Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Everyone's Looking for Answers
So say a couple of characters in O Brother, Where Art Thou? I asked the class to do a little research on a topic from the film--not necessarily a theme, but something that is part of the plot or setting or zeitgeist of the Depression Era. Something that makes this particular film work. Several focused on music--gospel, blues or bluegrass--while others focused on con men or the women in the Depression or stereotypes of the South. In 800 words, they present information on their topic, discuss its presence and significance in the film, and, finally, try to connect it all up with The Odyssey. The posts below are the work of various students in the class.
Mississippi and Southern Stereotyping
Sidney Walker wrote:
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the southern United States. Mississippi was the 20th state admitted to the Union on December 20, 1817. When Mississippi became a state its economy was primarily agricultural until after the Depression of the 1930s. Cotton was king, and Mississippi had large agricultural plantations. Meanwhile, the Mississippi plantation owners became wealthy because of cotton and their large ownership of African-American slaves. In Mississippi during the 1850s there were almost 800.000 African-Americans with fewer than 1,000 of them free. The African-American slave laborers had to work the land from sun-up to sun-down. Also during the 1800s, there were many small rural white-owned farms throughout Mississippi. The rural white farm owners had large families to work the land. Furthermore, the African-American slave laborers and the rural white farm families were uneducated with virtually no skills for upward mobility. In addition, there was a severe wealth imbalance between the white plantation owners and the rural white farm owners. Even though the above information is focused on Mississippi, the same can be said about almost all southern states during this period of time.
Today Mississippi has the lowest per capita income in the nation. The South, as a region, has 8 of the 11 lowest per capita income states. In 2007, the US Census Bureau indicated Mississippi was the poorest state in the country. In 2007, Mississippi’s median household income was $36,338, which was $31,372 below Maryland, which was the wealthiest state. In 2008 Mississippi was ranked last in academic achievement among the fifty states. Meanwhile, in 2007, Mississippi students scored the lowest of any state on the National Assessments of Educational Progress in both math and science. The southern states’ secondary education systems continually rank at the bottom nationally. These low academic achievements and low income levels in Mississippi (and most other states in the South) contribute to negative stereotypes applied to all southern states. The most prevalent types of stereotyping are racial and ethnic, sexual, and gender. In the 1800s the most common stereotyping in our country was depicting African-Americans as dumb, lazy, poor, and uncivilized. The original colonists believed that African-Americans were inferior to white people. This helped to justify slavery and the many laws that were put in place that condoned inhumane treatment to keep African-Americans in a lower socioeconomic position.
Southerners are depicted as lazy, racist, uneducated, and bigoted. These kinds of southern stereotypes are perpetuated by Hollywood, media, and academia. While growing up in the South, I went to segregated public middle class schools and never saw other students as lazy and uneducated, but there were regions in the South, such as small rural towns, farming areas, and African-American communities, that I never came in contact with, so I had no perception of these peoples’ lives and experiences. In fact, the people living in some of these areas are sometimes referred to as “Rednecks.” Redneck is a derogatory slang term used to depict poor white southerners. Redneck men consider their women helpless, subservient, and stupid. Today the term Redneck is also used to depict people who are opposed to modern ways such as southern conservatives and segregationists. George Wallace (Alabama governor), Jesse Helms (U.S. senator North Carolina), and Strom Thurmond (U.S. senator South Carolina) were bigots and racists during their early political careers, but changed their outlook as the racial tone changed in the country. Strom Thurmond had an African-American daughter. Despite their change in outlook, they are nevertheless still known as “typical Southern white bigots.” The South has always been a place where “white privilege” was important. While my father was an alcoholic, he never was arrested for driving under the influence because he knew the mayor, the judges, the police chief and most of the police officers. He was immune to a DUI because of the “good ole boy” system.
The South has traditionally been characterized as racist, due in large part to segregation. On May 17, 1954, the United States Supreme Court in Brown versus Board of Education of Topeka declared unanimously (9-0) that state laws establishing separate public schools for African-American and white students and denying African-American children equal educational opportunities were unconstitutional. During the 1960s several major public universities in the South (University of Mississippi and University of Alabama) were racially integrated through the use of force by the federal government. The first two public universities in our country were the University of North Carolina (1789) and the University of Georgia (1801) but they did not become truly public until the 1950s/1960s when racial integration was ordered by the federal courts. By 1961, only South Carolina, Alabama, and Mississippi still maintained completely segregated school systems even though the U.S. Supreme Court had declared this unconstitutional in 1954. These three states school systems were successfully integrated by 1970. The National Voting Rights Act of 1965 outlawed discriminatory voting practices that had been responsible for the widespread disenfranchisement of African-Americans. This law requires Mississippi, along with many other southern states, to get approval from the U.S. Department of Justice for any change affecting voting, a process known as preclearance.
Despite the negative southern stereotype of racism, the first state to elect an African-American governor was the southern state of Virginia in 1989. Many southerners are depicted as undereducated, but three of the last six U.S. presidents—Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush—were from the South. They graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy, Georgetown University, and Yale University, respectively. In fact, Bill Clinton was a Rhodes Scholar. Stereotyping can lead to prejudice and bigotry and, if left unchecked, can lead to discrimination, violence, and in extreme cases to genocide. During World War II genocide by the German government led to the death of approximately six million Jews.
Discussion of the Topic in Film/Movie
In the South, a Redneck man views a woman as dumb. In contrast to the Redneck male’s view of a woman, the main female character, Penny, in “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” is quite crafty and smart in finding herself another man to support her while her husband, Everett Ulysses McGill, is away in jail. Unlike the southern stereotypical woman who is often depicted as helpless, Kalypso and Kirke in the Odyssey play a positive role in liberating and educating Odysseus. Athena, the grey-eyed goddess, is always looking after Telemakhos and Odysseus by disguising them at the most opportune time. Athena, Kalypso, and Kirke are all goddesses who are very skilled at getting the job done by any means necessary. These three females are all intelligent and independent. While Odysseus is away on his twenty year adventure, he is the typical married male having sex/making love with Kalypso and Kirke, but Penelope is the faithful wife even though she has many suitors lusting for her status, her money, and her sexual favors. Without a doubt, Odysseus is the stereotypical hero in the Odyssey. He is smart, strong, athletic, cunning, persuasive, good looking, and quick thinking. His escape from the cave by getting the Kyklops, Polyphemos, drunk and shoving a red-hot wooden staff into his eye is an example of Odysseus’ intelligence, quick thinking, and strength. He is the only one of his group of warriors to successfully make the journey home to Ithaka. As usual the hero has a lovely wife, Penelope, who is beautiful and intelligent. The hero always has a happy ending. Homer creates and perpetuates stereotypes in the poem for the purpose of making Greek values seem like they are the best values (the way Southerners have traditionally insisted that “white is right”).
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the southern United States. Mississippi was the 20th state admitted to the Union on December 20, 1817. When Mississippi became a state its economy was primarily agricultural until after the Depression of the 1930s. Cotton was king, and Mississippi had large agricultural plantations. Meanwhile, the Mississippi plantation owners became wealthy because of cotton and their large ownership of African-American slaves. In Mississippi during the 1850s there were almost 800.000 African-Americans with fewer than 1,000 of them free. The African-American slave laborers had to work the land from sun-up to sun-down. Also during the 1800s, there were many small rural white-owned farms throughout Mississippi. The rural white farm owners had large families to work the land. Furthermore, the African-American slave laborers and the rural white farm families were uneducated with virtually no skills for upward mobility. In addition, there was a severe wealth imbalance between the white plantation owners and the rural white farm owners. Even though the above information is focused on Mississippi, the same can be said about almost all southern states during this period of time.
Today Mississippi has the lowest per capita income in the nation. The South, as a region, has 8 of the 11 lowest per capita income states. In 2007, the US Census Bureau indicated Mississippi was the poorest state in the country. In 2007, Mississippi’s median household income was $36,338, which was $31,372 below Maryland, which was the wealthiest state. In 2008 Mississippi was ranked last in academic achievement among the fifty states. Meanwhile, in 2007, Mississippi students scored the lowest of any state on the National Assessments of Educational Progress in both math and science. The southern states’ secondary education systems continually rank at the bottom nationally. These low academic achievements and low income levels in Mississippi (and most other states in the South) contribute to negative stereotypes applied to all southern states. The most prevalent types of stereotyping are racial and ethnic, sexual, and gender. In the 1800s the most common stereotyping in our country was depicting African-Americans as dumb, lazy, poor, and uncivilized. The original colonists believed that African-Americans were inferior to white people. This helped to justify slavery and the many laws that were put in place that condoned inhumane treatment to keep African-Americans in a lower socioeconomic position.
Southerners are depicted as lazy, racist, uneducated, and bigoted. These kinds of southern stereotypes are perpetuated by Hollywood, media, and academia. While growing up in the South, I went to segregated public middle class schools and never saw other students as lazy and uneducated, but there were regions in the South, such as small rural towns, farming areas, and African-American communities, that I never came in contact with, so I had no perception of these peoples’ lives and experiences. In fact, the people living in some of these areas are sometimes referred to as “Rednecks.” Redneck is a derogatory slang term used to depict poor white southerners. Redneck men consider their women helpless, subservient, and stupid. Today the term Redneck is also used to depict people who are opposed to modern ways such as southern conservatives and segregationists. George Wallace (Alabama governor), Jesse Helms (U.S. senator North Carolina), and Strom Thurmond (U.S. senator South Carolina) were bigots and racists during their early political careers, but changed their outlook as the racial tone changed in the country. Strom Thurmond had an African-American daughter. Despite their change in outlook, they are nevertheless still known as “typical Southern white bigots.” The South has always been a place where “white privilege” was important. While my father was an alcoholic, he never was arrested for driving under the influence because he knew the mayor, the judges, the police chief and most of the police officers. He was immune to a DUI because of the “good ole boy” system.
The South has traditionally been characterized as racist, due in large part to segregation. On May 17, 1954, the United States Supreme Court in Brown versus Board of Education of Topeka declared unanimously (9-0) that state laws establishing separate public schools for African-American and white students and denying African-American children equal educational opportunities were unconstitutional. During the 1960s several major public universities in the South (University of Mississippi and University of Alabama) were racially integrated through the use of force by the federal government. The first two public universities in our country were the University of North Carolina (1789) and the University of Georgia (1801) but they did not become truly public until the 1950s/1960s when racial integration was ordered by the federal courts. By 1961, only South Carolina, Alabama, and Mississippi still maintained completely segregated school systems even though the U.S. Supreme Court had declared this unconstitutional in 1954. These three states school systems were successfully integrated by 1970. The National Voting Rights Act of 1965 outlawed discriminatory voting practices that had been responsible for the widespread disenfranchisement of African-Americans. This law requires Mississippi, along with many other southern states, to get approval from the U.S. Department of Justice for any change affecting voting, a process known as preclearance.
