Effectiveness of Film Techniques in The Return of the King

Of all the pieces of writing we completed this year, I felt the most pride when I handed in this film report for The Return of the King. Not only did I have alot of good points, but I had alot of quotations and examples pulled from other texts as well. I think this was the culmination of everything I have learned throughout my ELA career and I hope I am able to produce a piece of similar quality on the diploma exam.

The Return of the King:
Effectiveness of Film Techniques

            The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King tells the story of a hobbit’s journey to destroy a very powerful ring and restore peace to Middle Earth. Many question if the film The Return of the King is a suitable recreation of the novel by J. R. R. Tolkien. The director, Peter Jackson has combined a large amount of literary, cinematic and dramatic techniques which raise the question: Is the hero in a story always right? The failure of Frodo to properly dispose of the ring leaves the viewer with the knowledge that the hero of a story can in fact do wrong, and will leave them with that knowledge when they watch other films of similar genres.

Introduction

            In the film The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, the director Peter Jackson uses cinematic, dramatic and literary techniques through Frodo, Gandalf and other characters to show the viewer that the hero in a story can do wrong, and their journey is as much a quest for knowledge and wisdom as it is for power and recognition. Although Frodo is not attempting to complete his quest for power and recognition, he does feel obligated to risk his life to complete the task assigned to him and learns a lot about himself along the way. Jackson uses J. R. R. Tolkien’s storyline and has developed it for film. Jackson uses Tolkien’s characters of Gandalf and Frodo to portray the doubt about themselves and others that many heroes in stories have. Jackson and his film crew have used a huge amount of scale models, computer generated figures and massive sets to bring Tolkien’s world to life. After going above and beyond with the visual elements of the film, Jackson has also managed to include subtext not mentioned in the story, such as the gluttony of Denothor or the visual corruption of Frodo. The Return of the King has become more than just a story loved by fantasy fans, but a visual masterpiece that has made Peter Jackson worthy of knighting.

Literary Elements

            The Return of the King is Peter Jackson’s interpretation of the original novel by J. R. R. Tolkien. The screenplay, written by Phillipa Boyen, Fran Walsh and Peter Jackson, is their attempt to recreate Tolkien’s work in a way that would be suitable for the silver screen. Many critics have lashed out at Jackson for his removal of some scenes and characters that were in the novel, however the elimination of those was necessary because of the sheer volume of content throughout the three books. For example, in the film Theoden leads the Rohirrim to Minas Tirith with no interruption. In the novel they are warned of an Orc army blocking the way, and are told to take a hidden road to the White City. Jackson felt this was unnecessary to include in the storyline so it was left out of the film in order to keep the viewers attention.

The literary techniques used throughout the film are often used to portray doubt within the character; an uncertainty the character has which becomes a common thread during the film. Many of the heroes in The Return of the King either fear they are wrong when they are right, or believe they are right when they are wrong. Frodo is the hero often believing he knows what is right, but unfortunately for his friend Sam he often puts more trust into the creature Gollum than he should. Sam tells Frodo “He means to murder us!” when Gollum starts to manipulate Frodo into believing Sam is trying to steal the ring from him. Sam realizes that Gollum’s intentions are to kill the Hobbits and steal the ring back, but Frodo is blinded by his affection for the ring. He is able to relate to Gollum because he had been in a similar situation when he was first corrupted by the ring. Frodo does not believe Sam understands the burden he carries, and that it will destroy his happiness for the rest of his life. This is shown when Bilbo asks Frodo if he could see his ring again, and Frodo tells Bilbo he is “afraid [he’s] lost it.” This shows Frodo is sorry the ring is gone, and he does consider it a loss more than a victory.

            The White Wizard Gandalf is used as a symbol of hope for the other characters in the film, but he often questions the results of certain battles in the story diminishing the hope of everyone else. Gandalf is portrayed as a saviour of sorts, and gives the viewer a feeling of safety when he comes to the rescue. At other times the things he says gives the viewer feelings of uncertainty. If the saviour character is worried about something, the other characters must be petrified. Gandalf makes Pippin nervous before the battle for Minas Tirith when he refers to the quiet, calm weather as the “deep breath into a plunge.” This is similar to the “calm before the storm” that often happens in nature, meaning he believes the battle ahead will be a bloody one. When Gandalf has uncertainty of the future events, the viewer and other characters also question whether or not the future is in favour of Gondor and the Fellowship of the Ring.

