1888 in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. and died on January 4, 1965, in London, England. He was an American-English poet, playwright, literary critic, and editor. He was a leader of the Modernist movement in poetry in such works as The Waste Land (1922) and Four Quartets (1943).(Tate)

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• The Waste Land
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"In my beginning is my end"

- Four Quartets by T.S. Eliot

From Milton which is in Massachusetts, he entered Harvard in 1906; he received a B.A. in 1909. He was influenced by  George Santayana (a Philosopher and Poet) and Irving Babbitt (Critic). He has read widely from childhood and he is interested most in philosophy. From Babbitt he derived an anti-Romantic attitude.(Tate)

'THE WASTE LAND':-

Book:- 'The Waste Land'

Writer:- T.S. Eliot 

Published:- December, 1922

Genre:- Poem, Morden Epic 

Parts:- 5 

1. THE BURIAL OF THE DEAD
2. A GAME OF CHESS
3. THE FIRE SERMON
4. DEATH BY WATER
5. WHAT THE THUNDER SAID

This poem by Eliot is considered the most famous and Important poem of the 20th century. 

HERE IS A BRIEF POINTS ABOUT ALL FIVE PARTS:-

Poem starts with these lines:-

Nam Sibyllam quidem Cumis ego ipse oculis meis

vidi in ampulla pendere, et cum illi pueri dicerent:

Sibylla ti thelehyis; respondebat illa: apothanein thelo. 

In English - "I saw with my own eyes the Sibyl at Cumae hanging in a jar / cage, and when the boys said to her, Sibyl, what do you want? she replied "I want to die."

So, as we can see, the poem started with the Myth of Sibyl.

1:- THE BURIAL OF THE DEAD:-

April is the cruelest month. This is the most famous line from 'The Waste Land' and also the starting line of the The poem and first part. Here one can find how contradictorily he presents April, cause in 'Canterbury Tales' Geoffrey Chaucer described April as fruitful and blossom month. 

Next he described other seasons like winter, summer rain and others and connected with Spiritual Degradation and Sexual Perversion.

Then the poem's character name Marie came and talked with the person (not referring to his/her name). Then he (Tiresias) talks about A heap of broken images, red rock, dry stone and next reference is a handful of dust. 

Then there is a scene which describes the Myth of Tristan and Isolde (German Opera – Richard Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde). "You gave me hyacinths" - this line is said by Isolde which includes the Myth of Hyacinths and Apollo. 

Then there is the entry of the next Character named Madame Sosostris and she is a fortune teller. Then she talked about cards and said there are no cards of Hanged Man. Then the Character of Belladonna enters. 

Next is a reference to Unreal City. Next Character enters named Stetson who was a friend of Tiresias, and they both talked a bit. And this part ends with this line:- "You! hypocrite lecteur! - mon semblable, - mon frere!" In English, you hypoirte reader, my fellowman, my brother – this includes one and all – the poet and the reader.

2:- A GAME OF CHESS:-

This part of 'The Waste Land' starts with Sexual Perversion. Like 'The Chair she sat in, like a burnished throne'. So many references about sexual Perversion act and than the next scene upon the sylvan scene which referenced Milton’s garden of eden – Satan views from outside. Reference about nightingale.

This Dialogues; "My nerves are bad to-night. Yes, bad. Stay with me.

"Speak to me. Why do you never speak. Speak.

"What are you thinking of? What thinking? What?

"I never know what you are thinking. Think."

I think we are in rats' alley

Where the dead men lost their bones. 

"What is that noise?"

The wind under the door.

"What is that noise now? What is the wind doing?"

Nothing again nothing. 

This references meaningless conversation. 

Next scene is about friends sitting in a coffee shop and talked with each other and there the next Character appears named Lil. They talked about what happened and Lil has affair with other guy even though she is married with someone else - storyline like Rustam movie - and than she told him that his husband is in army and now he is returning back. So, with the ending of this scene here ends second part of 'The Waste Land'.

3:- THE FIRE SERMON:-

This part has direct refrence of Buddhism - Buddha’s sermon and Sermon on the Mount. The thoughts he gave us about fire Sermon described in this part. And talk about river Thames. This part has a reference of typist and than here comes our in a way protagonist Tiresias. Than he described the pain of three daughters of Thames. 

