Week 6 Blog Entry

How does the film adaptation of A Room with a View position spectators equivalently with the tourists and travelers it represents?

In the film, we as the spectators followed the path of travelers such as George and Lucy. As a result, we were  not just seeing what is already well-known to society such as landmarks written in a tourist guide book but were able to see scenes and people that can not be seen unless you are in behind the stage. One of these secretive moments is when George kisses Lucy while Cecil is not looking. Instead of the facial image of Cecil and Lucy being a happy engaged couple, the film gives us a glimpse of the real emotions and situations the characters are facing under their masks. In other words, we as spectators were able to travel into the minds of the characters through that intimate moment. Another scene that the spectators were standing as travelers is when Mr. Beebe, George and Freddy go for a swim in the river naked. Again this is a scene that is normally "behind the scenes". The natural and adventurous act of the three guys in the river differ greatly from the images they present when in public and bounded by social norms. By letting us witness the theme, the film gives us the excitement of discovering the insides of the characters, equating our position to a traveler that is able to see the true life of people in an exotic country.

5th Blog Entry

If A Room with a View is a novel about Lucy's personal development, what role does Italy play in telling this story?

In A Room with a View, Italy played the role of assisting Lucy in transforming from a typical tourist to a traveler. When Lucy first arrived in Italy, she was bounded by social conventions and she was unable to see the natural beauty in people and things. Italy’s charm could be felt even at the very start of Lucy’s journey. When visiting Santa Croce, Lucy at first walked around “disdainfully, unwilling to be enthusiastic over monuments of uncertain authorship or date”(23). She would not accept things not recognized by conventions, and she did not even bother to look at them let alone appreciate them. However, “the pernicious charm of Italy worked on her, and, instead of acquiring information, she began to be happy” (23). She started to gain interest in the notices, the tourists and the prayers in the church. She even engaged in conversation with the Emersons, whom she had previously despised and her cousin had warned not to get close to. Although Lucy returned to her old self as soon as she heard that her cousin was nearby, this little episode in Santa Croce serves as a sign for greater changes to come that eventually led Lucy to become a traveler that was not afraid of breaking conventions to pursue her passion and love.

Forster, E. M. A Room with a View. New York: Barnes and Noble Classics, 2005. Print.

Week 4 Assignment

 On page 34 of A Room with a View, Mr. Beebe exclaims: "If Miss Honeychurch ever takes to live as she plays, it will be very exciting - both for us and for her."  How may we interpret this statement about Lucy's piano playing as a metaphor for the dichotomy between tourists and travelers?  What does it suggest about Lucy's potential to develop personal autonomy?

When Mr. Beebe exclaimed "If Miss Honeychurch ever takes to live as she plays, it will be very exciting - both for us and for her"(34), he meant that Lucy's piano playing is representing a different side of Lucy. The Lucy playing the piano is more like a traveler, while the Lucy in daily life represents a tourist. When Lucy is playing the piano, "she was then no longer either deferential or patronizing; no longer either a rebel or a slave"(32). Similar to a traveler, she does not judge people and sights by their reputation or their significance. Instead she views things with an open mind, always ready to accept a new sensation. Furthermore, Lucy claims that she likes her own playing “better than any one’s”(34). Again she resembles a traveler who prefers his or hers own discoveries along a journey over well-known tourist attractions. A traveler may think that a coffee shop he or her stumbled upon in France is more interesting than the Eiffel Tower, even though the Eiffel Tower is more grand and famous. 

The portrayal of Rome in the film Roman Holiday was similar to Goethe's description of the city during the Roman Carnival in the sense that Rome is portrayed as place where people are not serious and enjoying life as it is. In Roman Holiday, there was a place where people were dancing to music. Even when there was a fight going on people did not seem terrified, but rather they enjoyed the chaos as a show with fast tempo music in the background. Goethe also describes a fight in Italian Journey. During the fight, “the dealers in plaster confetti run from one combatant to another, weighing out as many pounds as he asks for.” To the locals, fights are not dangerous events to avoid but merely opportunities to make business. Even the weapon confetti itself has a festive sense, adding a touch of joyous spirit to the conflict.

Works Cited:
Goethe, Johann Wolfgang Von, Thomas P. Saine, and Jeffrey L. Sammons. Italian Journey. New York, NY: Suhrkamp New York, 1989. Print.