Despite the negative southern stereotype of racism, the first state to elect an African-American governor was the southern state of Virginia in 1989. Many southerners are depicted as undereducated, but three of the last six U.S. presidents—Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush—were from the South. They graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy, Georgetown University, and Yale University, respectively. In fact, Bill Clinton was a Rhodes Scholar. Stereotyping can lead to prejudice and bigotry and, if left unchecked, can lead to discrimination, violence, and in extreme cases to genocide. During World War II genocide by the German government led to the death of approximately six million Jews.
Discussion of the Topic in Film/Movie
Stereotyping disguised as “comic relief” is used throughout “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” to depict the depression era of the 1930s. The stereotypes perpetuated in the movie are said to be from a bygone era, but are they really from the past? As a serious-minded person, it is difficult for me to appreciate this film as a comedy. I don’t like the movie because it makes fun of southerners and the South. The film’s setting is the U.S. state of Mississippi. It begins with a scene where chain-gang prisoners in striped uniforms are doing work in a public area. In a later scene in the movie the chain-gang prisoners are in their striped uniforms taking in a film at the local movie house. Prisoners doing work or at play in public only happens in the South. Another scene shows the Ku Klux Klan in action with a cross, a hangman’s noose, and an African-American which will stir up racism and bigotry in the minds of many movie goers. Meanwhile the film depicts Delmar and Pete as limited minded Rednecks who can only get by with the help of Everett Ulysses McGill, their leader and smart guy. Where else but in the South could you see a religious baptism happening on a river bank as seen in the film. Throughout the movie “ole boy” cronyism is alive and well. This stereotype was invented in the South but it is known as “networking” in the rest of the country.
Connect the Topic, the Film/Movie, and the Odyssey
In the South, a Redneck man views a woman as dumb. In contrast to the Redneck male’s view of a woman, the main female character, Penny, in “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” is quite crafty and smart in finding herself another man to support her while her husband, Everett Ulysses McGill, is away in jail. Unlike the southern stereotypical woman who is often depicted as helpless, Kalypso and Kirke in the Odyssey play a positive role in liberating and educating Odysseus. Athena, the grey-eyed goddess, is always looking after Telemakhos and Odysseus by disguising them at the most opportune time. Athena, Kalypso, and Kirke are all goddesses who are very skilled at getting the job done by any means necessary. These three females are all intelligent and independent. While Odysseus is away on his twenty year adventure, he is the typical married male having sex/making love with Kalypso and Kirke, but Penelope is the faithful wife even though she has many suitors lusting for her status, her money, and her sexual favors. Without a doubt, Odysseus is the stereotypical hero in the Odyssey. He is smart, strong, athletic, cunning, persuasive, good looking, and quick thinking. His escape from the cave by getting the Kyklops, Polyphemos, drunk and shoving a red-hot wooden staff into his eye is an example of Odysseus’ intelligence, quick thinking, and strength. He is the only one of his group of warriors to successfully make the journey home to Ithaka. As usual the hero has a lovely wife, Penelope, who is beautiful and intelligent. The hero always has a happy ending. Homer creates and perpetuates stereotypes in the poem for the purpose of making Greek values seem like they are the best values (the way Southerners have traditionally insisted that “white is right”).
Does Humor Belong in Art?
Matt Hartenstein wrote:
Throughout the ages the exact definition of comedy has evolved greatly. The Greeks and Roman called all plays that had a happy-ending “comedy.” In the Middle Ages, any work that had a happy-ending and an overall lighter tone was deemed a comedy. It was, of course, during this time period that Dante Alighieri wrote his famous La Divinia Commedia, or The Divine Comedy. Finally, as more time passed, comedy has arrived at its current form, any type of work that induces laughter. There are numerous types of comedy as well; one being satire, such as “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. In this type of comedic satire, where social criticism is the greater purpose, the “government” weakens everyone through the use of absurd handicaps so no one citizen is better than the other in any way. Another type of comedy is the sketch comedy. Examples of sketch comedy would be Monty Python’s Flying Circus and Saturday Night Live. Sketch comedy is made up of numerous comedic “sketches.” A sketch is different from a skit, where one joke is the center, in that a sketch explores a character, concept, or situation. Another type of comedy, with which almost everyone is familiar, is stand-up comedy. In stand-up comedy, a comedian talks directly to the audience. Examples of stand-up comedians would be Robin Williams, Adam Sandler, etc. Some stand-up comedians use props. When Carrot Top was actually popular and people went to see his shows, he would use props, as would the comedian Gallagher. Another type of physical, or miming, comedy would be clowns. Clowns are known for their costumes, hilarious acting to entertain adults and children alike, and for not speaking. Comedy can be used in numerous ways as well; one way would be to ease the tension in a drama or tragedy. Another use of comedy is to be cerebral and make the reader/audience think. An example of this would be Jonathan Swift’s Modest Proposal, which, superficially, is an essay about how to help the Irish during their economic troubles, but upon further analysis proves to be a scathing essay against the mistreatment of the Irish at English hands. Another use of comedy is to be a form of relief from another element of a story. One example of comedy being used as a relief is in William Shakespeare Othello, with Iago’s gulling of Roderigo to give him all his cash.
Comedy can be very easy to work with, if one is given the right tools and is quick-witted and makes use of the situation; or, it can be hard to work with and may take years to perfect, such as stand-up comedy. It is hard to interlace all the uses and forms of comedy with one another, therefore, most comedians interlace one or two together. Throughout their movie O Brother, Where Art Thou?, the Coen brothers weave satire, situational, comedic relief and elements of the Odyssey into their movie and, overall, achieve success.
Comedy in O Brother, Where Art Thou? is used as a relief for the audience, as a way of portraying the similarities between the Odyssey and the movie, and a way to make the audience think. One example of comedic relief would be when Baby-Face Nelson decides to kill cows while being chased simply because, “[he] hate[s] cows” (O Brother, Where Art Thou?). The Coen brothers placed this comedy in the movie to link to when Odysseus’ men slaughtered Helios’ cows. Another part of the movie that paralleled the Odyssey is the part about “Big” Dan Teague and his cyclopean view; although here the directors decided to go another route and let Ulysses and Delmar receive an “advanced tutorial” on how to make money. Another time when comedy is used to parallel the Odyssey is when the three men stumble upon the “sirens”. Here the women sing and dance, luring them closer and to let their guard down, by pouring a jug of “XXX” alcohol down one of their throats. The sirens are known through mythology as beautiful women who sing and lure ships to their demise. The Coen brothers also wanted to make their audience think with the “FOP” hair gel; fop being a synonym for idiot.
The Coen brothers use comedy as a way of pulling elements from Homer’s Odyssey, and placing them into a format of today’s view that go along with their movie. From the slaughtering of cows by Baby-Face Nelson and the “sirens” that convinced Delmar Pete’s a toad, to Soggy Bottom Boys donning beards and dressing like old men to sneak into the theater to rescue his wife from a “bona fide” suitor. Anyone who’s read a summary of the Odyssey should be able to pick up the parallels between film and poem, and how comedy ties them, loosely, together.
Throughout the ages the exact definition of comedy has evolved greatly. The Greeks and Roman called all plays that had a happy-ending “comedy.” In the Middle Ages, any work that had a happy-ending and an overall lighter tone was deemed a comedy. It was, of course, during this time period that Dante Alighieri wrote his famous La Divinia Commedia, or The Divine Comedy. Finally, as more time passed, comedy has arrived at its current form, any type of work that induces laughter. There are numerous types of comedy as well; one being satire, such as “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. In this type of comedic satire, where social criticism is the greater purpose, the “government” weakens everyone through the use of absurd handicaps so no one citizen is better than the other in any way. Another type of comedy is the sketch comedy. Examples of sketch comedy would be Monty Python’s Flying Circus and Saturday Night Live. Sketch comedy is made up of numerous comedic “sketches.” A sketch is different from a skit, where one joke is the center, in that a sketch explores a character, concept, or situation. Another type of comedy, with which almost everyone is familiar, is stand-up comedy. In stand-up comedy, a comedian talks directly to the audience. Examples of stand-up comedians would be Robin Williams, Adam Sandler, etc. Some stand-up comedians use props. When Carrot Top was actually popular and people went to see his shows, he would use props, as would the comedian Gallagher. Another type of physical, or miming, comedy would be clowns. Clowns are known for their costumes, hilarious acting to entertain adults and children alike, and for not speaking. Comedy can be used in numerous ways as well; one way would be to ease the tension in a drama or tragedy. Another use of comedy is to be cerebral and make the reader/audience think. An example of this would be Jonathan Swift’s Modest Proposal, which, superficially, is an essay about how to help the Irish during their economic troubles, but upon further analysis proves to be a scathing essay against the mistreatment of the Irish at English hands. Another use of comedy is to be a form of relief from another element of a story. One example of comedy being used as a relief is in William Shakespeare Othello, with Iago’s gulling of Roderigo to give him all his cash.
Comedy can be very easy to work with, if one is given the right tools and is quick-witted and makes use of the situation; or, it can be hard to work with and may take years to perfect, such as stand-up comedy. It is hard to interlace all the uses and forms of comedy with one another, therefore, most comedians interlace one or two together. Throughout their movie O Brother, Where Art Thou?, the Coen brothers weave satire, situational, comedic relief and elements of the Odyssey into their movie and, overall, achieve success.
Comedy in O Brother, Where Art Thou? is used as a relief for the audience, as a way of portraying the similarities between the Odyssey and the movie, and a way to make the audience think. One example of comedic relief would be when Baby-Face Nelson decides to kill cows while being chased simply because, “[he] hate[s] cows” (O Brother, Where Art Thou?). The Coen brothers placed this comedy in the movie to link to when Odysseus’ men slaughtered Helios’ cows. Another part of the movie that paralleled the Odyssey is the part about “Big” Dan Teague and his cyclopean view; although here the directors decided to go another route and let Ulysses and Delmar receive an “advanced tutorial” on how to make money. Another time when comedy is used to parallel the Odyssey is when the three men stumble upon the “sirens”. Here the women sing and dance, luring them closer and to let their guard down, by pouring a jug of “XXX” alcohol down one of their throats. The sirens are known through mythology as beautiful women who sing and lure ships to their demise. The Coen brothers also wanted to make their audience think with the “FOP” hair gel; fop being a synonym for idiot.
