Hsc_English_-_as_You_Like_It

In a toxic world, full of negative influences, it is the relationships and ties that we form which define who we are as humans beings. The subsequent texts: ‘As good as it gets’ directed by James L. Brooks, ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock’ written by T.S Elliot and ‘Acquainted with the night” written by Robert Frost, through various poetic and filmic techniques, act as a reflection on the importance and the strengthening values of relationships to our human existence. It is through the struggles experienced by the characters in the aforementioned texts which allow us as humans to appreciate a helping hand. As social beings we desire human relations, and it is an absence of this that causes us to lose faith and our sense of self. ‘Acquainted with the Night’ follows the dreary journey of a man who has lost all faith in the human race and wanders the dark city streets searching for answers. From the beginning of the poem, Frost uses negative imagery to portray the bleak state of the city which reflects upon the thoughts and feelings of the persona. The persona is said to have “walked out in rain and down the saddest city lane” all of which represents his solitary and inner conflicts. This creates a sombre aura of sadness which the reader is immediately immersed in. In the third stanza, the persona hears ‘an interrupted cry’ far off in the distance. This physical separation from the caller is a metaphor for the emotional detachment due to the persona’s lack of human contact. Personification is a device Frost uses throughout the poem to highlight yet again the absence of any humans in the persona’s life. The personification of the moon of the ‘luminary clock in the sky’ as a figure of wisdom shows the social detachment of the persona as the moon becomes his only confidante. An important symbol carried throughout the poem is that of darkness. The persona likens the dark to all the encompassing aspects of the night life – the gloom, the fear and the loneliness. On face value, ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock’ is an examination of the psyche of a neurotic miserable man whose desensitisation from society causes him great angst. Throughout the poem the persona contemplates his worth and his place in the bourgeois society, in which he resides but can not socially interact due to fear of retribution. Structurally, the stream of consciousness literary technique reflects upon the internal conflict and frustration of the persona caused by his isolation from society. T.S Elliot uses several metaphors to symbolise the meaningless trivial life that the persona leads. “I have measured my life with coffee spoons.” This in conjunction with the repeated line “So how should I presume'” outlines the apprehensive nature of the persona due to his lack of human contact. Also, his desensitisation from society is shown through another metaphor “like a patient etherized upon a table”. Elliot further portrays the apprehensive nature of Prufrock through the constant switching from active to passive personas; “And for the hundred visions and revisions, before the taking of a toast and tea.” The juxtaposition of Prufrock’s neuroticism and his mundane taking of tea represents his procrastination of his confrontation with the society. Hence, Prufrock’s want of self-realisation is suffocated by his fear of rejection from his society. This fact allows us as human beings to appreciate the importance of relationships. In contrast to the previous texts, we are shown an embracement of relationships and the subsequent development of the human condition in the film “As good as it gets”. At the beginning of the film, the audience is introduced to Melvin (the protagonist of the film) who seems reluctant to change his antisocial behaviour and cynical personality. This is indicated in the scene where Simon confronts Melvin, who sarcastically says, “some fudgepacker that you date has been elected the first queer president of the United States … even then don’t knock… Do you get me sweetheart'” Melvin’s mocking dialogue is accentuated by the close up shot of Simon’s cringing face and the complete silence that follows. Furthermore, when Simon replies to Melvin’s comments with, “that’s not a subtle point that you’re making”, Melvin slams the door in Simon’s face, symbolizing his belief that relationships are irrelevant to him. However, as the movie develops so does Melvin’s attitude which changes into something somewhat more accepting and positive. This newfound want for change is a consequence of the developing romantic relationship between Melvin and Carol. This is demonstrated when Melvin reveals his reason to change to Carol by saying “You make me want to be a better man”. The zooming in shot of a stunned Carol and the solemn music in the background generates an atmosphere of sincerity in Melvin’s compliment. Evidence of the affect that the relationship has had on Melvin is shown at the ending of the film where there is a panning shot from his feet stepping onto the cracked pavement to him holding Carol’s hand and walking along the footpath. It symbolizes him overcoming his OCD of stepping on cracks because of his love for Carol. At a deeper level, it concludes Melvin’s journey of change of his humanity. In conclusion the three texts ‘Prufrock’, ‘As good as it gets’ and ‘Acquainted with the Night’ all justify the importance of relationships. In each, the persona of the text is challenged with the struggles common to every man or woman in life. Ironically, it is the characters that embraced the company of others and formed relationships that truly discovered self-realization and showed the monumental effect of relationships on the human condition.