            Tolkien was quite open about his dedication to religion and the Catholic Church and his writings often related to his religious views. With Peter Jackson’s Return of the King being a dramatization of Tolkien’s novel, it can be expected that many  references to Christianity or Catholicism were also reflected in the film. The majority of films and novels with religion as a major theme will often have some kind of Christ-like character that acts as a saviour similar to Jesus. Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities has a Christ-like character in Sydney Carton. Before death, Carton delivers the famous line “It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.” This is similar to when Gandalf speaks of the “white shores” when Pippin speaks of his sadness for his almost certain death. Both Gandalf and Sydney Carton represent Christ because of the way they look forward to death more than they dread it. They are attempting to spread the idea that Heaven or the land after death is better than the life everyone lives in, similar to what Christ did in Christianity. Tolkien even admitted that “The Lord of the Rings is of course a fundamentally religious and Catholic work; unconsciously so at first, but consciously in the revision.” Peter Jackson did his best to recreate the story that Tolkien created, therefore it became necessary for him to include the religious elements that are reflected in Tolkien’s writings.

Cinematic Elements

            The camera angles, long lens shots, eerie lighting and dramatic music are all examples of the cinematic elements Jackson uses to create effect in The Return of the King. Throughout the film every situation makes the viewer question whether there is still hope or if everything will end. The lighting used in the shots during the battle for Minas Tirith begins as a dark, flat light. This backs up Gandalf’s assumption that this will be the last time any of them will every fight. As the battle goes on, the scene starts to get brighter and as help comes and the Nazgul flies off, Minas Tirith is sunny once again. This is Jackson’s way of showing the viewer that although what is said during a scene, the hero can be wrong and the cinematic effects can show the viewer there is some hope. When Frodo first wakes up after destroying the ring, Jackson uses glowing white light to illuminate the room. This raises the question of if Frodo is really alive or not, as the same lighting is used in one of Aragorn’s dreams and when Gandalf is describing the land after death. The glowing white light is the same that is usually associated with Heaven in other films.

            The cinematic lighting can also be used to represent despair and treachery. The dark spaces and shadows of spider webs in Shelob’s lair make Frodo and the viewer feel trapped and unsure of what could be hidden in the darkness. The lighting during all of the Mordor scenes is also very dark and disturbing. When the top of Minas Tirith is shown in the distance you can see the dark clouds hanging over Mordor with the fires of Mount Doom being the only light you can see. Those dark clouds had been there for 1000 years, forever reminding the citizens of Gondor of the evil that still lingered so closely because of the decisions of their past king.

            Jackson also uses a lot of intricate camera work and editing to create cinematic effect.  At the exit of Shelob’s lair, Jackson uses a longer camera lens to have the background move as the camera pans across. This shot shows the many different cavities to the cave, while still showing the main exit as a circle causing it to look like an eye. Jackson has a lot of shots focused on the eyes of characters or of circles such as the one at the exit of Shelob’s lair. All of these circles hint at the corruption of the ring and all of the circles in the movie seem to deal with some kind of evil or corruption, like the entrance to Mount Doom or the mouth of Shelob’s lair. When Frodo tells Sam to “go home,” the camera shows a still shot of Frodo’’s face, which is filthy and shows his yellowing bloodshot eyes. Throughout the trilogy Frodo goes from a clean, bright blue-eyed hobbit to a dirty, beat-up mess. Much of this filth is from the long tiring journey, but in the “go home” shot the filth also shows the corruption and evil from the ring. Jackson also found it necessary to film The Return of the King near his home in New Zealand. The rolling hills, mountains and large open fields were a perfect fantasy land that was able to represent Middle Earth just like Tolkien had described it.

