Illusions and Corruption

Drama and Theater > American
English > Analysis
Literature > American

A paper which explores the the dynamics of Hollywood, as seen in Clifford Odets' play "The Big Knife" and Nathanael West's book "The Day of the Locust."

1,778 words () | 2 sources | MLA | 2002 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper is about the lie that is the Hollywood dream - the corruption and emptiness underneath the glitz and glamor of fame-seekers. It also explores how Hollywood and the public relate to each other - the public's need for excitement and drama found in the movies. The paper shows how the reality of Hollywood is seen through two works - a play called "The Big Knife" by Clifford Odet and Nathanael West's "The Day of the Locust." By analyzing the two main characters in these pieces of literature, the paper highlights the grim reality of the Hollywood machine.

From the Paper:

"Fame, fortune, glitter and glamor lure many into Hollywood basket of dreams and promises. But for many blinded by the glimmer, they soon discover that it's all an elaborate illusion. Sunshine, fruit trees, and a place where anything is possible, dreams come true and happy endings proves to be nothing but an empty wasteland of corruption, greed and shattered dreams. The dream factory turns out to be more like a filth-factory. Very few of the faceless millions ever break into the "big time" and ever see the promised money, fortune and fame. Those "lucky" few who do make it big, see their name up in lights, make millions and are hailed as sex idols either become one of the corrupt themselves or find themselves trapped in the nasty web of lies, deceit, falsehood and cruelty. This is exactly what happens to Charlie Cass in Clifford Odets' The Big Knife and Faye Greener in Nathanael West's The Day of the Locust. Odets and West clearly map out the hellish reality of buying into the Hollywood illusion, its devastating effects, and the dynamic relationship between Hollywood and the public that feeds the fire and keeps the inferno burning."

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APA Citation:

Illusions and Corruption (2012, January 15). Retrieved February 10, 2012, from http://www.academon.com/Analytical-Essay-Illusions-and-Corruption/16613