identity and locus

7/30/2019 Identity and Locus

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Petru MaiorUniversity, Trgu Mure

Identity and Locus

Breakfast at Tiffanys

Chiorean Maria Raluca

Romanian-English, Year III


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Content:

1. Fragments chosen..............................................................................2. Identity and Locus - essey..................................................................3. Questions............................................................................................4. Bibliography......................................................................................


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Ivegot the most terrifying man downstairs, she said, stepping off the fire escape into

the room. I mean hes sweet when he isnt drunk, but let him start lapping up the vino, and oh

God quell beast! If theres one thinh I loathe, its men who bite.(21)

Of course he was never my lover: as far as that goes, I never knew him unti he was

already in jai. But I adore him now, after all Ive been going to see him every Thursday for seven

months, and I think Id go even if he didnt pay me.(28)

I dont want to own anything until I know Ive found the place where me and thing

belong toghther. Im not quite sure where that is just ye t. But I know what its like. She smiled,

and let the cat drop to the floor. Its like Tiffanys, she said.(40)

Gee, honey, he said, dont they feed you up here? Youre so skinny. Like when I first

saw you. All wild around the eye. Holly touched his face: her fingers tested the reality of his

chin, his beard stubble. Hello, Doc, she repested happily, as he lifted her off her feet in a

ribcrushing grip. Whoops of relieved laughter shook him. Gosh, Lulamae. Kingdom come.(67)

After were married ore When we move to Rio Yet Jose had never suggested

marriage. She admitted it. But, after all, he knows Im preggers. Well, I am, darling. Six weeks

gone. I dont see why that should surprise you. It didnt me. Not un peu bit. Im delighted. I want

to have at least nine. Im sure some of them will be rather dark Jose has a touch of le negre, I

suppose you guessedthat?(75)


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Truman Capote's masterful novel Breakfast at Tiffany's is a perfect example of a novel

whose original idea was lost when its story was taken to the screen. This fact not with standing

it is sobering to admit as early as now that both the movie and the novel are very interesting. One

of their greatest points of departure is the point of view. In addition, aspects of art to realize

theme, dialogue and characterization have become other significant sources of differences

playing between the novel and the filmBreakfast at Tiffany's.

The premise of Capotes 1958 novella is exceedingly simple. The nameless narrator, a

young male writer, receives a phone call from a former friend, and its through reconnecting with

the former friend where in the narrator realizes what a great story he has to tell about Holly

Golightly, the girl who had been his neighbor just a few years prior. Breakfast at Tiffanys is a

roughly 100 page character sketch about a girl who talks a big game but who is at her core

exceptionally sad, lonely, and empty. Golightly likes to spend her time around socialites, around

money, and she throws parties with the best of them. Her apartment lacks furnishing, and the

only thing she keeps close to her is her cat. Each time the narrator attempts to forge

communication with her and tries to get to her to open up, he is thwarted.

Nineteen-year-old Golightly is a complex character. She presents herself as anything by

throwing these parties, by associating herself with wealth and luxury and fascination with little

things. She does it even further through her job, which can best be described as a liaison among a

bunch of men who are into drugs. Theres an air of intrigue about her, but she presents herself as

simplistic because it is easiest.

Golightly has built this world around her so she can distance herself not just from other

people but so that she can distance herself from her worst enemy - herself. Where it looked like

she was treating everyone around her as worthless, as artifice and throwaway, what the narrator

learns about Golightly was that she was really treating herself as such. It was just easier to

project upon those around her. This comes full circle with the story of the cat, Golightlys one

true possession. When shes preparing to leave New York City, to leave the past shes already

ditched elsewhere, to leave the former marriage and children and responsibilities that show up to

remind her that she is worth something to other people and to herself, Holly dumps the cat in

Spanish Harlem. Tells the cat it was a great run but no one belongs to anyone else and so now he

has the chance to start fresh, just like her.


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Capotes novella is a character sketch, but its not just a character sketch ofGolightly, but

of the writer. The narrator is a writer, yet somehow Capote is able to take the narrator and make

him a commentary on writing and on narration as craft, too. Heres a character writing about a

pained, removed, relationship-avoiding girl and as much as he tries to crack her open, she is

beyond his control. As much as he wants to have a relationship with her and allow her to see her

value and worth and her autonomy and her ability to be cared for and treated with respect, he is

only the writer. He can only do so much for her. He can sprinkle his depiction of her with pretty

words and descriptions - and this is a huge strength of the novella - but ultimately, Golightly is a

character who has to play out her story the way her story is meant to be played out. He can only

direct her so far. In other words, Capotes given us the writers experience with writing.

The film itself is not told through Pauls point of view. We get a story about Paul. But

really, that doesnt matter; what does matter is that Holly is the object of Pauls affection.

Because hes so dreamy, he can just chase what it is he wants. Oh and does he try. He attends

Golightlys parties - where she is certainly engaged in the crowd, enamored with the wealth and

glory that rubbing elbows with socialites brings - and he tells her on more than one occasion just

how much he loves her and cares about her. He doesnt want her to have the autonomy to chase

the money she wishes to. He keeps reminding her that, you know, theres a really attractive man

living right beneath your nose you can have.

This is the total opposite of what Capote intended. His story ends by suggesting that no

character can be colored by happily ever after, and yet, director has taken the story and done

nothing but make it a happily ever after. Hes corralled the character who couldnt be corralled.

Which if youre a screenwriter making an adaptation of a film, you have total control over

storylines and melding it to be your own vision.

All in all both the film and the novel, Breakfast at Tiffany's, are packed with appealing

action and drive the intended themes home. The film is packed with excellent dialogues and

historic scenes that keep an audience glued to the end. The film does capture Capotes' vision

created in writing when Holly is singing the song 'Moon River'during here fire escape: indeed,

the filmmakers chose a perfect song that would agree with Hepburn's narrow vocal tract. The

film and novel agree thematically in that while whether Holly and Paul make it together remains

a matter of discourse, the main issue is whether the two can forgive each other and live happily.


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Questions:

1. If you could write an alternate ending for the novel, what would it be and why?2. How might our perception of Holly be different if the novel was told from her point of

view?

3. Capote makes sure that we know that Holly is just nineteen years old. Why might thisdetail be important?

4. Why do you think the narrator remains unnamed?

5. Which secondary character do you think is most important to the story. Why?


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Bibliography:

1. Truman Capote,Breakfast at Tiffanys, Penguin Book, 1958

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