The Coen brothers use comedy as a way of pulling elements from Homer’s Odyssey, and placing them into a format of today’s view that go along with their movie. From the slaughtering of cows by Baby-Face Nelson and the “sirens” that convinced Delmar Pete’s a toad, to Soggy Bottom Boys donning beards and dressing like old men to sneak into the theater to rescue his wife from a “bona fide” suitor. Anyone who’s read a summary of the Odyssey should be able to pick up the parallels between film and poem, and how comedy ties them, loosely, together.
Race and Gender Oppression in the Old South
Kayley Bitzer wrote:
The old South could be described as a time of happiness, success and hospitality it had the look of greatness too: large white houses with big yards and happy families, literate people and an established economy that was based on cotton. Looks can be deceiving though; the old South was actually a time and place of hatred. Slaves and the KKK are prime examples of this hatred. Slaves were present during most of the existence of the old South; they did industrial and agricultural work. Slave owners demoralized their slaves; they had no rights what so ever, the women were forced into having sexual relations with their masters on a regular basis, and many mulatto babies were born due to this. Resistance to the sexual advances from the master ended up in beatings. The KKK, often known as a “hate group,” was another group of people who discriminated against black people: they advocated white supremacy and nationalism. The first group originated in the early 1860’s and had 550,000 members, this “first clan” ended in the late 1870’s. Their costumes were iconic: all white robes, masks and a conical hat. Their activities included hanging or lynching ofNegros , preaching about racism, anti-Catholicism, burning of the cross, burning black people’s houses and attacking them then leaving their dead bodies on the streets. Sometimes the KKK claimed to be ghosts of the Confederate soldiers to scare superstitious Negros . In some states, members of the KKK were politicians and often the KKK was used as a political force,(www.wikipedia.org). Even the women of the old South seemed to live the life of a slave also. The role of women confined by patriarchal society; even as a child a woman needed to follow the rules of her father. They must go to school every day, although the fathers cared about the sons’ education more than he cared about the daughters’. Young southern belles were supposed to be well educated in manners and etiquette: their goal in life was to find an acceptable suitor that would take care of them after it was no longer the father’s duty. Who a woman chose to marry signified who she was in society; it also has a reflection on her father and who he is in society. Once a woman was married, the husband controlled every part of her life; she was just a piece of furniture, basically, who was meant to reproduce so the man could carry on his name through an heir. Men ruled over the women just to make sure that their name in society was not frowned upon due to a woman’s actions (www.mgagnon.myweb.uga.edu).
O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a movie that takes place in the old South and portrays the trials and tribulations that took place during this time. The first scene in the movie shows a black chain gang breaking up big rocks into little rocks used to pave the railroad, and then it shows three of the men from the chain gang escaping and running through the fields to get away. After these three men escape safely, we see they are the three main characters of the movie, Ulysses, Delmar and Pete. These three men find ways to become “brothers” with black men. They receive their prophecy from a black man, they help save Tommy and they have served time in jail just like a black man. The Grand Wizard of the KKK is running in the election for governor ofMississippi
Homer’s Odyssey and O Brother, Where Art Thou? have many similarities such as ancient Greece appeared to be a paradise when it really was not. The old South appeared to be pleasant, but it was full of hate. Everyone from the slaves in the old South to Ulysses and Odysseus all have a common goal: getting back home to their families. Odysseus is held captive by Kalypso and Kirke just like a slave, but he outsmarts them, kind of like how Ulysses, Delmar and Pete outsmart the KKK to save Tommy. Penny and Penelope both ultimately stay true to their husbands while they are gone on their journeys. Women in the old South had no choice but to stay true to their husbands because they controlled every move they made.
The old South could be described as a time of happiness, success and hospitality it had the look of greatness too: large white houses with big yards and happy families, literate people and an established economy that was based on cotton. Looks can be deceiving though; the old South was actually a time and place of hatred. Slaves and the KKK are prime examples of this hatred. Slaves were present during most of the existence of the old South; they did industrial and agricultural work. Slave owners demoralized their slaves; they had no rights what so ever, the women were forced into having sexual relations with their masters on a regular basis, and many mulatto babies were born due to this. Resistance to the sexual advances from the master ended up in beatings. The KKK, often known as a “hate group,” was another group of people who discriminated against black people: they advocated white supremacy and nationalism. The first group originated in the early 1860’s and had 550,000 members, this “first clan” ended in the late 1870’s. Their costumes were iconic: all white robes, masks and a conical hat. Their activities included hanging or lynching of
O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a movie that takes place in the old South and portrays the trials and tribulations that took place during this time. The first scene in the movie shows a black chain gang breaking up big rocks into little rocks used to pave the railroad, and then it shows three of the men from the chain gang escaping and running through the fields to get away. After these three men escape safely, we see they are the three main characters of the movie, Ulysses, Delmar and Pete. These three men find ways to become “brothers” with black men. They receive their prophecy from a black man, they help save Tommy and they have served time in jail just like a black man. The Grand Wizard of the KKK is running in the election for governor of
Homer’s Odyssey and O Brother, Where Art Thou? have many similarities such as ancient Greece appeared to be a paradise when it really was not. The old South appeared to be pleasant, but it was full of hate. Everyone from the slaves in the old South to Ulysses and Odysseus all have a common goal: getting back home to their families. Odysseus is held captive by Kalypso and Kirke just like a slave, but he outsmarts them, kind of like how Ulysses, Delmar and Pete outsmart the KKK to save Tommy. Penny and Penelope both ultimately stay true to their husbands while they are gone on their journeys. Women in the old South had no choice but to stay true to their husbands because they controlled every move they made.
Free at Last: From Spirituals to Gospel
Carrie Gossett wrote:
Negro Spiritual music is fundamental the history of African American people. This form of music was created as a way of communication for the slaves who had been stolen away from the home, culture, traditions and religions they knew. The slaves, all from many regions of the western African Coast, were brought to this new land by force, and they were stripped bare. The songs also reflect the influence of African songs from their native lands. The slave owners believed that to save the slaves’ souls they had to be taught the ways of the bible. Slaves were prohibited from worshipping or holding any type of gathering for fear that they would learn to rebel against their owner. The first Negro spirituals featured words that mimicked the formal Christian hymns they had been exposed to during church service.
The spiritual became a way to express the hard life of slavery and to beg the God of the white master to deliver them from the bondage of this strange land. The characters in the early Negro spirituals were from the Old Testament, such as Moses, and David, who also had to overcome trials and tribulations in their lives. Slaves could easy identify with them. Though the music was based on existing hymns, the words and the dialect used were particular to the way slaves talked. Spirituals used words with dual meaning, and they conveyed messages. "My home," or "Sweet Canaan, the Promised Land” would be an example of a place where they would have freedom. When they sang of crossing the River Jordan, it was actually the River Ohio they meant! Negro Spirituals like “Wade in the Water,” “The Gospel Train” and Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” all refer to methods of escape and going north. “Swing Low” refers to the Ripley, a “station” of the Underground Railroad, where fugitive slaves were welcome. The words in the song go on to say “I looked over Jordan and what did I see a coming to carry me home/a band of angels coming after me.” This was a message to tell slaves that once they crossed over the river (Ohio) someone would be there to guide them on home (to the North). Many spirituals took on this form as a way to create hope. These spirituals songs differ from the field calls or working songs; they were sung in slow deep voices, and the work songs were more like a rap or chant using the call and response method. The messages were of dread, and of moving on to a better life, a safe place. As the tone of spirituals changed to reflect new thoughts of a promised freedom and a better way of life, the songs became more upbeat and looked forward to better times to come. They changed from songs to pass on messages and stories of hardships as a slave. The change came after Civil war. The new name given to the songs is Gospel. The Gospel songs taken from the New Testament of the Bible reflected a new beginning and happier times to come. The old Negro spirituals were changed and updated to bring in instruments, upbeat rhythms, and words of joy. The songs took on a new meaning. Now the gospel songs became a way to spread the word of Jesus and righteous living if the word is followed. Today, Gospel has become a form of preaching with song.
The songs in the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou? come from both genres of the music. For example, the song titled; “Down to the River to Pray” talks about redemptions and freedom. The movie created a story with music, based on meaning from the Gospel Hymns; the words are direct indications of parts in the Bible which talk about moral and spiritual forgiveness. The words in the gospel hymns “The Lonesome Valley” and “Angel Band” are messages that talk about redemption and how the walk has to be taken alone. The word "hymn" comes from the Greek "hymnos," and this gives some indication as to the age of hymn. They were originally songs written in honor of the Gods, leading figures, and heroes. The words; “You got to go there by yourself Oh, you got to ask the lords forgiveness” refer to human suffering and how to make it easier with God’s help. This sub-plot of the movie reveals, just as in The Odyssey, a message of what life is like and how hard things can get without the guidance of a higher power. All humans can become lost in their goal to reach home, or self, or freedom.
Negro Spiritual music is fundamental the history of African American people. This form of music was created as a way of communication for the slaves who had been stolen away from the home, culture, traditions and religions they knew. The slaves, all from many regions of the western African Coast, were brought to this new land by force, and they were stripped bare. The songs also reflect the influence of African songs from their native lands. The slave owners believed that to save the slaves’ souls they had to be taught the ways of the bible. Slaves were prohibited from worshipping or holding any type of gathering for fear that they would learn to rebel against their owner. The first Negro spirituals featured words that mimicked the formal Christian hymns they had been exposed to during church service.