4:- DEATH BY WATER:-

This is a shortest part of 'The Waste Land' with lines like:-

Phlebas the Phoenician, a fortnight dead,

Forgot the cry of gulls, and the deep sea swell

And the profit and loss.

A current under sea

Picked his bones in whispers. As he rose and fell

He passed the stages of his age and youth

Entering the whirlpool.

Gentile or Jew

O you who turn the wheel and look to windward, 

Consider Phlebas, who was once handsome and tall as you.

5:- WHAT THE THUNDER SAID:-

The reference one can find with the title of the fifth part from Upanishad – Prajapati spoke in thunder akashwani. This part has a reference of three Da. 

• DA - Datta
• DA - Dayadhvam
• DA - Damyata

Poem ends with this words from Upnishad. Shantih Shantih Shantih which means peace that passes understanding.

For worksheet on 'The Waste Land' visit this link Click here.

THESE ARE SOME POINTS IN POINTS TO PONDER:-

💫What are your views on the following image after reading 'The Waste Land'? April (re-birth) is the cruellest month you think that Eliot is regressive as compared to Nietzche's views? or Has Eliot achieved universality of thought by recalling mytho-historical answer to the contemporary malaise?

🌷So, first as I mentioned who is T.S. Eliot and about his poem 'The Waste Land'. Now let's look into Nietzche's information. 

Friedrich Nietzsche was German classical scholar, philosopher, and critic of culture, who became one of the most influential of all modern thinkers. His attempts to unmask the motives that underlie traditional Western religion, morality, and aphilosophy deeply affected generations of theologians, philosophers, psychologists, poets, novelists, and playwrights. (Magnus)

According to Bernd Magnus, he was a philosopher, critic and scholar who was also known for his point of view to criticize other writers, philosophers and Poets. 

I find it a bit of a problem to call any work regressive and backward looking only because it has references from old literature and ideas. 

WHAT IS UBERMENSCH?:-

According to Vocabulary.com UBERMENSCH; This German word, more accurately spelled Übermensch, literally means "overman" and was coined in 1883 by the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. The Ubermensch was meant to be an ideal future human and an ultimate goal for humanity. When the concept was translated into English, it was first called "Beyond-Man" and later "Superman." In fact, the familiar comic book hero Superman (who was originally a villain) was directly inspired by Nietzsche's Ubermensch.

In short, people who are looking forward to the future are called UBERMENSCH. And also they give solutions for something. 

While he considers 'The Waste Land' as just a work cause it doesn't give any kind of solutions to life. 

Eliot's sources to make 'The Waste Land' is unique and interesting, of course it has different clouds that one can't connect easily until they didn't see from the point of view of 'Tiresias' or without footnotes, even sometimes some points are difficult to understand with foot notes. Another point of you is from his autobiographical way to see 'The Waste Land' but that also seems inappropriate. 

He is trying to find answers of contemporary malaise in Upanishad, Buddhism and Christianity. So? What problem one can have with that. At least he tried to find or he didn't try to find. Cause in this era of absurdity, comedy of Menace and all he is trying to connect and bring all literature from most country and describe that not in this country but in every countries they are facing the same situations. 

Sometimes Upnishad, Buddhism and Christianity helpful to find not contemporary problems only but find any kind and any time of answer. So, I can't agree with Nietzsche's point of view about 'The Waste Land' but he also has freedom to give his views and also we respect his views too. 

To understand 'The Waste Land' as Pandemic Poem watch this video available on YouTube by Dilip Barad Sir.

WORKS CITED:-

🎧Magnus, Bernd. "Friedrich Nietzsche". Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Oct. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Friedrich-Nietzsche.

🎧Tate, Allen , Gardner, Helen and Davies, Hugh Alistair. "T.S. Eliot". Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Dec. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/biography/T-S-Eliot.

NOTE:- If you find any problem or question or suggestions please let me know☺️.