            The music throughout The Return of the King is extremely significant for plot development in the film. The soundtrack Jackson has chosen can be a warning something drastic is about to happen, or it can show hope for a character in a dangerous situation. There are a few situations when the music changes from a minor key straight to it’s relative major key, changing the mood from gloomy and dark to happy and bright. Each key in music has a relative major and minor key, meaning they use the same notes but create a different mood and atmosphere, just like the characters. As the characters each individually grow throughout the story they stay the same but become just a little bit different and usually for the better. The music also does an excellent job of indicating how much the hobbits missed home. Even during the final trek up Mount Doom, Celtic sounding music similar to what was heard in the first film begins playing, making the viewer realize that all that is on Sam’s mind as he carries Frodo up the hill is that he will get to go home after he reaches the top. The Shire is a place of peace and serenity for the hobbits, and they grow homesick during the film despite their dedication to the task.

Dramatic Elements

            Although some of the smaller incidents in the film may seem trivial, Jackson explains in the bonus feature of the extended edition of The Return of the King that everything that happened in the film had purpose and meaning behind it. The character of Denothor is used to show corruption within a good society and his total disregard for another person’s life. Denothor knows it is idiotic to send his troops out to fight before the help from Rohan comes but he still sends them away in order to defend his honor. There is a scene in the film where Denothor is sitting with Pippin in the hall and he has a huge feast spread out before him. Instead of finishing a piece of food, he simply takes one bite of something, sets it down and picks up something else. Jackson uses this wastefulness as an illusion to the fall of Rome. The gluttony and selfishness portrayed by Denothor is similar to that of the Romans right before the end of their rule. Although Denothor is just a steward who is in control when there is no king, he takes full advantage of his power and shows no remorse for sending his son away to an almost certain death.

            Peter Jackson uses the character of Arwen as a symbol of how well the quest to destroy the ring is going throughout the film. In one scene she is holding a book in what seems like a struggle. Her dropping the book is extremely symbolic, as it represents the loss of hope by Elrond for the destruction of the ring. Elrond says to Aragorn “Arwen is dying. Her fate is now bound to the ring.” Elrond is using Arwen as that extra motivation for Aragorn to do everything he can to have the ring destroyed, as he knows Aragorn has the potential to save Middle Earth.

            Another dramatic element often looked past in The Lord of the Rings trilogy is Peter Jackson’s choice to use Elijah Wood as Frodo. Jackson does a lot of close of shots of the faces of characters, particularly of Frodo. As mentioned in the bonus feature, Elijah Wood has vivid big blue eyes. As the trilogy goes on, those big blue eyes begin to look dirty and eventually turn almost yellow. Jackson wants the viewer to see how the ring has not only mentally corrupted him but visually corrupted him. As the film ends, Elijah/ Frodo’s eyes return to their original vivid blue, but the ring has left a scar in his mind that leaves him asking “How do you go on, when in your heart you know there is no going back?”

Conclusion

            Jackson’s interpretation of The Return of the King achieves his goal of staying mostly true to the novel but making a film that would keep the viewers interested the whole time. He manages to keep the literary elements from The Return of the King novel while including cinematic and dramatic techniques not mentioned in Tolkien’s telling of the story. Jackson uses all three elements to show that he believes the hero is not always right, and everyone needs companions to assist them in making the right decision. The Return of the King is a story of friendship, betrayal and doubt which Jackson has turned into a cinematic masterpiece.

  

Citations

Tolkien, J. R. R. (1963). Letter to miss eileen elgar. In Letter. Retrieved from http://www.americanidea.org/handouts/06240110.htm

Williams, S. (2003). Lotr: Christian and catholic. In Article. Retrieved from http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/arts/al0160.html

Actors. (2003). Viggo mortensen (aragorn) quotes. In Quotes from cast. Retrieved from http://versaphile.com/lrcanon/quotes/viggo.shtml

Lord of the Rings: Restoring Honor

This essay was used to prepare us for the diploma. By the time I got the computer working and was prepared, I wrote this in about 60 minutes. I am proud of this essay because it shows I can perform well under pressure, and sometimes my best work happens when I have no time to think about it.This essay covers 4 out of 5 of the course outcomes and it demonstrates my ability to write a large amount in a small amount of time so I decided to include it in my blog.