The spiritual became a way to express the hard life of slavery and to beg the God of the white master to deliver them from the bondage of this strange land. The characters in the early Negro spirituals were from the Old Testament, such as Moses, and David, who also had to overcome trials and tribulations in their lives. Slaves could easy identify with them. Though the music was based on existing hymns, the words and the dialect used were particular to the way slaves talked. Spirituals used words with dual meaning, and they conveyed messages. "My home," or "Sweet Canaan, the Promised Land” would be an example of a place where they would have freedom. When they sang of crossing the River Jordan, it was actually the River Ohio they meant! Negro Spirituals like “Wade in the Water,” “The Gospel Train” and Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” all refer to methods of escape and going north. “Swing Low” refers to the Ripley, a “station” of the Underground Railroad, where fugitive slaves were welcome. The words in the song go on to say “I looked over Jordan and what did I see a coming to carry me home/a band of angels coming after me.” This was a message to tell slaves that once they crossed over the river (Ohio) someone would be there to guide them on home (to the North). Many spirituals took on this form as a way to create hope. These spirituals songs differ from the field calls or working songs; they were sung in slow deep voices, and the work songs were more like a rap or chant using the call and response method. The messages were of dread, and of moving on to a better life, a safe place. As the tone of spirituals changed to reflect new thoughts of a promised freedom and a better way of life, the songs became more upbeat and looked forward to better times to come. They changed from songs to pass on messages and stories of hardships as a slave. The change came after Civil war. The new name given to the songs is Gospel. The Gospel songs taken from the New Testament of the Bible reflected a new beginning and happier times to come. The old Negro spirituals were changed and updated to bring in instruments, upbeat rhythms, and words of joy. The songs took on a new meaning. Now the gospel songs became a way to spread the word of Jesus and righteous living if the word is followed. Today, Gospel has become a form of preaching with song.
The songs in the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou? come from both genres of the music. For example, the song titled; “Down to the River to Pray” talks about redemptions and freedom. The movie created a story with music, based on meaning from the Gospel Hymns; the words are direct indications of parts in the Bible which talk about moral and spiritual forgiveness. The words in the gospel hymns “The Lonesome Valley” and “Angel Band” are messages that talk about redemption and how the walk has to be taken alone. The word "hymn" comes from the Greek "hymnos," and this gives some indication as to the age of hymn. They were originally songs written in honor of the Gods, leading figures, and heroes. The words; “You got to go there by yourself Oh, you got to ask the lords forgiveness” refer to human suffering and how to make it easier with God’s help. This sub-plot of the movie reveals, just as in The Odyssey, a message of what life is like and how hard things can get without the guidance of a higher power. All humans can become lost in their goal to reach home, or self, or freedom.
Why is the Path to Righteousness Peopled with Hypocrits?
Sha’keela McClendon wrote:
Hypocrisy is big in a lot of religions today. Each religion assumes their practice is the only true religion. Sadly, they don’t realize that there is no perfection; surely not in a religion. There is nothing religious about degrading and making people feel bad about the decisions they have made in their lifetime. Sometimes those decisions are made for a reason and their just looking for someone to guide them. Some religions frown on newcomers that join the church because of the clothes they’re wearing or how many kids they have out of wedlock; but who are they to judge? They teach the acceptance of “sinners” but don’t live out their lesson in reality. Religion is supposed to be about the love of Jesus and teachings of the bible but most people have forgotten about that.
Church has become more a social place than a place of worship. A lot of people only go to church to gossip, see the fashion and sometimes steal. Preachers steal from the church’s bank account. Deacons write checks in the church’s name. How are these examples god like? Some preachers go as far as selling the religion on television like it’s a brand of clothing.
Proverbs 13:11 states, “wealth obtained by fraud dwindles, but the one who gathers by labor increases it.”
The worst form of hypocrisy is expressed in extremist religion. Some go as far as shunning a family member because their belief is different. In my opinion, hypocrisy starts when church members call people sinners. Are you that perfect that you haven’t sinned one time? Does this make you God, that you’re judging me? Sometimes preachers say we are all sinners, so why am I the one shunned? In many religions like my own, Christianity, you have certain classifications with the church. For example, in the Baptist church, there are the “saints”; older members who think they sit on a high pedestal in the church and have the right to correct you even when they’re wrong. Next is the middle generation, who’s stuck between the old tradition and the new generation. Some are frowned upon just because they like the idea of something new. Last, there are the young people, ready to do new things and have new styles about things in the church.
Sadly as people grow up, they tend to move on to other religions. A child raised in a strict religious household where they’ve witnessed hypocrisy tends to experience lasting effects and develops strong opinions about that religion. In some cases, they don’t get back into the church until they feel that they’ve found one that isn’t as harsh as the one they were brought up in. Somewhere along the way most religions forgot that Jesus came to teach us to love one another, despite our imperfection and down falls.
In the movie O Brother, Where Are Thou? religion helps make the characters’ journey for answers easier. It adds significance and structure. Biblical references appear multiple times throughout the movie, one being the congregation of Baptists singing as the main characters proceed to escape. Everett (George Clooney) then remarks, “They must be looking for answers.” The congregation continues to sing as they are being dunked in the river. Delmar runs down to the river and cuts to the front of the line. He is baptized, and afterwards he says:
“Well that’s it, boys. I’ve been redeemed.
and transgressions. It’s the straight and narrow
This scene is acting out the biblical story of Jesus Christ and John the Baptist. In many Christian churches, this practice enacts the belief that “god washes away your sins”; in reality this action doesn’t necessarily take away your sins from the world. After this scene ends, the characters continue to seek meaning through greed and redemption.
The Ku Klux Klan in the movie shows the elements of the Old Testament in a more modern society. Homer Stokes, leader of the KKK, explains more to us as he preaches to his followers about preserving their culture and heritage from intrusions (blacks) and by pulling the evil up by the root before it spreads. In the film the audience is reminded of the religious connection by the burning cross and the cross symbols on the costumes. In reality, the KKK members are acting more like the executioners and Tommy is portrayed as the keepers of God’s work. He says, “I ain’t never harmed any you gentlemen! I ain’t never harmed nobody!” Tommy is more Christ-like than the Klansmen, who murder and torture in God’s name.
In 2000 the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou? was released as a remake of Homer’s The Odyssey. If you have read The Odyssey and watched the movie you can clearly see the similarities between the two in the plot, theme and even the characters. It is known by many that the name Ulysses, which is Everett’s first name, is the Roman version of Odysseus. Religion has a big effect on both. In The Odyssey it takes the kind heart of Athena (Goddess of War) to push the other gods to release Odysseus. Without his belief in her, he never would have seen his family again. In O Brother, Where Art Thou? Everett and his two partners never would have seen the big flood if they hadn’t called on the Lord.
With religion being in both works, hypocrisy is there also. In the epic poem, the suitors are the hypocritical ones. They professed to be upstanding citizens and obedient to the Gods but they behaved completely opposite, violating the laws of respect and hospitality. When Odysseus returned and took back his land with violence, this was to remind the audience that those who stray will be punished.
Throughout the epic poem and film both Odysseus and Everett take similar adventures to get to their destination. In the film, Everett mocks religion, laughing at the thought of a god and telling Pete and Delmar that God cannot help them with their sins with the state of Mississippi. But Odysseus is very religious; he even visits with his crew the Oracle of Delphi before his big trip back home. This big difference is shown in the beginning of both works. Odysseus doesn’t like the way the Gods have helped him but he does accept the fact that they exist in his world. Everett, however doesn’t believe that being baptized takes your sins away, but it does help you get through the mental process of feeling better.
The Great Depression Era, O Brother Where Art Thou? and The Odyssey
Pat Visconti wrote:
To understand the American economy in the 1930’s a closer look at world events prior to the Great Depression is necessary. Across the globe, Europe’s agriculture supply was dwindled by effects of World War I. Meanwhile, farmers in the United States increased production of crops for export to Europe. By the 1920’s European agriculture production returned to pre-war levels and imports were no longer required. The US supply outnumbered demand and market prices began to fall below production cost. Suffering financial losses, the majority of farmers were in jeopardy of bankruptcy.
Many viewed the first 100 days of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidency as the salvation of America during the Great Depression. His administration jump started the economy by creating an abundance of social programs. Shortened to 3 letter acronyms, these became known as “Alphabet Soup”. AAA, The Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1933 was created to restore the American farmer back to pre-World War I levels by paying farmers to cut crop and dairy production by 30 %. According to Gilbert C. Fite, author of “Farmer Opinion and the Agricultural Act of 1933,” (The Mississippi Valley Historical Review 48 [Mar. 1962]: 656-673), farmers thought carefully about implications of the New Deal farming program, not only for themselves but also for the country. Opinion of government control varied, but most farmers were in desperate situations and welcomed any promise of relief, even when the principles were not sound.
Fite explains AAA policy required farmers to reduce acreage, burn surplus crops, and decrease dairy production to receive cash incentives. Farmers and citizens were outraged over the destruction of crops while the misery of nationwide hunger spread. Farmers believed there could be no surplus when people were on the verge of starvation. The problem in the farmer’s of view point was the improper government distribution of surplus agriculture products. They stressed the real surplus was an “overproduction of empty stomachs and bareback citizens”. Fite quotes John Simpson, president of the Farmer’s Union, saying he “believed if men could be employed and receive a paycheck at the end of the week, the agriculture crises could be solved”. Nationwide hunger prevailed during the Great Depression as the government forced farmers to destroy edible crops and dairy products. Eventually, based on the legality of taxation, AAA was determined unconstitutional.
During the golden age of radio, FDR broadcasted fireside chats to assure Americans of financial recovery. He frequently emphasized the needs of the “forgotten man” and a new unlimited classless society for Americans. Lee A. Gary, author of “The Forgotten Man: The Rhetorical Construction of Class and Classlessness in Depression Era Media” (The Journal of American History, 94. 4 [Mar., 2008]), explains the forgotten man is an image and phrase FDR used to identify all classes of deserving American citizens. The rhetorical forgotten man could neither gain long term employment, nor belong to the mythical classless nation. Behind the theatrics of politics, the success of Alphabet Soup programs was not necessarily the full truth presented to Americans.
The Coen Brother’s use of financially depressed 1930’s gave many creative opportunities to insert subtle political statements against the effectiveness and fairness of FDR’s Alphabet Soup programs. Without using scripted words, the film visually presents outrage towards AAA’s senseless policies. Although the time period is not accurate for an appearance by “Baby Face” George Nelson, he is correctly presented as a ruthless 1930’s gangster in the film. According to John Cline, (http://xroads.virginia.edu/~MA05/cline/obrother/free6/obrother1.htm.), Nelson is a sadistic, psychotic murderer that most likely never crossed the Mississippi state line. The Coen brothers have purposely inserted Nelson’s character to make no sense at all.
In a scene, Nelson kills one cow, scatters the rest, and the “miserable salaried sonsabitches” of the government wreak havoc on the livestock. No angry farmers are present demanding restitution or gathering his herd into the safe confinements of the pastures. The killing of innocent cows is a political statement towards the senseless destruction of surplus dairy products under AAA policies. In my opinion, the Coen Brothers are categorizing Uncle Sam’s AAA policies as simply a pack of murdering gangsters. They forced farmers to destroy crops and take cash incentives in order to survive while hungry spread nationwide.