Words:- 1675

Images:- 9

Video:- 1

For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway

TOPIC OF THE BLOG:-

This blog is a part of a thinking activity given by Yesha ma'am from The English Department, MKBU, Bhavnagar. Check out Yesha Bhatt's Blog (Click here) for more information and knowledge about For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway and other works and writers. In this blog I am going to explain my point of view about the end part of the novel in short a critical analysis of the end part of the novel For Whom the Bell Tolls.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY:-

Ernest Miller Hemingway was born on July 21, 1899 in Cicero (now in Oak Park) Illinois, U.S. and died on July 2, 1961 in Ketchum, Idaho. He was an American novelist and short-story writer, awarded with the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954. (Young) 

“There is no friend as loyal as a book.”

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FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS:-

For Whom the Bell Tolls, novel by Ernest Hemingway, published in 1940. The novel is set near Segovia, Spain, in 1937. (Britannica)

The title of this Novel derived from John Donne's 'Meditation 17'. Ask not for whom the Bell tolls, it tolls for thee. Here is a video on this available on YouTube. 

Robert Jordan, who has joined the antifascist Loyalist army. Jordan has been sent to make contact with a guerrilla band and blow up a bridge to advance a Loyalist offensive. The action takes place during Jordan’s 72 hours at the guerrilla camp. During this period he falls in love with María, who has been raped by fascist soldiers, and befriends the shrewd but cowardly guerrilla leader Pablo and his courageous wife, Pilar. Jordan manages to destroy the bridge; Pablo, Pilar, María, and two other guerrillas escape, but Jordan is injured. Proclaiming his love to María once more, he awaits the fascist troops and certain death. (Britannica)

"Dying was nothing and he had no picture of it nor fear of it in his mind. But living was a field of grain blowing in the wind on the side of a hill. Living was a hawk in the sky. Living was an earthen jar of water in the dust of the threshing with the grain flailed out and the chaff blowing. Living was a horse between your legs and a carbine under one leg and a hill and a valley and a stream with trees along it and the far side of the valley and the hills beyond."

CHARACTERS:-

• Robert Jordan
• Anselmo
• Pablo
• Pillar
• Maria
• Rafael
• Agustin
• Ferdinando
• Primitivo
• Eladio
• Andres
• Golz

CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE END PART OF THE NOVEL FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS:-

Normally, Novels, Dramas, Poems, Essays, any kind of work has an important and notable start. But what was the charm in that particular work? The answer is ending part of the work. How it justifies the scenario and Poetic justice. 

So, like that this novel has a notable end which one can find Important to understand the mindset of the characters from the beginning to end that which changes they go through. 

In the end there is a description of the atmosphere, mountains and nature and surroundings of Robert Jordan. One can think that yes it's a beautiful ending of the novel but no behind this description there is something that doesn't feel happy. In the last scene Jordan lay down injured and consoling himself that he has to fight for Maria's love and go back to him but with our interpretation one can know that Robert died in the end.

But how it all started is that Robert died in the end. So, Robert Jordan came to blast the bridge ordered by Golz. And here he mates these people named Maria who fall in love with him, Pablo, leader of the group, Pilar, considered the real leader of the group and wife of Pablo, Anselmo, a guide who helps Robert to blast this bridge and real guerrilla fighter.

Now, as the story goes forward the love between Maria and Robert grows. They decided to blast the bridge in the day but the officers know the plan and they have to blast it at sunrise. So, after successfully blasting the bridge when they are attacked by the officers and they want to secure themselves they risk their lives and cross the road with the help of horses and when time come to go to Robert, Maria for save him goes first and when Robert crosses the path the bullet hit his leg and he got fracture. And when Maria sees that she wants to die with him but Robert convinces her to go alone and dies, it is clear that he can't fight with so many people.

The end of the Novel is pathetic and emotional not cause Robert died but cause his and Maria's love story ended unhappily. 

CONCEPTIONS OF THE END PART OF THE NOVEL:-

These concepts are totally according to my idea that which changes affects the whole novel if we change the end part. 

First, imagine that instead of Maria Robert goes first, so he is alive in the end and a bullet catches Maria's leg but he can lift her and save her with others.

Second, What if Maria doesn't talk childishly that she wants to die with him and say that yes I understand that if I am alive you are alive too. So, one thinks that look how selfish she is that she doesn't even think about her love and wants to think only about herself. 