 The Return of the King: An Individual’s Quest to Restore Honor

Marcus Ramsay

    In The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, the director Peter Jackson uses certain characters and scenes to show the viewer how all the characters struggled through many different forms of hardship in order to restore honor and stability to their home of Middle Earth. Frodo, a young hobbit from the Shire, is given the seemingly impossible task of carrying the Ring of Power across Middle Earth, facing many evil enemies all while carrying the burden of the ring. Aragorn, the future King of Gondor, was living with only the memory of Arwen, his one true love and was most likely fighting in the hope he would one day see her again. Gandalf the White, the born-again wizard has lived a long and relatively happy life, but feels responsible to fight to the death for Middle Earth if he knows there is a chance of it being saved. All of these characters are fighting for a cause much bigger than themselves, however with perseverance and a lot of luck they were able to destroy the Ring of Power and bring an end to the evil reign of Sauron. The morals developed in The Return of the King can be correlated to an individual’s ideas of struggle and perseverance in real life. Jackson is attempting to show the viewer the when a situation effects one’s friends, family and lifestyle, it takes everyone’s effort to make a difference, no matter your size or importance in the world.

   Frodo Baggins is a very literal way of Jackson showing viewers that no matter someone’s size, they still have the ability to make a huge impact on society. Frodo is just a young Hobbit who has never left his home of the Shire when Gandalf first gives him the task of carrying the ring. Hobbits are relatively small compared to the other beings of Middle Earth, and the fact that Gandalf would ask Frodo to carry such a burden seemed quite ridiculous. At one point Merry asks Gandalf if there is “any hope left for Frodo?” Gandalf simply replies, “There was never hope,” indicating he believes it was his own poorly judged instinct that has sent Frodo to his apparent death. The Return of the King also reflects that a death defying task such as Frodo’s can ruin an individual’s self-esteem and seemingly corrupt them to the inner core. After the ring is destroyed, Frodo spends 4 years feeling the guilt of knowing that he did not complete the task, and tells his Uncle Bilbo that he has “lost” the ring, not destroyed it like he was meant to. Near the end of the film, Frodo asks himself “How do you go on when in your heart, you know, there is no going back?” In his attempt to restore honor and certainty to Middle Earth, Frodo was corrupted by the temptation of the ring, and is forced to live with the guilt of knowing he has failed. He remained unhappy until he sailed away on the Elven ship, to the “white shores” that Gandalf promised would bring him eternal happiness.

    Aragorn, the ranger from the North who eventually becomes the King of Gondor was forever haunted by the knowledge that his ancestor fell for the power of the ring when it had the opportunity to be destroyed. Perhaps this is why he was so driven to have the ring destroyed. Peter Jackson uses Aragorn and a role model of sorts who gives the other characters hope in times of darkness. During many of the battle scenes, Jackson uses dark lighting to symbolize the evil and corruption in the scene. Often enough, when Aragorn enters there will be light again, with victorious music playing and fast shots or fighting. Even as the King of Gondor, Aragorn tells the hobbits to “bow to no one.” He believes that no matter someone’s size, when one has done a great deed like the hobbits did, they are the ones who should be hailed as heroes. When it becomes apparent that Aragorn will be crowned king, a white flower blooms on the seemingly dead Tree of Gondor. Jackson uses the color white to symbolize hope, which Aragorn is bringing to the people of Gondor. Once Mordor is finally destroyed there is no longer a dark cloud hanging over Gondor, and with their new king and the absence of evil the honor is restored, and the people can be happy once again. Aragorn also shows his honor by fighting for the one he loves. He often dreams of Arwen the Elf Princess, the woman he loves. As the evil in Mordor grows stronger, Arwen grows weaker and comes closer to death. Aragorn knows to have the opportunity to see his love again he must do anything in his power to get Frodo and Sam to Mordor to destroy the ring. The decision to bring out all of Sauron’s armies may seem foolish to the viewer at the time, but Aragorn proves it is the right decision when Frodo and Sam make it to Mount Doom relatively unscathed.
 