To understand the American economy in the 1930’s a closer look at world events prior to the Great Depression is necessary. Across the globe, Europe’s agriculture supply was dwindled by effects of World War I. Meanwhile, farmers in the United States increased production of crops for export to Europe. By the 1920’s European agriculture production returned to pre-war levels and imports were no longer required. The US supply outnumbered demand and market prices began to fall below production cost. Suffering financial losses, the majority of farmers were in jeopardy of bankruptcy.
Many viewed the first 100 days of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidency as the salvation of America during the Great Depression. His administration jump started the economy by creating an abundance of social programs. Shortened to 3 letter acronyms, these became known as “Alphabet Soup”. AAA, The Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1933 was created to restore the American farmer back to pre-World War I levels by paying farmers to cut crop and dairy production by 30 %. According to Gilbert C. Fite, author of “Farmer Opinion and the Agricultural Act of 1933,” (The Mississippi Valley Historical Review 48 [Mar. 1962]: 656-673), farmers thought carefully about implications of the New Deal farming program, not only for themselves but also for the country. Opinion of government control varied, but most farmers were in desperate situations and welcomed any promise of relief, even when the principles were not sound.
Fite explains AAA policy required farmers to reduce acreage, burn surplus crops, and decrease dairy production to receive cash incentives. Farmers and citizens were outraged over the destruction of crops while the misery of nationwide hunger spread. Farmers believed there could be no surplus when people were on the verge of starvation. The problem in the farmer’s of view point was the improper government distribution of surplus agriculture products. They stressed the real surplus was an “overproduction of empty stomachs and bareback citizens”. Fite quotes John Simpson, president of the Farmer’s Union, saying he “believed if men could be employed and receive a paycheck at the end of the week, the agriculture crises could be solved”. Nationwide hunger prevailed during the Great Depression as the government forced farmers to destroy edible crops and dairy products. Eventually, based on the legality of taxation, AAA was determined unconstitutional.
During the golden age of radio, FDR broadcasted fireside chats to assure Americans of financial recovery. He frequently emphasized the needs of the “forgotten man” and a new unlimited classless society for Americans. Lee A. Gary, author of “The Forgotten Man: The Rhetorical Construction of Class and Classlessness in Depression Era Media” (The Journal of American History, 94. 4 [Mar., 2008]), explains the forgotten man is an image and phrase FDR used to identify all classes of deserving American citizens. The rhetorical forgotten man could neither gain long term employment, nor belong to the mythical classless nation. Behind the theatrics of politics, the success of Alphabet Soup programs was not necessarily the full truth presented to Americans.
The Coen Brother’s use of financially depressed 1930’s gave many creative opportunities to insert subtle political statements against the effectiveness and fairness of FDR’s Alphabet Soup programs. Without using scripted words, the film visually presents outrage towards AAA’s senseless policies. Although the time period is not accurate for an appearance by “Baby Face” George Nelson, he is correctly presented as a ruthless 1930’s gangster in the film. According to John Cline, (http://xroads.virginia.edu/~MA05/cline/obrother/free6/obrother1.htm.), Nelson is a sadistic, psychotic murderer that most likely never crossed the Mississippi state line. The Coen brothers have purposely inserted Nelson’s character to make no sense at all.
In a scene, Nelson kills one cow, scatters the rest, and the “miserable salaried sonsabitches” of the government wreak havoc on the livestock. No angry farmers are present demanding restitution or gathering his herd into the safe confinements of the pastures. The killing of innocent cows is a political statement towards the senseless destruction of surplus dairy products under AAA policies. In my opinion, the Coen Brothers are categorizing Uncle Sam’s AAA policies as simply a pack of murdering gangsters. They forced farmers to destroy crops and take cash incentives in order to survive while hungry spread nationwide.
The policy of AAA allows immoral behavior to be perfectly legal creating a conflict of morality verses legality. In The Odyssey, man's actions conflict with legal and Heavenly laws. Heavenly laws, including the laws of brotherhood, stipulate what is morally right and wrong. In the poem, the suitors break heavenly laws under the scheme of courting Penelope. They plunder Odysseus’s house and show contempt towards the Greek Gods by slaughtering cattle without sacrifice. Zeus destroys Odysseus’s ship and crew after Eurylokhos breaks a sacred oath and convinces them to eat Helios’s cherished cattle.
Music in Film: More Than Just "A Soundtrack"
Daniel L Smith wrote:
Music and movies have always gone hand in hand. Can you imagine watching a movie with no music? Without music, we would lose an enormous emotional aspect of any movie. Even in the days of silent films, there was still a musical accompaniment. Music stirs something primal in one’s soul. The right music can bring forth emotion that spans the entire range from laughter to tears. A blog written by John Hopkins media studies students states the relationship between film and music: “Music’s function is deeper than simply background music. Focus on the songs the director chooses and you will have a much greater understanding of a film, you’ll learn and experience a good deal more.” In Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? the music while not exclusively, is distinctively southern. The musical genres work well as the movie is set in Mississippi, where our trio escaped a prison camp. The movie makes use of Blues, Bluegrass, Country, and Gospel to help tell its tale. Of these, the Blues is the only genre born in the South while the others are usually associated with the south. The movie makes use of the blues and even puts in a reference to the blues legend of Robert Johnson selling his soul to be the greatest blues guitarist. The actor playing the role of “Tommy Johnson,” the Robert Johnson-esque character is, in fact, Blues artist Chris Thomas King, who is credited with essentially creating his own style called hip-hop blues. The character he portrays is actually Tommy Johnson who was a Blues musician that lived from 1896 to 1956 and claimed to have sold his soul for his guitar playing skill. This plot was later picked up and used by Robert Johnson, who is commonly associated with making a deal with the devil at the crossroads. Bluegrass was actually created when southerners moved to Illinois to find jobs in industrial cities. Bluegrass is a mixture of traditional Irish, Scottish, and African American music blended with blues and Jazz. The instruments of Bluegrass are fiddle, five-string banjo, acoustic guitar, mandolin, and the resonator guitar often joins the upright bass. Bluegrass got its name from Bill Monroe’s band “The Blue Grass Boys.” The “style” of Bluegrass came about when Earl Scruggs joined the “Blue Grass Boys” and developed his three finger roll, or repeated four step picking pattern: Strike the third (middle, "G") string with the thumb pick. Pick the second string (the string just below the middle string, "B" string) with the index finger. Strum the fifth (top, drone, high "G") string with the thumb pick. Pluck the first (bottom, bass, low "D") string with your middle finger. The four notes should sound something like the first four notes of a clock's quarter-hour chime. This pattern became known as “Scruggs Style,” which is viewed as a key development in the genre, even though Scruggs learned the style from someone else, who learned it from someone else, and so on. The music from the movie was very popular; in fact, it won a Grammy, and spawned a documentary Down from the Mountain and a revival in the interest of Bluegrass music. The sound track has even surpassed the movie in sales volume. The song “I am a Man of Constant Sorrow” played a main role in the film and the song itself is a bit of a mystery. No one knows where or when “Man of Constant Sorrow” was written. The song has been recorded and performed by no less than 27 times by artist such as Bob Dylan, Rod Stewart, Jerry Garcia, and Waylon Jennings to name a few. Dick Burnett, the artist credited with the original, said in an interview near the end of his life that he was unsure if he had written the song of if he had been given the song. The song has been adapted many times, by many artists to fit into the times they are living. For our trio on the run, the song is about their journey and hardships of escaping prison and making their way home. In the words of the song, we find a tale of strife “For six long years I've been in trouble, No pleasures here on earth I found”. The song laments a longing to be home, fear that they will never make it home, and that if they do at last make it home, they will be unrecognized.
The Music is such an integral part of Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? that it would have been impossible to have the movie without the music. It’s opening scene shows the importance from the song of the prison chain gang leading into “Big Rock Candy Mountain” as the trio is on the run looking for better life. Would Pete and Delmar have been moved to be baptized, had it not been for the singing of the congregation moving through the woods to the river? The haunting sound of Allison Krauss is absolutely amazing; I could have been moved to be right there with them in the river. Without the Siren’s song to stop the trio’s journey, we would have missed out on a fantastic stumbling block on their way home. “Sweet Jesus Everett, can't you see them Sirens did this to Pete they loved him up and turned him into a horny toad.” As part of writing this paper, I bought the soundtrack ($5.99 on Amazon). Listening to the soundtrack while writing this paper takes me straight back to the movie. As each song comes on, I can see flashes of exactly what was going on in the movie. Of course, the movie’s outcome could not have been more different if our trio hadn’t stopped by a radio station in the middle of nowhere and recorded their hit “Man of Constant Sorrow” had they not performed in front of the Governor they would have still been on the run and Everett could not have become “bona fide”
In both Homer’s poem and the film, the main characters are after the same thing. They have lost their families and their homes. They are far away from home and both want more than anything to get back to their homes and resume their life. They are both living the life of a country song. As the saying goes what do you get when you play a country song backwards? You get your house back your wife back and your dog back. The difference being in Everett’s case he gets his daughters, and in Odysseus’ his cows and goats. With Country, Blues, and Bluegrass, the songs aren’t really uplifting—more of a “you’re not the only one who’s got it bad” message.