For better understanding of the end part you can watch the video by Trushali Dodiya on YouTube.

TECHNIQUE OF FLASHBACK IN NOVEL:-

As one can clearly find the technique of flashback used in the novel, but with flashback there is another interesting technique used at the same time named flash forward. Normally, we know what is a flashback in which a particular Character goes into the past in her/his mind. Here there are so many flashbacks in novel of Robert, Pablo, Maria and others. 

Robert has a back story of him that he was a teacher and used to teach Spanish but now he is here to blow the bridge. 

Maria has a dark and painful past. She was raped by the fascist and her parents also killed by them, she was also tortured by them. 

Past story of  Pablo said by Pillar, his wife, that he was a very good and brave fighter until he enjoyed killing innocent people. 

Pillar's past story is told by Rafael about how brave she was and now considered as a real leader of the group. 

Now about flash forward technique. So, this technique only reflects in the talk of Maria and Robert when they both assume that they will be in Robert's house and live happily. 

Here is a video available on YouTube about themes of 'For Whom The Bell Tolls'.

WORKS CITED:-

👉🏿Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "For Whom the Bell Tolls". Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 Oct. 2021, https://www.britannica.com/topic/For-Whom-the-Bell-Tolls-novel-by-Hemingway.

👉🏿Young, Philip. "Ernest Hemingway". Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 Jul. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ernest-Hemingway. 

NOTE:- If you find any problem or question or suggestions please let me know☺️.

Words:- 1277

Images:- 4

Videos:- 3

William Butler Yeat's Poems

TOPIC OF THE BLOG:-

This blog is a part of a thinking activity given by Dilip Barad Sir from the paper name 'The 20th century literature:- 1900 to World War II. In this blog I tried to describe poems written by WB Yeats and also try to connect with other elements and movements.

WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS:-

William Butler Yeats was born on June 13, 1865 in Sandymount, Dublin, Ireland and died on January 28, 1939 in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France. He is one of the greatest English-language poets of the 20th century. He was an Irish poet, dramatist, and prose writer. He received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1923. He was the founder of  'Abbey Theatre'. Yeats’s father, John Butler Yeats, was a barrister who eventually became a portrait painter. His mother, formerly Susan Pollexfen, was the daughter of a prosperous merchant in Sligo, in western Ireland. Through both parents he claimed kinship with various Anglo-Irish Protestant families who are mentioned in his work. (Britannica).

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YEATS POEMS:-

🌬️ SECOND COMING:-

Written by:- William Butler Yeats 

Written:- 1919 

Published:- 1920

Included:- Included in 1921 in his 'collection of verses Michael Robartes and the Dancers.'

Rhyming Scheme:- Blank verse 

🌈 Starting lines of the poem says as falcon flying up in the sky and Falcon is not able to hear the voice of Falconer and falconer now cannot control this bird like that the situation of now time is out of control and we cannot control that. We can connect Falcon as a human and falconer as a God. After every round or युग humans are going far from God. And now we are not able to hear his voice.

🌈Further in the poem he described that everywhere now only remaining is blood and people who are fighting with each other. There is a lack of innocent people and the people who are old and in poor health are full of passionate intensity.

spiritus mundi

🌈Further poet feels that now there should be some revelation and may be second birth of Jesus Christ is here. Second time Jesus Christ may be born in this world. At the same time the poet sees the vast image of spiritus mundi. 

🌈 Somewhere in the sand of the desert he sees the Sphinx. The image of the lion body and head of man. It has eyes like the pitiless sun and it's moving its thighs means from the desert it is rising and slowly came near with moving its thighs. The birds in the desert were afraid of this creature and started flying in the sky and the shadow of the birds were roaming around this creature. These are some other images of this beast.

🌈 Further poet says that after seeing this beast now everything is in darkness. But now he knows  that twenty centuries of stony sleep were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle. And how rough and dangerous this beast is. And now with slouch it's moving towards Bethlehem (birth place of Jesus Christ) for born? Here the poet's question marked the line that this is the reincarnation of Jesus Christ? 

