Shari Rosenblum comments:


> > I have been thinking about Monty Clift in "A Place in
> >  the Sun"... why do we consider him the hero, when he
> >  commits a crime? Why don't we feel pity for poor
> >  Shelly Winters? Why do we justify his murder?

> We judge him kindly because we want to have what he wants to
> have. We judge her less so, because she is what we never want to be.


In addition, although Stevens and co. have romanticized Dreiser's
naturalistic tale, it is an American "tragedy."  We are inclined to
experience "fear and pity," cathartically or not.

Another example would be Merseult in THE STRANGER (including Visconti's
film version).  A man who is unheroic in almost all aspects is,
finally, to be identified with because--as Camus himself noted--he
would not go along just to get along.  (I paraphrase, obviously, and
badly!)

Don Larsson
----------------------
Donald Larsson
Minnesota State U, Mankato
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