Music and movies have always gone hand in hand. Can you imagine watching a movie with no music? Without music, we would lose an enormous emotional aspect of any movie. Even in the days of silent films, there was still a musical accompaniment. Music stirs something primal in one’s soul. The right music can bring forth emotion that spans the entire range from laughter to tears. A blog written by John Hopkins media studies students states the relationship between film and music: “Music’s function is deeper than simply background music. Focus on the songs the director chooses and you will have a much greater understanding of a film, you’ll learn and experience a good deal more.” In Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? the music while not exclusively, is distinctively southern. The musical genres work well as the movie is set in Mississippi, where our trio escaped a prison camp. The movie makes use of Blues, Bluegrass, Country, and Gospel to help tell its tale. Of these, the Blues is the only genre born in the South while the others are usually associated with the south. The movie makes use of the blues and even puts in a reference to the blues legend of Robert Johnson selling his soul to be the greatest blues guitarist. The actor playing the role of “Tommy Johnson,” the Robert Johnson-esque character is, in fact, Blues artist Chris Thomas King, who is credited with essentially creating his own style called hip-hop blues. The character he portrays is actually Tommy Johnson who was a Blues musician that lived from 1896 to 1956 and claimed to have sold his soul for his guitar playing skill. This plot was later picked up and used by Robert Johnson, who is commonly associated with making a deal with the devil at the crossroads. Bluegrass was actually created when southerners moved to Illinois to find jobs in industrial cities. Bluegrass is a mixture of traditional Irish, Scottish, and African American music blended with blues and Jazz. The instruments of Bluegrass are fiddle, five-string banjo, acoustic guitar, mandolin, and the resonator guitar often joins the upright bass. Bluegrass got its name from Bill Monroe’s band “The Blue Grass Boys.” The “style” of Bluegrass came about when Earl Scruggs joined the “Blue Grass Boys” and developed his three finger roll, or repeated four step picking pattern: Strike the third (middle, "G") string with the thumb pick. Pick the second string (the string just below the middle string, "B" string) with the index finger. Strum the fifth (top, drone, high "G") string with the thumb pick. Pluck the first (bottom, bass, low "D") string with your middle finger. The four notes should sound something like the first four notes of a clock's quarter-hour chime. This pattern became known as “Scruggs Style,” which is viewed as a key development in the genre, even though Scruggs learned the style from someone else, who learned it from someone else, and so on. The music from the movie was very popular; in fact, it won a Grammy, and spawned a documentary Down from the Mountain and a revival in the interest of Bluegrass music. The sound track has even surpassed the movie in sales volume. The song “I am a Man of Constant Sorrow” played a main role in the film and the song itself is a bit of a mystery. No one knows where or when “Man of Constant Sorrow” was written. The song has been recorded and performed by no less than 27 times by artist such as Bob Dylan, Rod Stewart, Jerry Garcia, and Waylon Jennings to name a few. Dick Burnett, the artist credited with the original, said in an interview near the end of his life that he was unsure if he had written the song of if he had been given the song. The song has been adapted many times, by many artists to fit into the times they are living. For our trio on the run, the song is about their journey and hardships of escaping prison and making their way home. In the words of the song, we find a tale of strife “For six long years I've been in trouble, No pleasures here on earth I found”. The song laments a longing to be home, fear that they will never make it home, and that if they do at last make it home, they will be unrecognized.
The Music is such an integral part of Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? that it would have been impossible to have the movie without the music. It’s opening scene shows the importance from the song of the prison chain gang leading into “Big Rock Candy Mountain” as the trio is on the run looking for better life. Would Pete and Delmar have been moved to be baptized, had it not been for the singing of the congregation moving through the woods to the river? The haunting sound of Allison Krauss is absolutely amazing; I could have been moved to be right there with them in the river. Without the Siren’s song to stop the trio’s journey, we would have missed out on a fantastic stumbling block on their way home. “Sweet Jesus Everett, can't you see them Sirens did this to Pete they loved him up and turned him into a horny toad.” As part of writing this paper, I bought the soundtrack ($5.99 on Amazon). Listening to the soundtrack while writing this paper takes me straight back to the movie. As each song comes on, I can see flashes of exactly what was going on in the movie. Of course, the movie’s outcome could not have been more different if our trio hadn’t stopped by a radio station in the middle of nowhere and recorded their hit “Man of Constant Sorrow” had they not performed in front of the Governor they would have still been on the run and Everett could not have become “bona fide”
In both Homer’s poem and the film, the main characters are after the same thing. They have lost their families and their homes. They are far away from home and both want more than anything to get back to their homes and resume their life. They are both living the life of a country song. As the saying goes what do you get when you play a country song backwards? You get your house back your wife back and your dog back. The difference being in Everett’s case he gets his daughters, and in Odysseus’ his cows and goats. With Country, Blues, and Bluegrass, the songs aren’t really uplifting—more of a “you’re not the only one who’s got it bad” message.
The KKK took Tommy Johnson away!
Maranda Deal wrote:
The Ku Klux Klan originated in 1865 in Tennessee. This Klan had around 550,000 members. This is known as the 1st Klan. It died out in the 1870s. The 1st Klan was created by veterans of the Confederate army. Then it spread across portions of the South. This particular Klan was against Radical Republicans control of Reconstruction in the South. They reacted to restore white supremacy. They threatened people, were very violent and even murdered blacks and white republicans. Then in 1870 a law was passed called the Force Acts, this prosecuted anyone who committed Klan crimes. The KKK took many lives during the 1st Klan. They killed members of the Loyal Leagues, Southern Republicans and Freedmen’s Bureau workers. They killed black political leaders, took heads of families, church groups, and community leaders. In North and South Carolina in just 18 months there were a reported 197 murders and 548 cases of aggravated assault. The main goal of the 1st KKK was to suppress blacks from voting. If the Klan stopped blacks from voting they could get white supremacy back in action. The 2nd Klan came about in 1915; it had around 3 to 6 million members. This Klan also died out in 1944. It grew rapidly around 1920. The 2nd Klan preached about racism, anti- Catholicism, anti- Communism, natives’, and anti-Semitism. This Klan was said to be a formal fraternal organization with national and state structure. The violence grew whenever it was election time all throughout the South. The 2nd clan had several social changes. They were anti- Jewish, and against immigrants on top of all the beliefs of the 1st Klan. The Klan also started moving across the United States, to Arkansas, Rhode Island, and Texas. They also adopted the burning cross, mainly said for intimidation. The 3rd and ongoing Klan was originated in 1946. It is said to have about 179 chapters to this date. The 3rd Klan opposed Civil Rights movements and desegregation. Several members of this Klan were prosecuted for the death of several civil rights workers. Many people think that the Klan is a terrorist group. The Klan’s political standings is white supremacy. They wear white robes, hats, and masks to keep their identities hidden. This was also to make their “night rides” more dramatic. The KKK as seen now is loosely based on the old KKK traditions. During the 1950s through the 1960s the KKK was said to commit many heinous crimes, from burning homes, to bombings, and murders. During the 1970s through the 1990s the hate crimes were still active, but more “undercover”. They were still bombing homes, murdering innocent people and lynching people. The current KKK is composed of small chapters across the US. The current Klan has also grown enormously since the 2008 Barack Obama election. Current KKK organizations reside in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and other Southeastern US states, although, the biggest Klan organization today is said to reside in Zinc, Arkansas.
In the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou? the Cohen brothers remade a KKK ceremony. Although the movie was depicting the Deep South during the depression, the scene still unnerved some people. The Cohen brothers depict the scene well. It starts out as our three amigos, Evert, Pete, and Delmar, trying to help a fellow black friend, Tommy, who is about to be lynched. They are trying to save him from this feat. The trio disguises themselves in traditional KKK attire, a white robe, and mask. Just as the amigos are about to depart they cut the stake of the burning cross, to let it fall to the ground. As the cross is falling it seems that it is going to fall on top of “Big Dan”, sadly it doesn’t and the villain gets away once again. Although a very sharp pointed stick all of a sudden sailing right towards “Big Dan’s” good eye, he catches it but only about a millisecond from it taking out his eye. Evert, Pete and Delmar conquer their task of saving Tommy, but not after finding out that the Grand Wizard was none other than Homer Stokes. Homer is the arch enemy of Pappy O’Daniel, the current governor of Mississippi.
The KKK scene in the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou? is rumored to be a tribute to Odysseus’ and Polyphemus’ scene in The Odyssey. There are many similarities. They are both villains to the heroes in the scenes. They are both big men, whom have a lot of power. “Big Dan” is blind in one eye, as is Polyphemus. Big Dan’s’” eye almost gets gouged out with a sharp pointed stake, with a burning cross behind him. Although this detail isn’t on the money with Polyphemus’ scene, when Odysseus gouged his eye out with a burning, pointed stake, we get the gist of it.
Con Men: Skilled in all the Ways of Contending
Kyle Jones wrote:
A person with guile is someone who is clever, skillfully deceptive, or just a cunning and witty character. Another name for a person of guile can be a con man. A con man is someone who swindles or tricks another in order to benefit themselves. There have been con men in history that, basically, perfected their trick or art and made millions of dollars from their schemes. An early type of "conning" in history that people performed was that of the "snake oil salesman." This has become a common reference to one who performs "quack medicine," a type of trickery that is still performed today. A famous con man in American history was Charles Ponzi, known for his famous "Ponzi scheme." In this scheme, he swindled investors to put money into what they believed to be an investment company that was just a fraudulent investment operation. This scheme, like "quack medicine," is even still done today; the most famous recent case being that of Bernie Madoff. There have been numerous con men throughout history, and there were many that rose during the Depression Era. People were homeless, suffering from starvation, and freezing in winter from lack of clothes and shelter. Surprisingly, only sixty percent of the U.S. population felt an impact from the Depression (Allen "America in the 1930's"). Allen notes that many of the rich felt no impact from the Depression and were even oblivious to all that was happening to those less fortunate. A con man works, at times, by attempting to gain trust of a person. Once they have gained a person's trust, they then take advantage of them. Many of the victims during the Depression Era were rich people. During this time, people had to find any means necessary in order to survive; therefore several people, mainly men, performed the act of "conning" people. These "cons" or "con games" consisted of fake checks, counterfeiting money, people marrying only for money and not love, fixing horse races, or even some basic card tricks on the street. False promises were made just so the con artists could benefit in some way. The con man still exists in our world today, which is unfortunate, as many of these men have brilliant minds. However, usually the con man is only working for one person, and that, of course, is themselves and themselves alone.
In the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou? con men are present throughout the entire story. Whether it be the main character in Ulysses Everett McGill, the Bible salesman Big Dan Teague, the politicians, or Penny, each character can be looked upon as a kind of con man. Each character works at some kind of angle which will benefit only themselves. Ultimately, McGill is the man who comes out on top, so let us explore how he achieves this. McGill isn't like most con men who only want money; instead his main focus is on returning home to be reunited with his wife. McGill tricks his chain gang into believing he has a 1.2 million dollar fortune buried just so they go with him on his journey home. After performing "I am a Man of Constant Sorrow" as one of the Soggy Bottom Boys, he takes advantage of a blind producer, claiming to have more people in the group in order to get more money. McGill may be a con man, but as described by the movie title, his search for his wife is marked both by cheating others and by acting with brotherly love. It's courteous when he picks up a complete stranger, Tommy Johnson, which is unheard of at the time since he's African American. Later, he and his crew save Tommy from the noose at a KKK rally, calling Tommy a friend even though he barely knows him. This is why viewers appreciate McGill more than most con men, as he acts differently than most. McGill's journey deals a lot with fate, yet it also deals with the aspect of chance and human actions or decisions as well. Much of McGill's fate lies in his own hands, a lot which is seen through the development of his character. By the end of the movie, he has given up his "conning" ways and is now "bona fide." His "brotherly love" side wins out as seen when he tells his chain gang the truth, gets down on his knees, and prays to God. Although he uses his con man characteristic throughout his journey to his advantage, it's nice to see the "brotherly love" aspect ultimately win out as he ultimately prevails in his search for his wife.