For a better understanding of the poem this video might help you. 

🌬️ON BEING ASKED FOR A WAR POEM:-

Written by:- William Butler Yeats

Written:- 6 February, 1915 in response to request of Henry James.

Published:- 1916
Rhyming Scheme:- ABCABC

🌈 Starting of the poem presents that it is better to be silent in time like these means the time of war. This line is particularly written for the poets. He described that it is better to write nothing instead of writing about Wars and politics. Cause in the time of wars politicians grab the mind of people and wash their mind with the thought that everything is the truth said by politicians.

🌈We have no gift, here he talk about poets that poet have no gift that politician have about telling the lie is truth and to control people by it. 

🌈 He has enough of meddling ( unwanted interference) to please a girl in her youth and an old man upon a winter's night. 

🌈Here one can interpret so many talks that politicians have gift and talent to please girl and an old man. And secondly, he likes to write about girls and old men rather than politics and wars. 

🌈 Poet described his feelings that he don't want to write about politics and wars through writing the poem. 

🌬️ DEATH:-

Written by:- William Butler Yeats

Written:- 1929 - written as a response to the assassination of Irish political figure Kevin O’Higgins.

Published:- The poem "Death" was published in The Winding Stair and Other Poems in 1933.

Rhyming Scheme:- Unambiguous iambic trimeter (Marken) 

🌈 As dying animal has no hope or not even a thought about after life and not any regret. But a man waits for his death hoping that when he dies he will rise again. In these lines the poet says that humans have thoughts and hope for after lives and also hoping that he rises again every time he dies. 

🌈Animal dies one way, man another (Marken).

🌈 These lines reflects the idea of Shakespeare's thought from 'Julius Caesars' that 'Cowards die many times before deaths. The brave experience death only once.’

🌈In this poem death loses its significance. It is not threatening but becomes an object of mockery.

🌈 Further he poet says that a man has consolation before dying if he has any kind of aim. If man dies without aim his death is like an animal's death. 

🌈 Man created the death as one can find this line relevant with suicide, and sometimes man dies everyday without dying. 

🌈 Yeats calls to Olivia Shakespeare:-

''This country is exciting. I am told that  De Valera has said in private that within three years he will be torn in pieces. It reminds me of a saying by O'Higginis to his wife "Nobody can expect to live who has done what I have done." It is the cult of sacrifice planted in the nation by the executions of 1916." (Marken)

🌈One can compare this poem with the 'Essay of Death' by Francis Bacon.

🌈 For more information on this poem you can watch this video on YouTube.

OTHER SURREALISM PAINTINGS INSPIRED BY POEMS OF YEATS:-

🌬️A PRAYER FOR MY DAUGHTER:-

A 21st Century Depiction of a 1919 Yeats Poem

Description by painter:- This painting is my 21st Century version of the ending of W. B. Yeats' "A Prayer for My Daughter," 1919. (Combs)

🌬️COME AWAY O HUMAN CHILD:-

This painting is inspired by the William Butler Yeats poem 'Come away o human Child' and painted by Trudi Doyle. You can find other relatable and interesting images on surrealism and on poems by William Butler Yeats (Click here to visit this site Named Fine Art America).

WORKS CITED:-

🌞Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "William Butler Yeats". Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 Dec. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-Butler-Yeats.

🌞 Combs, Bruce. “A 21st Century Depiction of a 1919 Yeats Poem.” Fineartamerica, 13 Apr. 2012, fineartamerica.com/featured/a-21st-century-depiction-of-a-1919-yeats-poem-bruce-combs--reach-beyond.html. 

🌞 Marken, Ronald. “Yeats’s ‘Death’: A Reading.” Irish University Review, vol. 10, no. 2, 1980, pp. 244–50. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/25477354.

NOTE:- If you find any problem or question or suggestions please let me know☺️.

Words:- 1279

Images:- 7

Paintings:- 5

Videos:- 3

Frame study of 'Modern Times' by Charlie Chaplin

TOPIC OF THE BLOG:-

This blog is a part of a thinking activity titled with ThAct: Understanding the Zeitgeist of the 20th century: From Modern Times to the era of The Great Dictators assigned by Dilip Barad sir. In this blog you can find Frame study of 'Modern Times' movie by Charlie Chaplin. This topic of Frame study context with The Setting of 20th Century by AC Ward. For more information read the blog of Dilip Barad Sir (Click here). 

