Luke's Blogs and quotes and other things
They're not supposed to show prison films in prison. Especially ones that are about escaping.
- Steve Buscemi
Blog Post 1 - Novel's relation to the theme
The novel Papillon by Henri Charriere reflects the theme of desire to escape in many ways. The most obvious would be a literal interpretation, where the characters of the book escape from many prisons, work camps, and other facilities in order to regain their freedom. The main character, known as Papillon, shows immense courage and determination throughout the novel, despite the countless unforeseen obstacles he must overcome.
One example of this is when Papillon and his fellow escapees realize they must obtain a new boat. They are told the only place they would be able to purchase one was at a nearby island populated by lepers. Knowing it was their only option, they went to the island to buy the boat. After arriving, they met a leper whose "nose was completely eaten away, flesh and bone; there was only a hole in the middle of his face... as big as a silver dollar... he had only one ear...only his left eye had an eyelid,"(p.81-82). Risking the chance of getting infected by this horrifying disease, Papillon negotiated with the lepers to buy a new boat without showing any fear or other emotions that might have negatively influenced their willingness to help him. Papillon's desire to escape is what motivated him to make such a desperate choice.
A deeper connection the novel has with the theme is Papillon's own character development. As the book progresses, Papillon realizes that he must leave behind many of his old characteristics and beliefs in order achieve his goals.
When Papillon was first convicted, he is very angry at the judge and other members of the court, and planned his revenge. Before he left for the penal colony, he was visited by a bishop, who explained that he would eventually learn to forgive those who have done him wrong. Later in the book, when two fellow escapees "behaved like a bunch of fags,"(p.144), and got them all recaptured, Papillon was able to escape his anger towards them and eventually work together to escape again. Without his motivation to change his previous habits, he would have surely not forgiven them, and might not have been able to escape the new prison.
The novel Papillon by Henri Charriere reflects the theme of desire to escape in many ways. The most obvious would be a literal interpretation, where the characters of the book escape from many prisons, work camps, and other facilities in order to regain their freedom. The main character, known as Papillon, shows immense courage and determination throughout the novel, despite the countless unforeseen obstacles he must overcome.
One example of this is when Papillon and his fellow escapees realize they must obtain a new boat. They are told the only place they would be able to purchase one was at a nearby island populated by lepers. Knowing it was their only option, they went to the island to buy the boat. After arriving, they met a leper whose "nose was completely eaten away, flesh and bone; there was only a hole in the middle of his face... as big as a silver dollar... he had only one ear...only his left eye had an eyelid,"(p.81-82). Risking the chance of getting infected by this horrifying disease, Papillon negotiated with the lepers to buy a new boat without showing any fear or other emotions that might have negatively influenced their willingness to help him. Papillon's desire to escape is what motivated him to make such a desperate choice.
A deeper connection the novel has with the theme is Papillon's own character development. As the book progresses, Papillon realizes that he must leave behind many of his old characteristics and beliefs in order achieve his goals.
When Papillon was first convicted, he is very angry at the judge and other members of the court, and planned his revenge. Before he left for the penal colony, he was visited by a bishop, who explained that he would eventually learn to forgive those who have done him wrong. Later in the book, when two fellow escapees "behaved like a bunch of fags,"(p.144), and got them all recaptured, Papillon was able to escape his anger towards them and eventually work together to escape again. Without his motivation to change his previous habits, he would have surely not forgiven them, and might not have been able to escape the new prison.
Blog Post 2 - Opinion of the novel (Spoiler Alert)
In general, the book Papillon is very entertaining and exciting. It has many interesting and slightly disturbing details that help you feel the main character's struggle throughout his journey. Papillon's ability to create escape plans every time he gets captured or arrested, and make the right decisions in crucial moments is always amazing. One thing that surprised me was how honest Papillon was about his circumstances and past when he was talking to anyone who might be able to help him. In the end, his honesty paid off many times, as it helped him gain trust with the people he interacted with, such as the mayor of the of the colony on British Guiana.
Another interesting concept of the book is when he lived with the tribe of Indians outside of Venezuela. Charriere explains the differences between the Indian's customs and the things he was used to back in France. Some of these differences included the way they dressed, how they treated women, and how they celebrated newborn children. They also went diving in the nearby ocean for clams daily, which they either ate or sold to the European colonies.
