“I’m Standin over Here Now.” at the End of on the Waterfront Terry Has Gained a New Understanding of Himself and the World. Discuss.
On the Waterfront is a film directed by Elia Kazan which illustrate the difficulties that the protagonist, Terry Malloy, has struggled in the early period of 1950s. Terry Malloy was a former prize-fighter who was bought up in a dark and brutal world of men. Since his career has ruined by the corrupted union which was controlled by Johnny Friendly, Terry was being recognized as a ‘bum’ within both the longshoremen and the mobs. This poor environment has created a false philosophy within Terry himself, ‘Do it to him, before he does it to you’. However, after he met Edie and Father Barry, Terry realized how wrong his philosophy was. Thus Terry, with his remaining conscience was able to stand up against Johnny Friendly and gain a new understanding of himself and the world. The world of Terry Malloy is brutal, uncompromising and stifling. Due to the environment where Terry was bought up, he has seen many human cruelty within the Waterfront such as the corrupt union's power over the longshoremen and how his ambition got took away for just letting Johnny Friendly to win a small bet. Due to these factors, Terry found the peace and safety only occurs when he obey Johnny Friendly’s orders. In Terry’s understanding of his world, is cruel and selfish, “hey, you wanna hear my philosophy of life? Do it to him before he does it to you”, he knows about the mob and he found out the only way that he can stay safe in the Waterfront is follow all the order from Friendly. He felt guilt after he knew he was a part of the murder of Joey Doyle, but the dark side of him always reminding him to keep his mouth shut about the truth. When Edie ask him which side he’s within, he answer that:”me? I’m with me,Terry.” that shows his view and he does not want to be related with the mob, and in some stages, he did not want Edie think that he is involved in the murder. When Edie questioned that, “shouldn’t everybody care about everybody else?” Terry feels ridiculous, “Boy, what a fruitcake