Like McGill in the movie, Odysseus in the epic The Odyssey can be seen as a "man full of guile," even a "con man."He too goes through a series of temptations and moral trials when all he really wants is to return home to his wife. Odysseus' deception of the Cyclops and his loyal shepherd Eumaeus are two examples of Odysseus using his guile. He tricks the Cyclops into getting drunk, and believing his name is "Nohbdy."Both prove to be important during Odysseus' escape when he stabs the Cyclops in the eye who cries "Nohbdy has ruined me," so no help comes. He simply tricks Eumaeus into believing he is a beggar as he is in a disguise and tells a long, yet made up story. Odysseus must discipline himself on his journey as he desires to gain a wealth of experience from the world. The gods help him at times; however, much of his own fate lies in his own actions and decisions. Odysseus' fate, like McGill's, lies mainly in his own actions and decisions. Both men use their con man characteristics to their advantage, and like McGill, Odysseus too ultimately prevails.
A person with guile is someone who is clever, skillfully deceptive, or just a cunning and witty character. Another name for a person of guile can be a con man. A con man is someone who swindles or tricks another in order to benefit themselves. There have been con men in history that, basically, perfected their trick or art and made millions of dollars from their schemes. An early type of "conning" in history that people performed was that of the "snake oil salesman." This has become a common reference to one who performs "quack medicine," a type of trickery that is still performed today. A famous con man in American history was Charles Ponzi, known for his famous "Ponzi scheme." In this scheme, he swindled investors to put money into what they believed to be an investment company that was just a fraudulent investment operation. This scheme, like "quack medicine," is even still done today; the most famous recent case being that of Bernie Madoff. There have been numerous con men throughout history, and there were many that rose during the Depression Era. People were homeless, suffering from starvation, and freezing in winter from lack of clothes and shelter. Surprisingly, only sixty percent of the U.S. population felt an impact from the Depression (Allen "America in the 1930's"). Allen notes that many of the rich felt no impact from the Depression and were even oblivious to all that was happening to those less fortunate. A con man works, at times, by attempting to gain trust of a person. Once they have gained a person's trust, they then take advantage of them. Many of the victims during the Depression Era were rich people. During this time, people had to find any means necessary in order to survive; therefore several people, mainly men, performed the act of "conning" people. These "cons" or "con games" consisted of fake checks, counterfeiting money, people marrying only for money and not love, fixing horse races, or even some basic card tricks on the street. False promises were made just so the con artists could benefit in some way. The con man still exists in our world today, which is unfortunate, as many of these men have brilliant minds. However, usually the con man is only working for one person, and that, of course, is themselves and themselves alone.
In the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou? con men are present throughout the entire story. Whether it be the main character in Ulysses Everett McGill, the Bible salesman Big Dan Teague, the politicians, or Penny, each character can be looked upon as a kind of con man. Each character works at some kind of angle which will benefit only themselves. Ultimately, McGill is the man who comes out on top, so let us explore how he achieves this. McGill isn't like most con men who only want money; instead his main focus is on returning home to be reunited with his wife. McGill tricks his chain gang into believing he has a 1.2 million dollar fortune buried just so they go with him on his journey home. After performing "I am a Man of Constant Sorrow" as one of the Soggy Bottom Boys, he takes advantage of a blind producer, claiming to have more people in the group in order to get more money. McGill may be a con man, but as described by the movie title, his search for his wife is marked both by cheating others and by acting with brotherly love. It's courteous when he picks up a complete stranger, Tommy Johnson, which is unheard of at the time since he's African American. Later, he and his crew save Tommy from the noose at a KKK rally, calling Tommy a friend even though he barely knows him. This is why viewers appreciate McGill more than most con men, as he acts differently than most. McGill's journey deals a lot with fate, yet it also deals with the aspect of chance and human actions or decisions as well. Much of McGill's fate lies in his own hands, a lot which is seen through the development of his character. By the end of the movie, he has given up his "conning" ways and is now "bona fide." His "brotherly love" side wins out as seen when he tells his chain gang the truth, gets down on his knees, and prays to God. Although he uses his con man characteristic throughout his journey to his advantage, it's nice to see the "brotherly love" aspect ultimately win out as he ultimately prevails in his search for his wife.
Like McGill in the movie, Odysseus in the epic The Odyssey can be seen as a "man full of guile," even a "con man."He too goes through a series of temptations and moral trials when all he really wants is to return home to his wife. Odysseus' deception of the Cyclops and his loyal shepherd Eumaeus are two examples of Odysseus using his guile. He tricks the Cyclops into getting drunk, and believing his name is "Nohbdy."Both prove to be important during Odysseus' escape when he stabs the Cyclops in the eye who cries "Nohbdy has ruined me," so no help comes. He simply tricks Eumaeus into believing he is a beggar as he is in a disguise and tells a long, yet made up story. Odysseus must discipline himself on his journey as he desires to gain a wealth of experience from the world. The gods help him at times; however, much of his own fate lies in his own actions and decisions. Odysseus' fate, like McGill's, lies mainly in his own actions and decisions. Both men use their con man characteristics to their advantage, and like McGill, Odysseus too ultimately prevails.
"We're in a tight spot!": The Depression, O Brother, Where Art Thou? and The Odyssey
Rob North wrote:
The stock market crash of 1929 is usually cited as the beginning of the Great Depression. The crash wiped out many people’s investments. Many banks failed and with them went entire savings accounts. During the first week of the Depression, the stock market lost $30 billion. This amount was more than the United States spent fighting World War II. By 1933 the value of the stock market was less than one fifth of what it had been at its peak in 1929 and at the end of the depression it had fallen by 89%. After the crash, the Federal Reserve exacerbated the problem. It cut the money supply by a third. As a result, many banks suffering liquidity problems defaulted and simply went out of business.
In 1932, approximately one out of every four Americans was unemployed. The unemployment rate reached an astounding 24.9%. Toledo, Ohio hit an unemployment rate of 80%. Bread lines were common place all over the country. The unemployed roamed the country in search of food, work, and shelter.
In 1933 the new president, Franklin Roosevelt, rode into office bringing a sense of confidence and optimism. “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” the president said in his inaugural speech. Along with him he brought the New Deal. The New Deal established goals to maintain public works, full employment, and healthy wages through price and wage controls. The New Deal was based on Keynesian economics which theorizes that the government can stimulate the economy. The New Deal was enacted at record speed but it suffered from being weakly administered and poor oversight.
One of the hardest hit sectors in the economy was agriculture and, initially, the New Deal made it worse for farmers. Seven-hundred and fifty thousand farmers declared bankruptcy during the Depression. At the heart of the agriculture plan was the idea to raise crop prices by paying farmers a subsidy to compensate for voluntary cutbacks in production. By the time the plan was implemented, however, the growing season was already underway. Farmers were then told to destroy their crops and to not use the land. Little did the government know that a drought was on its way. The double whammy of a drought and miles of unused farmland resulted in what is now known as the “Dust Bowl.” Violent winds and dust storms drove people out of the plains states and into California. To counter the dust bowl, the government established the Soil Conservation Service. Farmers were taught about measures to reduce erosion and 30,000 kilometers of trees were planted to break the winds that blew across the plains.
To counter unemployment, the Civilian Conservation Corps were created. The CCC enrolled jobless men between the ages of 18 – 20 years of age. The men worked in camps for about $30 a month. These men planted trees to fight soil erosion. They also created fish and game sanctuaries.
The Great Depression forms the setting in which the events, of O Brother, Where Art Thou? takes place. The Depression affected every aspect of life including personal entertainment. Because radios were cheaper, and could be bought on credit, theatre ticket sales dropped while radio sales increased. This in turn, allowed mass communication to reach American homes like never before. By the time the Depression ended, there were over 600 radio stations broadcasting news, music, and entertainment programs. Radio is closely tied to one of the films major themes: the moral development of McGill. As seen in O Brother, Where Art Thou?, radio is the medium that makes the Soggy Bottom Boys famous, and this fame ultimately comes around full circle when the Governor, Menelaus Pappy O’Daniel, grants the heroes a pardon. McGill’s moral transformation is rewarded and is now “bona fide” in the eyes of society but, more importantly, in the eyes of his wife and children.
The major commonality between the film and Homer's epic poem is the setting in which the characters live and what that setting makes available to them. For McGill, the Depression provides the setting, and opportunities, that allow him to look back on his life and make the necessary adjustments to become more humble and morally grounded. From Big Dan, to George Nelson, it almost seems as if a higher power is showing McGill and his colleagues who not to act like. Likewise, for Odysseus, his setting, which is being stranded and at the mercy of the gods, affords him the chance to look back at his life and realize that ultimately, he is responsible for his current situation and must modify his behavior.
The stock market crash of 1929 is usually cited as the beginning of the Great Depression. The crash wiped out many people’s investments. Many banks failed and with them went entire savings accounts. During the first week of the Depression, the stock market lost $30 billion. This amount was more than the United States spent fighting World War II. By 1933 the value of the stock market was less than one fifth of what it had been at its peak in 1929 and at the end of the depression it had fallen by 89%. After the crash, the Federal Reserve exacerbated the problem. It cut the money supply by a third. As a result, many banks suffering liquidity problems defaulted and simply went out of business.
In 1932, approximately one out of every four Americans was unemployed. The unemployment rate reached an astounding 24.9%. Toledo, Ohio hit an unemployment rate of 80%. Bread lines were common place all over the country. The unemployed roamed the country in search of food, work, and shelter.
In 1933 the new president, Franklin Roosevelt, rode into office bringing a sense of confidence and optimism. “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” the president said in his inaugural speech. Along with him he brought the New Deal. The New Deal established goals to maintain public works, full employment, and healthy wages through price and wage controls. The New Deal was based on Keynesian economics which theorizes that the government can stimulate the economy. The New Deal was enacted at record speed but it suffered from being weakly administered and poor oversight.
