Sunday, September 24, 2017
Tragedy of the Common Man?
When the unnamed doorman in The Last Laugh is demoted to bathroom attendant, his world collapses. At the end of the film he is estranged from his family, fellow workers and neighbors and only the night watchman gives him succor. Is this film a tragedy in the Aristotelian sense (that is, does he fall because of some tragic character flaw?)? Is it an indictment of the society of the time? A study of the inevitable effects of aging? Or, to put the point another way, whose fault is the doorman's downfall?
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The Last Laugh is a result of the inescapable effects of getting older. As people get older the ability to do physical acts grows more difficult, it is a natural process of aging. There is nothing that can be done about it other than except an ever-looming fate. Based on the letter sent to the doorman informing him of his change in position, as one gets older they are usually put in different job positions. It insinuated that the previous man who had the job was probably there because he was old and he left because he got too old. Regardless, the protagonist was shown having difficulties performing his job at the beginning of the film. His inevitable aging was having an effect, he could not help it. The main character’s reaction and actions as a result of his change in work positions is aging in itself. He seems to grow more and more frail after he gets a new job. His whole demeanor did a flip. He became a ghostly and slow person who struggles to open a towel and shine shoes. Instead of making the most of what he has he resents it and spends his time yearning for something that cannot be gained back. The ex-doorman’s attitude completely ages him by what seems like years by the way he reacts to his natural situation. I believe he therefore makes it much worse for himself, instead of being grateful for having a job at all.
ReplyDeleteThe antagonist in the The Last Laugh does not fall because of some fatal but rather because society no longer values his skills. This can be seen as an indictment on society because of quick it is to toss away people who may not be seen as useful. When the doorman’s once friendly neighbors turn on him, this is an example of how society does not value the person, but they value the status that the person has. The character of the doorman has not changed, and he did not do anything wrong but, because he does not have the same status people now see him as lesser. Instead of valuing his humor or kindness they care that he is able to open doors and wear a fancy coat with big buttons. This shows that society is shallow and does not really care for people on a deeper level. The ending although a sharp turn from the rest of the movie still continues with this theme now that doorman has had his status elevated he loved by everyone. Everyone is nice to him, and he is living a happy and amazing life. It also shows that the doorman is less shallow than the rest of society because he allows the poor man onto his carriage and gives tips to all of the employees. The doorman is an example of what people should value and how they should act. He does not care about someone’s status like the rest of the characters in the story and in the end, he is happy giving him “the last laugh.” Overall the film is critical of society lack of emphasis on people and pokes fun at the devotion people have to status symbols like the coat.
ReplyDeleteIn the silent film, The Last Laugh, the unnamed doorman’s downfall falls not on himself, his family, his fellow workers, neighbors, or society but on the impending effects of aging. When hard workers like the doorman grow old they tire out faster and lose their strength and power. Especially when their jobs make up their entire lives and are devoted to executing a job well done, precisely similar to the concierge. Dreaded and renounced, aging is something that everyone must face; however, no one can know quite when it will truly influence their lives. When the unnamed doorman received his letter of demotion it was clear that it came out of nowhere and broke his heart. It was hard for him to face the reality of time and age after dedicating his life to his work. The lowering of his status at his workplace caused him to be so somber that it not only exhibited in his appearance, but also reflected in his actions. The more he demonstrated melancholy the more he seemed to age both physically and mentally. In a way the doorman’s downfall was his own fault because instead of accepting his new job he chose to pout and be mournful which caused him to become more frail and depressed. As Dr. Seuss once said “don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” However, it is not his fault nor societies fault that he could no longer fulfill the needs of a doorman because he is getting older. No matter how hard he tried he will never be in the same form as he was before.
ReplyDeleteAny person put in a job requiring physical labor would eventually be unable to perform their job in a satisfactory manner, as this occurs they will need to be replaced. That is exactly what transpires during the movie. However, it is the man and society’s unnatural reaction to this natural process that causes his downfall. Firstly, if we are to look at the way that the Doorman himself reacts to the idea that he is becoming too old to perform his job before anyone besides himself and his employer knows, we will see that he is holding himself to an unrealistic standard set forth by society. The first instance of this is when the Doorman is handed the note that explains that he will be transferred to another job because he is aging and becoming frailer. Upon reading this note, he begins to tear up. Aging is a normal process that acts upon everyone; however, he is reacting as if there is something he could have done to prevent this from happening. He should simply accept the fact that he is unable to fight aging and move on. Secondly, the way the Doorman is shunned by society for being demoted is highly illogical given the fact that it was completely out of his control when he became unable to do his job because of old age. This reaction is shown best by his wife who comes to deliver a gift to her husband but is shocked to find that he is now working in the bathroom. Like all of society, she does not bother to try to understand why this has happened but instead chooses to be disgusted with the man for something out of his control. If the man and society both took, the time to embrace the idea that aging is inevitable and took the more optimistic outlook of being grateful that the man can still contribute to society, the man would experience no demise.
ReplyDeleteThe downfall of the doorman in, The Last Laugh, is affected by multiple sources, yet is in the end directly caused by the inevitable effects of aging. It should be argued that there are three main sources of the main character’s downfall; the workers at the hotel and the hotel itself, the family of the main character, and lastly the doorman himself. While we cannot see this happen in the movie, we can assume that there are complaints from other doormen that eventually lead to the hotel demoting the main character. Thus we can conclude that the hotel contributed to the doorman’s downfall by making the decision to demote the doorman. With regards to the family of the doorman, they contributed just as much as the hotel if not more to his downfall. Every day the doorman would come home to his family and friends and every day they would build up his self-esteem by giving him praise. This made the doorman way too comfortable with his job and with his status. While he doesn’t have to be uncomfortable in his position, in order to continue to improve and work hard there should be some sense of urgency in his life. Similar to in sports, there is always someone younger and better equipped looking to take your job. If his family didn’t make him feel so content, maybe he would have at least kept his job for a while longer. Lastly the doorman himself is to blame for his own downfall. Not all of the blame for his relaxed lifestyle can be put on his family. He has to be responsible for his own life and his own job security. Also his downfall is not simply his demotion, but rather the uncomfortable situation that he is put in when he is too embarrassed to go home or ask for help. If he would have originally told his family rather than keeping his demotion a secret, maybe it would have been taken differently. Lastly it is likely that the outcome of the film would have played out in a similar way no matter what decisions the doorman made simply due to his age. In the end it all comes down to the fact that you can’t work forever, and your age will always catch up with you eventually.
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