On the Waterfront Essay

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QUESTION: It is simply love that changes Terry. To what extent do you agree? Elia Kazan’s black and white film ‘On the Waterfront’ (1954) is set in Hoboken, New Jersey. The protagonist Terry Malloy is an inarticulate longshoreman who works on the unionised docks, which is led by Johnny Friendly, the corrupt and powerful union boss. Terry’s relationships with the people in his life such as his brother Charley, Edie and Father Barry, help him to realise that Johnny Friendly’s practices are unjust and that Terry’s conscience was right all along. The love he receives from Edie encourages Terry to stand up and challenge. However, it is not just love that transforms Terry into a leader. Terry’s motivation to change his mind and eventually speak the truth is the result of a shift in his conscience which was sparked by the confidence he gained from Edie’s love and support, the influence of Father Barry and the love he had for his brother Charley. Edie’s love and kindness towards Terry encouraged him to see life differently without death and violence. Charley’s brutal murder is the main catalyst for Terry’s transformation. Their brotherly bond was too strong and not one to be without consequences for Johnny Friendly and his mob. Terry’s attitude and behaviour at the beginning of the film was developed by Johnny Friendly and his ways of how a stable life on the docks should be, however, Terry’s realisation of Johnny’s wrong doing motivates him to follow what his conscience tells him. In the end it was not only Charley’s death but Father Barry and Edie’s moral persuasion that helped Terry find himself again, follow his own beliefs and destroy Johnny Friendly with the truth. It is Edie’s love which encourages Terry to alter the choices he makes which motivates him to tell her the truth. Terry had a troubled childhood with the sisters because they didn’t “care enough”. Edie
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