Lebanese-American poet Khalil Gibran once said, “a life without love is like a tree without blossom or fruit.” Love is and will always be an essential element of human life. The Pygmalion fable, from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, a collection of myths describing the transformation of the world from its creation (ca. 8 AD), most vividly explores this connection between love and life. The story tells of a sculptor, Pygmalion, who carves a female statue out of “snow-white ivory” (Ovid). He falls in love with his work and proceeds to have sexual interactions with the statue. On the festal day of Venus, Pygmalion prays for a wife like that of his ivory statue. He returns home and makes love with her, finding warmth in her lips. Venus gave the statue life and answered the prayers of Pygmalion. Although this fable seemingly has little connection to the world and its creation, it explores the concept of love that has remained throughout human history. As the world continues to change and technology gives birth to new forms of entertainment, the concept of Pygmalion has extended beyond literature into silent films, animation, and modern-day cinema. Although different versions offer unique perspectives on the Pygmalion concept of bringing life into the inanimate, in all of these examples, life is always connected with love and desire. This paper serves to first identify the progressions of the Pygmalion concept over time and then to show how love links even the most unique versions of the story together. It is important to grasp the full meaning behind the story of Pygmalion: the extent to which his fable concerns ideas of love and life. The modifier “snow-white” typifies a nature of pureness. Ivory, a dental property found only in the tusks of certain mammals, is acquired within the living. The statue represents Pygmalion’s desire for a pure and living female, one not spoiled by the earthly shame of the world. Because of his high standards and disillusionment, Pygmalion lived alone. Ovid writes that Pygmalion “saw women waste their lives in wretched shame, and [was] critical of faults which nature had so deeply planted through their female hearts” (Ovid). His pessimistic attitude toward the female gender led him to create a lifeless representation, a reflection of his lonely state. But deep within, Pygmalion desired more. A lifeless statue was, after all, lifeless. Pygmalion’s sudden change in attitude led him to discover the importance of love. The statue was now more than just a beautiful work; it was the culmination of Pygmalion’s desires. It, however, was merely an inanimate statue. Thus, Pygmalion directed his prayer towards Venus, the goddess of love, to provide him a counterpart. This was no accident. Ovid shows that love is the foundation and root of life. That, without love, even the living can be lifeless statues. Charlie Chaplin’s City Lights portrays the concept of Pygmalion through the genre of silent film. Filmed and released in 1931, this silent film provides a more realistic perspective on the tale. The movie opens with the introduction of three new statue figures, collectively named Peace and Prosperity, by the mayor. As the figures are uncovered, a tramp in a raggedy suit is seen sleeping on Prosperity’s lap. Interestingly enough, the tramp is comfortable and at home; he could have been mistaken for part of the statue if it was not for the stark contrast of his black suit on camera. Awoken from his slumber, the dazed tramp attempts to escape. As he clambers off, he gets impaled by the sword of a statue. Releasing himself, he apologetically tips his hat to the three statues, and even shows respect by rubbing his nose against one statue’s finger as if thanking it for providing a home for him. Finally, he speaks with the statue who gives him the route to freedom. Immediately as he walks into the street, his eyes turn to a nude female sculpture in a glass window. He proceeds to stare at the statue for a great length of time, fantasizing until he is interrupted by a worker in the street. In the end, after a long journey, he finds true love (City Lights). Much like the tale of Pygmalion, City Lights uses love as the foundation of its story. In the beginning of the movie, the tramp cannot find peace nor can he prosper in his current state. Thus the opening scene foreshadows the plot of the story: the tramp’s search for happiness. Although the statues did not come to life before our eyes, it seems there are subtle similarities between this story and that of the original Pygmalion. Indeed, the tramp may be viewed as a part of the original statue, who, because of love, gained his freedom to find his own peace and prosperity. The tramp’s gestures in the opening – tipping his hat, speaking with the hand – all point to a level of interaction that only he has with the statues. Furthermore, the tramp also finds attraction in a female statue. Just like the story of Pygmalion, he becomes entrapped by the beauty of the figure. Chaplin brilliantly uses the story of Pygmalion as a tool to foreshadow the story of the tramp. The woman he falls in love with is the true living female statue. His desires for a woman led him from a journey of fantasy to reality. Both he and the woman’s “incarnation” were for love. In other words, Chaplin uses the Pygmalion metaphor to highlight this search for love in a more realistic way. Even with an extremely unique adaptation of Ovid’s tale, love was the crux of Chaplin’s story. The 1940 Disney animation adaptation of Pinocchio, a novel by Carlo Collodi, provides an interesting variation of the Pygmalion concept. Many differences separate these two stories, most noticeably, the difference between life and true life. The first animation