No matter what, the main character never loses hope for his cavale, which is the term he uses to describe his escape from French Guiana. Even when his friends think he is crazy, he always describes the different possibilities and opportunities their are to escape. Papillon's perseverance is inspiring on many occasions, especially when he is put into dungeons with inhumane conditions. When he is captured at Santa Marta, the underground dungeon is below sea level, and gets flooded with water up to the prisoners' waists. There is no sunlight, a wooden plank to sleep on, and rats the size of small dogs. Even after living in this dungeon for weeks, Papillon is still willing to make escape attempts, risking getting sent back to the dungeon.
I would recommend this book, if you are okay with some of the graphic and/or disturbing imagery described occasionally.
Another interesting concept of the book is when he lived with the tribe of Indians outside of Venezuela. Charriere explains the differences between the Indian's customs and the things he was used to back in France. Some of these differences included the way they dressed, how they treated women, and how they celebrated newborn children. They also went diving in the nearby ocean for clams daily, which they either ate or sold to the European colonies.
No matter what, the main character never loses hope for his cavale, which is the term he uses to describe his escape from French Guiana. Even when his friends think he is crazy, he always describes the different possibilities and opportunities their are to escape. Papillon's perseverance is inspiring on many occasions, especially when he is put into dungeons with inhumane conditions. When he is captured at Santa Marta, the underground dungeon is below sea level, and gets flooded with water up to the prisoners' waists. There is no sunlight, a wooden plank to sleep on, and rats the size of small dogs. Even after living in this dungeon for weeks, Papillon is still willing to make escape attempts, risking getting sent back to the dungeon.
I would recommend this book, if you are okay with some of the graphic and/or disturbing imagery described occasionally.
Blog Post 3 - Other theme related things
My first theme related piece is a song, Fly Away by Fytch ft. Carmen Forbes. As you can see, even the title, "Fly Away," can be related to the theme desire to escape. People who are trapped or unhappy with their circumstances often wish that they could fly away, and escape to a better place. The lyrics are as follows:
Fly with me away
'Cause I'm hurt by tears and never ending strain
I'm sick of telling fairy tales in shame
For me there is just nothing left
Nothing left to gain
Fly, fly away
And let me see the sunshine
Fly away
I want to see the sunlight
Fly away
And let me see the sunshine
Fly away
The lyrics describe a person who is upset with whatever situation they are in, and it is quite obvious that they want to get away from it. The third line, "I'm sick of telling fairy tales," is quite interesting. It suggests that in the past, the speaker was positive, or optimistic, as fairy tales often have a happy ending. The lyrics could be suggesting that the speaker was hoping for a happy ending, but it never came, so now they are "in shame" and just want to get away.
The movie "The Way Back" is another example of a movie with a theme of desire to escape. In the movie, a small group of prisoners escape from a prison camp in Siberia. They travel across Asia, trying to escape the communist allies that will take them prisoner again. They have to learn to survive in the wild by finding food and shelter, and not all of them made the journey. From deathly cold Russian winters, to scorching Mongolian deserts, these people face the full brutality of nature in order to obtain freedom. This movie is a good example of the extremes people are willing to go to when they believe they can reach a better, happier life.
Fly with me away
'Cause I'm hurt by tears and never ending strain
I'm sick of telling fairy tales in shame
For me there is just nothing left
Nothing left to gain
Fly, fly away
And let me see the sunshine
Fly away
I want to see the sunlight
Fly away
And let me see the sunshine
Fly away
The lyrics describe a person who is upset with whatever situation they are in, and it is quite obvious that they want to get away from it. The third line, "I'm sick of telling fairy tales," is quite interesting. It suggests that in the past, the speaker was positive, or optimistic, as fairy tales often have a happy ending. The lyrics could be suggesting that the speaker was hoping for a happy ending, but it never came, so now they are "in shame" and just want to get away.
The movie "The Way Back" is another example of a movie with a theme of desire to escape. In the movie, a small group of prisoners escape from a prison camp in Siberia. They travel across Asia, trying to escape the communist allies that will take them prisoner again. They have to learn to survive in the wild by finding food and shelter, and not all of them made the journey. From deathly cold Russian winters, to scorching Mongolian deserts, these people face the full brutality of nature in order to obtain freedom. This movie is a good example of the extremes people are willing to go to when they believe they can reach a better, happier life.