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Happy Endings : Why?

Happy Endings : Why? . 20 30 40 "The Loveliness of the Long-Distance Runner". Outline. Questions 20 30 40 Problems Comic Form vs. the More Realistic Solution “Happy” Endings and Beyond "Long-Distance Runner" Introduction Problems Form Solution & “Happy Ending”

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Happy Endings : Why?

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  1. Happy Endings: Why? 20 30 40 "The Loveliness of the Long-Distance Runner"

  2. Outline Questions 20 30 40 Problems Comic Form vs. the More Realistic Solution “Happy” Endings and Beyond "Long-Distance Runner" Introduction Problems Form Solution & “Happy Ending” Context: Stereotypes and the Author Reference

  3. Questions How do you relate to the two texts, or either one of them? Are there moments in the texts which resonate with you? Any parts that you like or don’t like? What do you think are their main messages (about love)? Are they conveyed successfully? Why are they comedies? What kinds of happy endings do they each have?

  4. What I can relate to: Forgetfulness …

  5. 20 30 40: Emotional problems –Instability and Loneliness --Lily Lily: husband’s disloyalty; busy, active but first neglected as a wife/mother and then lonely a divorced woman, 

  6. 20 30 40: Emotional problems –Instability and Loneliness --想想 Against marriage unable to either commit or break up (with 小齊、Brian、Jack); Pattern: Fight  Sex

  7. 20 30 40: Emotional problems –Instability and Loneliness --Lily 小潔、依童、 石哥: unfulfilled dream of becoming a singer, or twin duo

  8. Comic Form: 20—youthfulness—too much? Beating the traffic light; Getting 齊喻 to sign Singing, putting makeup, drawing (chap 8), etc.

  9. Comic Form: 30 –fighting for the gold fish

  10. Comic Form -- Lily The ways she tries to solve the problems –asking for a date Dancing tennis teacher王教練—too young Jerry Zhang – Emmy  Emily

  11. The More Realistic: Their Problems Lily Gracefully makes up for her mistake –another tactic 以退為進 Stays in ambiguities No more phone calls 小潔: sings but not heard, only Tong hears it and recorded it once.

  12. Solutions and Happy Endings: Lily Takes care of a comatose patient–What do you think? Well-intentioned Scenes of family happiness vs. lonely women—as trite as reality is. Doing facial, celebrating birthday –one-way communication (self-expression) after all.

  13. Solutions and Happy Endings: Lily Indulges herself

  14. Beyond the Happy Endings: Women’s Identities Independence? From one stereotype to another. (knife—armpit shaving)

  15. “Happy” Ending Still in the dating ritual—the most important “good morning” said to a man.

  16. Beyond the Happy Endings: Individual Problems –想想 (1) Believes in signs, but not her own judgment

  17. Beyond the Happy Endings: Individual Problems –想想 (2) (one cell phone = one man) Has to throw off the cell phone to get rid of the influence

  18. Beyond the Happy Endings: Women’s Identities Mirror reflecting a dependent woman

  19. Beyond the Happy Endings: Lesbianism or Friendship? Tong: confirms 石哥’s love, gives the videotape to 潔 (More can be suggested by the cassette tape chap 12; 47:00) 潔︰a kiss and a smile

  20. Beyond the Happy Endings: Social Context -- Problems of Postmodern Society – “Family” Fragmentation – not only that of Lily’s, but also 想想’s mother, Brian’s, 童’s parents. Flows of people and information – Flight Attendant + cell phones (43:00)

  21. Spaces of Flows, Fluidity of People and Language Mixture Major scenes and careers suggest the fluidity of humans and information Scenes:airport; earthquake and TV report Career – flight attendants (possibly Tong, too), music production (singers from Malaysia and Hong Kong—代表「無國界時代」), Jerry as 台商 Taiwanese businessman Language: The use of English names

  22. Chance Encounters in some Spaces of Flows? Roads, Diners and Neighborhood Mere coincidence: On the road, dumpling place 小潔 in front of the florist shop Lily has lunch on the side of 石哥 Communication Impossible?