     Gandalf is another character used to show hope in the film. Everything about Gandalf shows hope and honor, from his magic tricks to his white robes to his age, showing he is wise and an all knowing savior of sorts. Gandalf often speaks of death as “white shores,” portraying to the viewer the idea that life after death can be better than the current life we are living. The scene in which Gandalf tells Merry about death proves to the viewer that he is a very honorable man, as he does not fear death but he fears the battle ahead. This shows he still has the courage to stand up and fight to defend the ones he loves, instead of running away from the fighting to the “white shores” he often speaks of. The color white that Gandalf wears is also a symbol of hope to the viewer. Gandalf can be a bright light in a dark room, guiding the viewer into the sun.
 

     Although the concept of hobbits, wizards and magical rings may be seemingly far-fetched, The Return of the King shows the viewer that it is possible to restore honor when all hope is lost. Though the plan is not always certain, when individuals work together in unity anything is possible. Jackson uses certain characters to show that anyone has the ability to restore honor to their homes.

An Individual's Response to Injustice: Hamlet Essay Revision

My first essay from this semester. 
This essay was a good introduction into what would be expected of us in future projects in ELA 30-1. I received 66% on the original copy of this essay, forcing me to go back and see what I did wrong and improve my writing to meet the outcomes of the course. This essay helped me with managing my ideas and information because the majority of the points I made required quotes to back them up. With Hamlet being written in the Elizabethan era, some of the language used made it difficult to select quotes that were appropriate for the point I was trying to make. I think I had some good points and  information and once I fixed the grammatical and format errors, this turned into one of my favorite critical responses from the semester. This essay covers the outcome of exploring thoughts, ideas feelings and experiences by questioning Hamlet's behavior. It demonstrates my ability to comprehend literature and other texts in print form, because I am discussing a play. This essay shows I can manage ideas and information by using quotes, and it demonstrates I am able to create print text to enhance the clarity of my communication with an audience.

An Individual’s Response to Injustice

Marcus Ramsay

            The play Hamlet is full of different examples of how certain types of individuals respond to things they consider unjust, and the way the go about seeking revenge. The main character, Hamlet, is seeking revenge for the murder of his father by his uncle, Claudius. Hamlet holds a great deal of respect for his late father and having Claudius attempt to replace his father does not make Hamlet Sr.’s passing any easier. When Claudius calls Hamlet his son, he replies with “Not so, my lord; I am too much I’ the sun.” (Act 1, Scene 2, Line 67), a metaphorical expression meaning he does not want to be Claudius’s son. After a late night encounter with the ghost of his father, Hamlet says “Adieu, Adieu! Remember me. I have sworn’t,” (Act 1, Scene 5, Line 112), and swears to kill Claudius. Laertes, son of Polonius and brother of Ophelia, also seeks revenge for his father, and makes plans to kill Hamlet. Both characters are planning to respond to acts of injustice by similar means, and are excellent examples of how Shakespeare likes to portray me: arrogant, violent and impulsive. The characters that Shakespeare has developed in Hamlet show us how impulsive men with a great deal of self respect will ten to react to acts of injustice.

            Claudius feels that Hamlet is a potential threat to the throne, and begins to plan for his murder. Claudius is much more cunning and deceitful than Hamlet, as demonstrated when he says to Laertes “And where the offence is let the great axe fall,” (Act 4, Scene 5, Line 215). He is attempting to convince Laertes that it is necessary for them to kill Hamlet in order for Laertes to have revenge. Laertes is beginning to believe Claudius when he says “Stood challenger on mount of all the age for he perfections: but my revenge will come,” (Act 4, Scene 7, Line 29). Claudius is able to think about the consequences of his actions more than Hamlet does, and although he realizes Hamlet dislikes him Claudius still tries his best to be civil with Hamlets for the majority of the play, calling him “my cousin Hamlet, and my son,” ( Act 1, Scene 2, Line 64), and attempts to defend him by saying “Love! His affections do not that way tend; nor what he spake,” (Act 3, Scene 1, Line 164). Claudius comes up with a number of plans to have Hamlet killed, but unfortunately for him none of them go quite as planned. Shakespeare is portraying Claudius as a smarter and less impulsive version of Hamlet, but their similar goals also give them a common dislike for each other. Claudius is embarrassed by the way Hamlet is acting in public, saying “Hazard so dangerous as doth hourly grow out of his lunacies,” (Act 3, Scene 3, Line 6). Claudius and Hamlet both react to the injustice in their lives in the same ways (murder), however Claudius tens to be much more thorough and doesn’t let his pride get in the way of his plans.

