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  • Essay / Analysis of George Cukor's romantic comedy "The Philadelphia Story"

    Ask someone when they last confessed their feelings to someone, and they will probably tell you a recent story . Ask anyone what this feeling of love means and they shut up. Throughout our lives, shaped by romantic literature and the interpretations of teachers, we view, through rose-colored glasses, the idea of ​​love as a series of magical moments. However, even though the majority of people view love stories as having facets of trust and commitment, the human relationships in these fictional tales reflect social commentary on the twisted mechanisms of the human mind that foster greed. and fulfillment in relationships. Therefore, it is incorrect to characterize love stories as true indications of romance, because beneath their superficial messages lies a satire of emotion. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why violent video games should not be banned"?Get the original essayGeorge Cukor's romantic comedy, The Philadelphia Story (1940), is therefore, in a sense, a comprehensive commentary on the peculiarities of human desire. It is a famous "remarriage" comedy, a subgenre created by philosopher Stanley Cavell in Pursuits of Happiness: The Hollywood Comedy of Remarriage. The analysis of the representation of love in The Philadelphia Story, based on Cavell's philosophical ideas, develops the idea that the authentic object of true love is reality itself. In his book, Cavell explains that the best way to achieve mutual love is to become aware of each other's needs. In fact, he summarizes that human affection does not seek perfection, but rather is attentive and dependent on judgment, which sees someone as they truly are. The Philadelphia Story illustrates this point very well, with several scenes showing the flaws of Tracy and Dexter's relationship. Dexter loves Tracy despite her failure to demand perfection in others and aims to subtly enlighten her until the second marriage, so that she does not repeat her mistakes. At the beginning of the film, the reasons for Tracy's divorce from Dexter seem justifiable until we begin to learn the role they played in upending the others' characters. Even though Dexter was an alcoholic, Tracy encouraged this behavior through her demands and accusations, and when these were not met, Dexter's addiction worsened. Cavell notes that "Tracy points out that drinking was his problem and he responds, 'Okay.' But you faced this problem by marrying me. You were no help, Red. You were a scold’” (Cavell 146). Dexter exclaims in exasperation to Tracy that she was never there to listen to his problems, and simply continued to scold him for even having these problems. It is much easier to extend best wishes to someone in need than to be genuinely compassionate. Likewise, it's much easier to stop arguing and divorce than to be patient while your partner works out their problems. The comedy "Re-marriage" aims to show the importance of changing a character's nature towards a flaw, not just adopting passive behavior. "'Importance' is an important word for Dexter," writes Cavell, "because it connects Tracy's inability to remember what happened the night she got drunk to her inability to tolerate human weakness , imperfection" and he drives home the point by shouting, "is extremely important... You will never be a first-class human being or a first-class woman until you learn to have some respect for fragility human »,.