CHARLIE CHAPLIN:-

To know about Charlie Chaplin more and to know about what is Frame Study visit my another blog on Frame study of 'The Great Dictator' movie by Charlie Chaplin (Click here). 

ABOUT THE MOVIE:-

'Modern Times' is a silent, black romantic comedy movie released in 5 February, 1936 in United States. It is directed, written and produced by Charlie Chaplin. Charlie Chaplin, Paulette Goddard, Henry Bergman, Tiny Sandford, Chester Conklin. Ira H. Morgan and Roland Totheroh are cinematographer of this movie. 

Even though it is comedy movie it has so many symbols and frames which satires industrialisation, and poverty which came cause of technology and mind set of people, he also criticizes the growing mechanical life of that time people. 

FRAME 1:-

First frame of the movie is symbolises that how time control us and How they (owner) control us. It also symbolises that how we live a mechanical life from morning to night. Earlier people use to work on sun timings, when sun rises people starts working and when it sets they stop working. But now Clocks take place of sun and run people as machines.

FRAME 2:-

This lines and statements consider as a theme of the movie. 'Modern Times' is sure a satire on industry but also has a little element of love. Humanity is crusading in business of happiness. Here he satirise that humanity lost somewhere in finding of happiness. It is lost in our machinery life. 

FRAME 3:-

In this frame Human become machine for money and also consider as sheeps which are always in a group but can't think by themselves. They follow the sheep which is in front of it. He satires human life which becomes machinery cause of industrial life. 

FRAME 4:-

A physically powerful man is nothing in front of the owner of the industry. Money overpower Physical power. A respected person too can buy with the money. Earlier the person who is strong physically has importance and respect but in modern times only money and mind speaks. Muscle man too drive for money like sheep. 

FRAME 5:-

A person who works like a machine can not stop after completing the work or when he takes a break. In this frame this Character when he takes a break he can not stop his hand from doing what he is doing in his work. At the same time around him one can find people who have perfect bodies but for money they work like machines. Of course he adds some comedy in it but also shows how humans do their work, till the line of ending, without thinking, with harming themselves.  

FRAME 6:-

A man who works continually wants to relax for a few minutes. But the eyes of honour never leave him alone and always willing that worker should work without any rest. Sitting in one room and controlling the whole factory is something that shows how they can control human and human rights with technology. Chaplin criticizes that in the era or industrialization humans are not supposed to relax their mind for two minutes but have to work continuously like machines.

FRAME 7:-

This frame is a criticism of technology and machines. These are called automatic food feeding machines. For a food feeding machine when they want a person he chooses randomly from his workers and treats them as a usable material. The failure of machines shows the failure of humanity. Nowadays there is a channel named Joseph's Machines that makes this kind of techniques and machines for food feeding, this is an example from his videos.

It is a creative idea but at the same time it shows and will be the symptoms of laziness in humans. There is another reel available on YouTube. (Click here to see)

FRAME 8:-

In this frame of the jail along with so many pictures there is a photo of Abraham Lincoln on the wall which is a bit noticeable in the movie. 

Actor, comic, composer, director, and writer Charlie Chaplin and the 16th president, Abraham Lincoln, have more in common than you think. Both were victims of grave robbers. The bodies of Chaplin and Lincoln are stolen from their graveyard. (Mardenfeld) 

FRAME 9:-

Without knowing the behind story and watching this movie one can find that this is a picture of a girl who is enjoying food, but no. In this she stole these bananas and enjoyed it for teasing the owner of this food. This shows how poverty overpowers the moral values of people. When a person is not able to get three primary needs of life रोटी, कपड़ा और मकान for living, loss of humanity and joblessness is visible here which is a pathetic situation of industrialization. 