            In Shakespeare’s Elizabethan era, it seemed that the solution to everybody’s problems was to kill the person that was causing them. Laertes is another character set on the act of murder, and develops a cunning plan with the king to go through with it. Laertes had never taken a liking to Hamlet, and says “Let this be so; His means of death, his obscure burial,” (Act 4, Scene 5, Line 209) when he finds out his father has been killed. Between that and the constant manipulation from Claudius, Laertes is completely willing to go through with the King’s plan to “Requite him for your father,” (Act 4, Scene 7, Line 139). Like Hamlet, Laertes thinks to quickly and does not consider his actions first, often letting his lust for revenge take control of his mind, which eventually gets him killed.

            The character of Hamlet is a young man who has become disturbed by the pressure of three heavy weights that lay upon him: the death of his father, the separation of him and his lover and the obligation he feels to kill his uncle. All the confusion he feels has driven him into a state of madness, and he thinks of himself as “pigeon-liver’d,” (Act 2, Scene 2, Line 574) and “Like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause,” (Act 2, Scene 2, Line 564). Even his own mother is convinced of his madness, and is sure of it when he murders Polonius, Ophelia’s father. However, Hamlet’s disrespect towards his mother has some reasoning, as she had been sleeping with Claudius before Hamlet’s father had even passed away, as revealed when the Ghost says “And to those thorns that bosom lodge, To prick and sting her.” (Act 1, Scene 5, Line 88). The ghost of Hamlet Sr. does not want Hamlet to kill his mother, but would rather have her live with the pain of knowing she had cheated on the king and had let “the royal bed of Denmark be a couch for luxury and damned incest.” (Act 1, Scene 5, Line 84). The character of Hamlet tends to be irrational and self centered, meaning he does not think things through and needs things to go exactly as he wants, as demonstrated in his attacks at Ophelia and his mother, saying rude things to them.

            Shakespeare uses many different character structures in Hamlet to show how different personalities will react to what they think is wrong. Although there are examples all throughout the play, the most significant responses are the ones played by the main characters. When the mind of Hamlet begins to go, his behaviour becomes erratic and passionate and he becomes very defensive over what he believes in. Hamlet is a smart man, but as Claudius said, “Madness in great ones must not unwatch’d go,” (Act 3, Scene 1, Line 190). Claudius’s behaviour is not quite as unpredictable as Hamlet’s, however his corruption eventually gets the best of him. Laertes’ behaviour is similar to that of Hamlet, and both of them die a similar death. The personalities Shakespeare develops throughout the play are similar to those in many men in modern times, although it seems like murder is less common than it was during Elizabethan times. Although Hamlet ends in a tragedy, it can teach us to think of the consequences of our actions before our pride lets us make the wrong decision when defending something we believe in.

Truth and Bright Water Revision: The Individual's Pursuit of Idealism

This essay and unit meets all 5 of the learning outcomes for ELA 30-1. As an essay, it meets the outcomes for exploring thoughts, comprehending literature, managing ideas and creating text. During the unit we were also required to make chapter summaries. This amounted to a lot of long hours finding quotes we felt were appropriate to use. It really helped using the charts from other people I was sitting with to finish a lot faster. Working with others to get my work done demonstrates my ability to respect, support and collaborate with others.