scene of the movie illustrates the original Pygmalion concept of bringing life into the inanimate; this life, however, has limitations. Geppetto, a skilled carpenter, builds a boy puppet, Pinocchio, out of wood. Lonely and without son, Geppetto wishes upon a star, saying “star light, star bright, first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I make tonight… I wished that my little Pinocchio might be a real boy… just think… a real boy” (Pinocchio). A fairy grants Geppetto’s wish, turning Pinocchio into a live puppet. Although Pinocchio now has life, to become a real boy, he must follow his conscience. The film explores the idea that the heart is more important than physical likeness to a human. The second animation scene thus becomes crucial to the story because it depicts Pinocchio’s final transformation into a real living soul – a soul with love, conscience, and compassion. Even so, everything about these two stories is dissimilar; upon closer analysis, however, several key ideas point to a connection based on love. Unlike ivory, wood is flammable and easy to be broken. Disney depicts these vulnerable properties of wood throughout the movie. In the opening scene, Pinocchio sets himself on fire. Furthermore, Stromboli, an evil puppet master, threatens to chop Pinocchio into firewood if he disobeyed. Much like Ovid’s tale, the property of the statue, or in this case puppet, reflects the condition of the creator. These reoccurring themes of vulnerability highlight Geppetto’s own fragile state as a father who desires love. In Disney’s adaptation, this love is a paternal love, forming a unique dynamic in the plotline. In the end, Pinocchio’s transformation into a real boy was possible through his love for his father. Pinocchio drags his father across strong waves and away from an angry whale to the shore, placing himself in danger for his father’s safety; all the while, the father begs Pinocchio to let him go, saying “save yourself, don’t mind me son” (Pinocchio). Pinocchio seemingly drowns but is brought back to life by the fairy’s promise (Pinocchio). This ending scene shows the true love between a father and his son and the true life that Pinocchio gained. Although even the type of love is different from that of the original, it is still this love, paternal or marital, that brings out life, true life, in the inanimate. Even today’s modern movies reflect this theme of love bringing the inanimate to life. Disney Pixar’s 1995 animation Toy Story, makes the original Pygmalion concept almost unrecognizable within the story. The opening scene provides the clearest connection to Ovid’s Pygmalion. As Newman’s You’ve Got a Friend in Me plays in the background soundtrack, Andy plays with his cowboy action figure Woody, swinging him from room to room. All the while, the figure is inanimate. Interestingly enough, the lifeless image of Woody becomes the central focus of the scene, as if he was to spring to life at that very moment. When left alone, all the toys within Andy’s room come to life. When compared to Ovid’s fable, Toy Story portrays every theme in a much different way. For instance, every toy, not just a single statue or puppet, comes to life in the film. Furthermore, the relationship between the toys and the owner is not a marital or parental relationship. As Andy hugs Woody, Newman sings, “none of them will love you the way I do… you’ve got a friend in me…” (Toy Story). All these indicators, even the soundtrack, point towards a story regarding the love of friendship. Both Woody and Buzz have Andy’s signature on their shoe. At the end, their love for Andy drives them to chase after him and fix their relationship with one another (Toy Story). Although Toy Story provides a complete spin on the story of Pygmalion, and although no statue, toy, or puppet transforms, love guides Woody and Buzz’s search for happiness. Their life originates from the love Andy once invested in them. Without this love, they would be but lifeless toys in a lifeless toy box. Without love, life is but an empty idea. Ovid’s Pygmalion tale and the various adaptations of his story point to the interconnected relationship between the concepts of love and life. As technology brings in new forms of entertainment, this story continues to progress forward, changing plots and characters. Most noticeably, the love illustrated in the original Pygmalion has transformed from a marital love to a paternal love and finally, to a love of companionship. Although no clear theory exists to explain this transformation, I posit that such alterations of the type of love stems from the audience each form of entertainment attempts to address. Earlier forms of literature, films, and animations drew in an adult audience; thus, marital love is emphasized. As film became less of a novel luxury, the audience of animations drifted towards children, focusing on a family-friendly story. Even then, however, whether paternal, marital, or a love of friendship, this love will continue to be the basis of life and its incarnation within the inanimate. Works Cited City Lights. Dir. Charlie Chaplin. Perf. Charlie Chaplin. United Artists Corp., 1931. Ovid. Metamorphoses Trans. Rolfe Humphries. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 1961. 241-43. Pinocchio. Dir. Hamilton S. Luske and Ben Sharpsteen. Prod. Walt Disney. By Ted Sears, William Cottrell, Erdman Penner, and Aurelius Battaglia. Perf. Dickie Jones, Cliff Edwards, and Christian Rub. RKO Radio Pictures, 1940. Toy Story. Dir. John Lassetter. Perf. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen. Walt Disney, 1995. DVD.
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writersSamuel C Archives
September 2014
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