FRAME 10:-

This frame has more to say than any other one. A person who is just holding a flag without knowing that in which trouble he is going to stuck. Even though it is a black and white movie we know that it is a red flag. This Red flag is a symbol of the right of a job which they are lacking, they want a job and they are demanding with hoarding. So without knowing anything this character kept as a leader of this group who are holding pamphlets of unity, liberated, Liberty or death, etc.
FRAME 11:-

Dream house. It doesn't matter in which class we are belong to, we have money or not, but once in a life we imagine ourselves in our own dream house. This is the same concept in this movie that the person who doesn't have a job or a single penny can imagine his own dream house too. It is not easy to build but one day it will. In the second frame they find a house for living which is not in a proper state. So here he symbolise that we cannot get everything that we dream of easily and in the last friend he presented hope.

FRAME 12:-

The last frame of the movie presented hope in life even though one has nothing, who doesn't know how to start and what to do next but there is hope and one day they can get what they want.

WORKS CITED:-

🏵️Mardenfeld, Sandra. “The Disturbing Connection between Charlie Chaplin and Abraham Lincoln.” Grunge, Grunge, 7 Jan. 2021, www.grunge.com/308908/the-disturbing-connection-between-charlie-chaplin-and-abraham-lincoln/. 

Words:- 1150

Photos:- 3

Frames:- 12

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Frame study of 'The Great Dictator' by Charlie Chaplin

TOPIC OF THE BLOG:-

This blog is a part of a thinking activity titled with ThAct: Understanding the Zeitgeist of the 20th century: From Modern Times to the era of The Great Dictators assigned by Dilip Barad sir. In this blog you can find Frame study of the movie 'Modern Times' by Charlie Chaplin. This topic of Frame study context with The Setting of 20th Century by AC Ward. For more information read the blog of Dilip Barad Sir (Click here).  

CHARLIE CHAPLIN:-

Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin worldly known as Charlie Chaplin. He was born on April 16, 1889 in London, England and died on December 25, 1977 in Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland. He was a British comedian, producer, writer, director, and composer who is widely regarded as the greatest comic artist of the screen and one of the most important figures in motion-picture history. (Barson)

From childhood he showed so much poverty in his life. His mother too suffered from mental problems. He used to wander everywhere for food. His acting career was difficult too. He had a problem with stammering. It could be the reason that he chose silent movies. And we got Charlie Chaplin as the satirist who can satire without saying any word. He made funny movies behind The Mask of satire.

FRAME STUDY:-

'Frame' is adopted by Photography. The first objective of framing is not to create a picture worth a thousand words; it is to advance the motion picture’s narrative. (Framing)

This study is a study of frames and videos of a movie. What is the hidden meaning in this frame and what are the other messages it gives. Metaphors, symbols, movements, angles etc one have to analyze properly in frames, from frames. 

Not only in movies but one can find news through frames. 

The Hindu Newspaper (11 December, 2022)

For the blog of frame study on 'Modern Times' Click here.

ABOUT THE MOVIE:-

'The Great Dictator' is a black comedy, anti war, political satire movie released on 15 October 1940 in New York. This movie was directed, produced, and written by Charlie Chaplin. Charlie Chaplin, Paulette Goddard, Jack Oakie, Henry Daniell, Reginald Gardiner, Billy Gilbert, Maurice Moscovich are the star cast of the movie. Cinematography done by Karl Struss and Roland Totheroh. 

"We think too much and feel too little."

This movie is a satire on Adolf Hitler and ridicules  his ruling style. In this film he performs two roles, first one as Hitler and second as an ordinary Jew person. War can be considered as a theme of this movie. 

FRAME 1:-

This is a story of two world wars between 1914 to 1945 when everyone started to cause their loved ones death and attacks. The Freedom of people has disappeared and there is nothing like humanity. Through his lines Chaplin shows us the dark side of the time and how people behave with each other. At the time of World War II the dictatorship started to kill innocent people. They were killed only because they were of a particular nation. So, the first note in the starting of the movie seems important for understanding the time of World War. 

FRAME 2:-

In this frame he satirize that need of people in war was in maximum number so the person who are afraid of loud sound and not aware that what he has to do next also joined while now if one wants to go to army or any kind of fight they have to aware about circumstances and should have their own mind. But of course in this case too soldiers have to do what the commander says to do.