My mark on this essay was a pure reflection of my problem with procrastination. I often leave essays to the last minute, giving me no time to properly proofread them myself. I can often get others to read over them, but I don't give myself enough time to get the thoughts of the essay out of my head and read it over when it seems new and fresh. Most of my marks lost on this essay were because of format or grammatical errors. I had a lot of good points in the essay, but the rush I was in to get it done and the small amount of time I had to proof read made it difficult to get the mark I wanted.

The Individual’s Pursuit of Idealism

Marcus Ramsay

            In the novel Truth and Bright Water, Thomas King uses certain characters to develop ideas about the significance of idealism and truth in an individual’s life. The main characters in the novel are searching for their own ideal lifestyle, but unfortunately these dreams cannot always be achieved. Monroe Swimmer, the famous Indian artist in the novel, has a picture of an ideal world where society respects First Nations culture and does their best to preserve it. In reality the majority of people lack interest in other cultures, even in their own, so not everyone necessarily respects his ideas and views. Elvin, Tecumsuh’s father, would have loved to have still been with Helen, Tecumsuh’s mother, but in reality they were two very different people and their personalities did not necessarily make them compatible. These are some examples from the novel of how human being’s desire a perfect life, but to have that may be violating the idealism of another individual. King demonstrates this with the relationship between Helen and Elvin throughout the novel. Elvin would have been happier if he was still with Helen, but forcing the relationship on her would have made her unhappy. The author is also trying to show the reader that idealism can distort what is necessarily true, which is even demonstrated in the title of the novel and the name of the two towns. Using the names Truth and Bright Water, King is attempting to show how the truth can often be seen differently when reflected or retold from the original source. The reader should also strongly consider the ideas of Tecumsuh throughout the novel. Tecumsuh tells the story directly how it happens, but the reader can often tell that his immaturity does not allow him to pick up on some more complicated topics throughout the novel, such as when his auntie sends him the doll and things little girls would use, because they are actually meant for her little girl. The ideas developed by Thomas King in Truth and Bright Water make us think about our own ideal life and if our dreams are realistic.

            When Monroe returns to Truth and Bright Water, he tells Tecumsuh about how he “went around the world fixing paintings.” (138) By that he means painting the First Nations people back into the picture, figuratively and literally. Monroe believes there are “Lots of great deeds to do in this world but nobody wants to do them.” (209) King used this quote to show the reader that Monroe is an idealist, he wants the world to be a perfect place but knows it is impossible for one man to make it happen. The special thing about Monroe is that he does not allow the truth to prevent him from attempting to achieve a goal. Although he knew he could not change the whole world’s view on First Nations people, perhaps his attempt to preserve the culture could influence others to do the same, especially someone like Tecumsuh. “Realism will only take you so far,” (208) but idealism is the dream that inspire human beings to do bigger and better things.

            Tecumsuh is the narrator of the novel, which gives us the story from his point of view. The author tells the reader the story through the eyes of a fifteen year old to show how much can go unnoticed, and how maturity and a deepened understanding can completely change the meaning of a symbol, like Auntie Cassie’s tattoo. At the beginning of the story, Tecumsuh thinks it says AIM, but he later realizes “It’s supposed to say AIM, but what it says in the mirror is MIA.”(246) He later pulls out the picture of a child he has found and asks her “Is this her? You know… Mia?” (259) With the little bit of maturity Tecumsuh develops over the summer, he begins to realize there is a lot more to his family’s past than he has seen on the surface. Tecumsuh has a lot of childish dreams, and as he matures he begins to learn the harsh reality of his life. His parent’s relationship is a mess, and he has to do a lot of things for himself at fifteen years old, like find his own food and find a job with no assistance. The character of Tecumsuh is also an example of an idealistic person who is forced to come to terms with the reality of his life.