  23. Another Undeveloped Element: Surveillance Camera

  24. "The Loveliness of the Long-Distance Runner“

  25. Introduction • The Lonelinessof the Long Distance Runner, Alan Sillitoe’s short story, also a 1962 film -- presents a rebellious 17-yr-old young man who arrives at a reformatory, and then joins a race in which he chooses not to win. (ref. Leonardi) Class Issue  Gender and love: Jane running and Sally at home “The Loveliness of the Long-Distance Runner“

  26. Jane –on Marathon Running “like[s] running” –”Space and good feeling” (393) Wants to break her 3.5 hour record. Wants to “run clear of the crowd” and “find someone to run [her] own pace with” “Pace; endurance; deferment of pleasure; patience.” Sally – Contradictory views on Marathon Running hates it; it is dangerous (e.g. Pheidippides) Also jealous. Thinks her lover “has the most beautiful body. Because she runs.” (392) “Marathon running is a goddamn competitive, sexist, lousy, thing to do.” Her “devouring her as a sex-object”//competitive running. Problems: Conflicts between the Two Lovers

  27. Problems: What Jane is up against • Jane – contradictory herself • To run for herself – (393-94) once she beat a sexist before the finish line, hurt her neck and feel bad about it. • Solidarity: (394-95) “experience that solidarity, of other people wanting you to do what you want to do.” “In the last few miles the crowd holds you together…This is not a noble hero against the world.” • Runs with a lady – who reduces her pace to let her go ahead • Pains • More later – sexist ideology

  28. Sally’s emphasis on Jane’s body: (393-94) “yards and yards” of leg; “miles and miles of tight, hard, thin muscle” More contraditions: she “thinks about what she is not going to think about” A jogger’s monologue: Part of her meandering thought [396-97]: Emma her own teacher  Sally heart  Zulu warrior  Jane de Chantal garbage collector garbage person . physically concrete about pain and fatigue– “Something stabs my eyes with orange” (a cramp in the upper thighs) (397) 297 –divided by 9  A lady no. 297 Alternative letters to show the struggle. Form –Interior Monologues from Two Distinct Perspectives

  29. Solution & “Happy Ending”: Sally Sally’s gradual openness while she is in “tension and inactivity” • admits that her love of Jane’s body can be possessive • (395 -- ) Examines herself: • “I don’t want her to do what she wants to do.” • Mind vs. body -- “I will not love her for those reasons [most beautiful body]; but I will love her because she is tough and enduring and wryly ironic.” (395) “Her mind is clear, careful and still open to complexity.” 3. Accepts the fact that she is involved in the race, though accepting not the same with liking. (398)

  30. Solution & “Happy Ending” • Love and Mutual Appreciation between Sally and Jane Sally – likes both her body and mind; Jane – likes Sally’s mind and worries about her heart beat –”her mind floats, green with sequinned points of fire” (396), while her own “wears Nike running shoes” • Compromise Jane – “Never, never again.” –not running again? Sally – “Rejoice, we conquer.” – conquering what?

  31. Between the Words –Stereotyping or Breaking Stereotypes • Re. Phys. Ed teacher: Emma and her father’s suspicion (395-96) • Jane –calls Sally “stubborn bitch” (394), “my princess”; herself “the younger son (say person) in the fairy story” (396-97); on a “quest” where the princess should wait for her  then admits that she hates the term “princess.” (398 still uses it) • JANE DE CHANTAL–the first jogger? Knows the slow, rich stroke–”Harassed almost to despair by their entreaties, she branded on her heart the name of Jesus, and in the end left her beloved home and children, to live for God alone.” –(source) • Mary Magdalene – “stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment ” (Luke 7:36–50.)

  32. Types and Stereotypes • Used and Critiqued to show the two are just “ordinary” lovers with their limitations and genuine love for each other. • To broaden and mix fields which were separate traditionally: • Christianity and Homosexuality; • sex-object and true love; • mind and body, • marathon running and female runners.

  33. "The Loveliness of the Long-Distance Runner“ --Context • Sara Maitland (1950-) -- Daughters of Jerusalem -- A Big-Enough God: A Feminist's Search for a Joyful Theology • "I am a feminist, a socialist, a catholic Christian, a wife and a mother […] This seems to produce enough conflicts to give me writing material for years to come.“ -- Recently, she is exploring the issue of silence.

  34. Reference • Leonardi, Susan J. “The Long-Distance Runner (The Loneliness, Loveliness, Nunliness of).” Tulsa Studies in Women's Literature13. 1 (Spring, 1994): 57-85

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