FRAME 3:-

In this frame we can see THE HUMANITY. The person who is less important is sent to check the missile. one after second and second after third command each other for checking the missile. But the person chosen is not that important to them. 

FRAME 4:-

This frame has a little gravity mistake in it. Charlie said that 'seem to be defying the laws of gravity' cause the plane was upside down and his watch is floating in the air and he thinks that it's straight. But at the same time in the next frame it seems through the number of plans that it is straight though in the movie it was presented as upside down. 

FRAME 5:-

Through this frame he presented the depression of that time, depression of the 20th century, depression of wars and depression of torture that doing on Jewish people. And this depression one can find in 20th century literature when war happened. A theme of War and theme of depression even though hope can be found in Ernest Hemingway's works.

FRAME 6:-

Here with the stand of one hand he stops the crowd who are cheering. This shows the power that the dictator has. How he can stop any kind of tone with one signal. The behavioral patterns of dictators are different and noticeable than others. Even in the second one mic bend because of his words and speech and the power he is having.

FRAME 7:-

In this frame he satirizes the mindset of dictators that for photos and love from the public they use kids as honey comb. And in the second frame he clears his hands with tissue and feels disgusted that he touched a child. This two face personality is very popular in dictators and has only temporarily.

FRAME 8:-

In a first meeting of them they were fighting for the same country but in the second frame Charlie tortured by the Hynkel people's only cause he is Jewish. But it is pathetic to see this contradiction. 

FRAME 9:-

In this frame Hynkel tries to prove and show that his power is better and in a huge amount than anyone else. This lifting up chair shows that they both think that one is better than the other one. With every dialogue one starts lifting up himself and others lift more up to prove his point.

This frame too presents that the dictator wants to show that he has higher position and power than Jake Oakie. 
 

FRAME 10:-

This frame shows the value of art. When dictator gets free he came for a bit, he goes towards artist and artists have to make their art according to free time of dictators or high positioned people. This frame also presents that the value of art is totally gone in favour of money and dictatorship. 

FRAME 11:-

The Red Carpet is a symbol here that whoever's carpet is long is the powerful one. Here Oakie refused to get down and to put his leg on the floor without Carpet. And the soldiers or the people of Hitler run here from there to welcoming him with Red Carpet. 

FRAME 12:-

These two frames presents an intresting story of changing colours like गिरगिट. In the first frame they are fighting with food for a reason. It is pathetic to see that they waste food cause they do not agree with each other. This shows that they are misusing the food while on the other side female character of this movie steal food cause she is hungry. 

FRAME 13:-

Here Hitler playing with the baloon which has a drawing of Earth. One can find nothing wrong with this frame who show this only for entertainment. But behind this comedy Chaplin criticizes that Hitler is playing with the world and with the rights of human as he wants.

FRAME 14:-

This frame has a word 'Liberty' in it. It's totally like oposite frame of what they believe. Liberty is engraved in the wall, and they are walking up stairs at the same time which represents that they are up higher than liberty, dictators can crush Liberty of people through their steps. 

FRAME 15:-

It is famous fact about Chaplin that he was not able to speak continually from childhood but as time passed he learnt and he spoke the most famous and Important dialogue or last speech of his movie which made him the greatest dialogue writer. These are some words from his speech, 

'In this world there is room for everyone. And the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone. The way of life can be free and beautiful, but we have lost the way.

Greed has poisoned men’s souls, has barricaded the world with hate, has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed. We have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in. Machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical. Our cleverness, hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery we need humanity. More than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost…'

Chaplin was not against technology and machinery but he criticized cause technology and machinery stole the job of humans and forced them to become machines. Cause of joblessness there is hunger, poverty, theft, illegal ways to get money and things which kill humanity.

WORKS CITED:-

🏵️Barson, Michael and Erickson, Hrarold L.. "Charlie Chaplin". Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 Aug. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charlie-Chaplin.

🏵️ “Framing .” Framing in Filmmaking - Hollywood Lexicon, www.hollywoodlexicon.com/frame.html.

 

Words:- 1234 

Photos:- 4

Frames:- 15

NOTE:- If you find any problem or question or suggestions please let me know☺️.