            Thomas King has used Elvin to play the part of a loving father whose attempts to be there to help always fall short. He often tells Tecumsuh about how he “Started smoking when [he] was twelve,”(88) and asks what he knows about “drinking” and “sex.” (89) Elvin cares about Tecumsuh, and as much as he would love to be there for him he never truly is. Elvin feels that Tecumsuh is ready to mature and grow up but in reality Elvin hasn’t really grown up either. Elvin still tries to pull off a lot of get rich quick schemes and is constantly trying to win Tecumsuh’s mother back. To the reader he seems to be a character with a lot of potential but he is never really able commit to anything, which is why things never go quite the way he wants. Elvin often says “You know what’s wrong with this world?” (90) and blames whites, humour and women for everyone’s problems. He is unable to take responsibility for his own actions which is why he eventually accepts not getting Helen back. Elvin is an excellent example of the effects of idealism and accepting the truth in an individual’s life.

            The character who is hit hardest with the truth in the novel is Lum. The character of Lum is the lost lonely boy throughout the whole novel, and King uses Lum to show the pain that people feel when they are put down their whole lives. King uses the novel to develop ideas concerning the effects of the truth on someone’s idealism. Lum is never able to fully accept that his mother has passed away, at one point saying “She’s never coming back!” (187) and then questioning whether or not she had “come home.”(239)  Lum shows that sometimes not being able to accept the truth can have a larger impact on us than being faced with terrible news, even if it destroys dreams. Individuals must look upon bad news as something to learn from, not dwell on the past like Lum did.

            Truth and Bright Water holds many examples of idealism and how the truth can often ruin someone’s dreams. The characters that King has developed show he believes that all human beings have an ideal lifestyle or dream they are chasing and the truth can quickly ruin or upset it. If a balance between idealism and realism is achieved, individuals can learn from their past mistakes, prepare for their future and make the best life choices. While some sacrifices may be necessary, and individual can be happy without harming the happiness of others. 

Living Glossary

A collection of terms that have assisted in expanding my knowledge throughout English 30.

              Conjecture - An opinion or conclusion on the basis of incomplete information.

                         Mark Twain speaks of a conjecture in "Life on the Mississippi", in

                         which he speaks of the rate of the continuously shrinking Mississippi River.

               Malapropism - A Feudian slip (pg.57 Truth and Bright Water)

  
 Allusion- A reference to another story or fact to create effect, allusion does not work if the reader does not know where it comes from.

             Pedagogy- The method of teaching through stories, used by First Nations people.

        Verisimilitude - When an author creates a sort of false reality for readers/listeners to explore

Lord of the Rings creates a false reality of Middle Earth for viewers, the landscape is actually New Zealand.

       Ubiquitous- Something that is either present, appearing or found everywhere.

         Idealism - a human beings ideal lifestyle, often quite unrealistic.

              Epistemology - Studies the way we know things. (is knowledge of any kind possible?) LIMITS OF HUMAN KNOWLEDGE

                  Palimpsest - used to describe the paintings which had traces of the Indians in them, brought back by monroe.

                Simulacra - A representation of someone or something

                      This image represents V for Vendetta


          Serendipity - The accidental finding of something useful, often referred to as a 'happy accident'.

            Punctum - The visual thesis, the focal point where the meaning of a visual project is held 

        The butterfly is the focal point in this picture.

     Abstract- A concept of train of thought with no physical or concrete existence

     Milieu- A persons social environment.

    Hubris- Excessive self pride and arrogance



    Hamlet was very cocky and full of himself

Dramatic Irony: a situation understood by the audience and not the reader.

Situational Irony: actions become the opposite of what was planned

Verbal Irony: when a person says something but means something else.

Aphorism: a pity observation that holds the truth




Context: circumstances that form under an event, statement or idea and are well understood.



I thought I had a deep understanding of Truth and Bright Water

Soliloquy: An individual speech to the audience in a play, we saw many of those in Hamlet

Emancipation- Freeing yourself from restraint.

Many of the characters in Hamlet and Truth and Bright Water were fighting to be free of the torture they felt from their families past.

Hubris: Excessive pride or self confidence.

Hamlet was extremely cocky and hubris

Juxtaposition: Two pieces of information that would not reveal as much separated as they would together.

Connotation: The implied meaning behind a word that is not necessarily said.

Pathos: The ability of literature to invoke some kind of emotion in someone, such as sadness or happiness.