One of the hardest hit sectors in the economy was agriculture and, initially, the New Deal made it worse for farmers. Seven-hundred and fifty thousand farmers declared bankruptcy during the Depression. At the heart of the agriculture plan was the idea to raise crop prices by paying farmers a subsidy to compensate for voluntary cutbacks in production. By the time the plan was implemented, however, the growing season was already underway. Farmers were then told to destroy their crops and to not use the land. Little did the government know that a drought was on its way. The double whammy of a drought and miles of unused farmland resulted in what is now known as the “Dust Bowl.” Violent winds and dust storms drove people out of the plains states and into California. To counter the dust bowl, the government established the Soil Conservation Service. Farmers were taught about measures to reduce erosion and 30,000 kilometers of trees were planted to break the winds that blew across the plains.
To counter unemployment, the Civilian Conservation Corps were created. The CCC enrolled jobless men between the ages of 18 – 20 years of age. The men worked in camps for about $30 a month. These men planted trees to fight soil erosion. They also created fish and game sanctuaries.
The Great Depression forms the setting in which the events, of O Brother, Where Art Thou? takes place. The Depression affected every aspect of life including personal entertainment. Because radios were cheaper, and could be bought on credit, theatre ticket sales dropped while radio sales increased. This in turn, allowed mass communication to reach American homes like never before. By the time the Depression ended, there were over 600 radio stations broadcasting news, music, and entertainment programs. Radio is closely tied to one of the films major themes: the moral development of McGill. As seen in O Brother, Where Art Thou?, radio is the medium that makes the Soggy Bottom Boys famous, and this fame ultimately comes around full circle when the Governor, Menelaus Pappy O’Daniel, grants the heroes a pardon. McGill’s moral transformation is rewarded and is now “bona fide” in the eyes of society but, more importantly, in the eyes of his wife and children.
The major commonality between the film and Homer's epic poem is the setting in which the characters live and what that setting makes available to them. For McGill, the Depression provides the setting, and opportunities, that allow him to look back on his life and make the necessary adjustments to become more humble and morally grounded. From Big Dan, to George Nelson, it almost seems as if a higher power is showing McGill and his colleagues who not to act like. Likewise, for Odysseus, his setting, which is being stranded and at the mercy of the gods, affords him the chance to look back at his life and realize that ultimately, he is responsible for his current situation and must modify his behavior.
Folk: The People's Music
Brittni Kelly wrote:
Since its inception sometime in the early 1800s, folk music has been a getaway for many in the lower class. Folk music can be thought of merely as musical folklore, or stories, passed down from generation to generation by word of mouth. The theme for folk music can range from work, economic hardships and war to nonsense, satire and even love songs. Even in the hardest of times in history folk music has kept the spirits of those in great need from cracking under pressures of society. “The earliest folk songs rose from slave fields as spirituals: “Down by the Riverside”, “We Shall Overcome”, etc. These songs are about struggle and hardship, but are surprisingly full of hope.” (folkmusic.about.com) People take part in folk music all the time and sometimes without even realizing it at all. Folk music is as simple as clapping you hands together or stomping your feet to the rhythm of your favorite song. People around the world sing for any reason they can come up with whether they were given a beautiful voice or not. Singing passes the time, cheers people up, and allows the people to express their thoughts. The best thing about folk music is that you do not have to be well-known or made of money to create it. In reality, you do not even have to know how to play an instrument. It is a type of music for the people by the people.
The 20th century helped folk music to become more popular and well-known throughout the American population. Workers struggled and struck for child labor laws as well as an eight hour work day. These people gathered in churches, living rooms, and union halls to sing songs that helped them get through the strife in their work life: folk music. “Joe Hill was an early folk songwriter and union agitator. His songs adapted the tunes of Baptist hymns by replacing the words with versus about the ongoing labor struggles. These tunes have been sung during worker strikes and in union halls ever since.” (folkmusic.about.com) In the 1930s, during the Great Depression, the stock market crashed and workers everywhere were laid off begging for jobs that were not available. People turned to music for comfort; music and family was all people had in such difficult times. People could not afford to do anything during these times and the only form of entertainment readily available to anyone was music, specifically folk music. Farmers were encouraged out of the Dust Bowl region and urged to the promises of California and New York due to a series of droughts and dust storms. This group of people found themselves living in box cars and jungle camps as they tried to make it from job to job. “Woody Guthrie was one of those workers who headed to California in search of gainful employment. Woody wrote hundreds of songs between the 1930s and his death in 1967 of Huntington’s chorea.” (folkmusic.about.com)
The music in the Coen Brothers film O Brother, Where Art Thou? is such an essential part to the story that the film itself could be considered a musical. The soundtrack to O Brother is a collection of “old time” music, though to some ears the collection of folk songs, bluegrass, and blues will sound like old-time country. The music in the film sounds a lot like what country music sounded like before Nashville got a hold of it. As a whole, Burnett&Co. have crafted a wonderful album. It is a celebration of country music’s root that is eclectic and inviting, and one that will resonate for a long time to come.
The song “I am a Man of Constant Sorrow” is gleeful and adds the perfect edge to the sound of O Brother. The sound foreshadows the struggle of the journey that lies ahead for the cast. When the Soggy Bottom Boys perform in the jail house, it is a form of irony. After all, they are escaped convicts. This irony heightens the tension of the moment in which the fate of the boys is still undecided. The music in O Brother shows us how people turn to music for entertainment, comfort, and relaxation during the Great Depression.
The Odyssey shows us how music affects us when Demodocus sings at the fray in Phaeacians. As he sings, Odysseus has a flood of emotion fill his mind. The memories of his gallant peers made him sad as he realized he was amongst the last survivors. He was left to wonder what he had when and if he ever returned home. He wonders if his son is dead or if his wife has remarried. Did he have something to come home to or was it too late? He covered his face and wept as the Blind Prophet continued to play. The song that Demodocus sang is an example of how songs can bring up memories and emotions about the past. The music touched Odysseus and made him wonder about his life and if he would ever make it home again. It shows us that music does touch the heart and the soul.
Since its inception sometime in the early 1800s, folk music has been a getaway for many in the lower class. Folk music can be thought of merely as musical folklore, or stories, passed down from generation to generation by word of mouth. The theme for folk music can range from work, economic hardships and war to nonsense, satire and even love songs. Even in the hardest of times in history folk music has kept the spirits of those in great need from cracking under pressures of society. “The earliest folk songs rose from slave fields as spirituals: “Down by the Riverside”, “We Shall Overcome”, etc. These songs are about struggle and hardship, but are surprisingly full of hope.” (folkmusic.about.com) People take part in folk music all the time and sometimes without even realizing it at all. Folk music is as simple as clapping you hands together or stomping your feet to the rhythm of your favorite song. People around the world sing for any reason they can come up with whether they were given a beautiful voice or not. Singing passes the time, cheers people up, and allows the people to express their thoughts. The best thing about folk music is that you do not have to be well-known or made of money to create it. In reality, you do not even have to know how to play an instrument. It is a type of music for the people by the people.
The 20th century helped folk music to become more popular and well-known throughout the American population. Workers struggled and struck for child labor laws as well as an eight hour work day. These people gathered in churches, living rooms, and union halls to sing songs that helped them get through the strife in their work life: folk music. “Joe Hill was an early folk songwriter and union agitator. His songs adapted the tunes of Baptist hymns by replacing the words with versus about the ongoing labor struggles. These tunes have been sung during worker strikes and in union halls ever since.” (folkmusic.about.com) In the 1930s, during the Great Depression, the stock market crashed and workers everywhere were laid off begging for jobs that were not available. People turned to music for comfort; music and family was all people had in such difficult times. People could not afford to do anything during these times and the only form of entertainment readily available to anyone was music, specifically folk music. Farmers were encouraged out of the Dust Bowl region and urged to the promises of California and New York due to a series of droughts and dust storms. This group of people found themselves living in box cars and jungle camps as they tried to make it from job to job. “Woody Guthrie was one of those workers who headed to California in search of gainful employment. Woody wrote hundreds of songs between the 1930s and his death in 1967 of Huntington’s chorea.” (folkmusic.about.com)
The music in the Coen Brothers film O Brother, Where Art Thou? is such an essential part to the story that the film itself could be considered a musical. The soundtrack to O Brother is a collection of “old time” music, though to some ears the collection of folk songs, bluegrass, and blues will sound like old-time country. The music in the film sounds a lot like what country music sounded like before Nashville got a hold of it. As a whole, Burnett&Co. have crafted a wonderful album. It is a celebration of country music’s root that is eclectic and inviting, and one that will resonate for a long time to come.
The song “I am a Man of Constant Sorrow” is gleeful and adds the perfect edge to the sound of O Brother. The sound foreshadows the struggle of the journey that lies ahead for the cast. When the Soggy Bottom Boys perform in the jail house, it is a form of irony. After all, they are escaped convicts. This irony heightens the tension of the moment in which the fate of the boys is still undecided. The music in O Brother shows us how people turn to music for entertainment, comfort, and relaxation during the Great Depression.
The Odyssey shows us how music affects us when Demodocus sings at the fray in Phaeacians. As he sings, Odysseus has a flood of emotion fill his mind. The memories of his gallant peers made him sad as he realized he was amongst the last survivors. He was left to wonder what he had when and if he ever returned home. He wonders if his son is dead or if his wife has remarried. Did he have something to come home to or was it too late? He covered his face and wept as the Blind Prophet continued to play. The song that Demodocus sang is an example of how songs can bring up memories and emotions about the past. The music touched Odysseus and made him wonder about his life and if he would ever make it home again. It shows us that music does touch the heart and the soul.
Feminine Strength: Penny and Penelope
Jamie Mann wrote:
Throughout the early 1900’s, women’s revolutionary campaigns for gender equality and the right to vote were widespread in the United States. With the 19th Amendment that passed in 1920, women gained the right to vote. Because of the dramatic decline in the economy with the stock market crash in 1929, women’s rights and suffrage movements were put on the backburner not only because they had accomplished much of what they had set out to achieve, but mainly because of the economic crisis. Although women’s rights had been put aside temporarily, women felt empowered and enthusiastic about their new freedoms and when it came to the need for them to work outside the home, women were more than willing to contribute. During the Great Depression, many men found themselves out of work, and women found it necessary to hold the family unit together. Most men found their lack of work incredibly degrading because they were not able to support their wives and children. Men who could not find work were sometimes so humiliated by their incapability to provide for their family and found it so shameful that they abandoned their families, leaving their wives to support their children. When the man of the household was unable to contribute to the survival of his family, the woman of the household was forced to go out and find work. The women who were lucky enough to find jobs were looked down upon because it was seen as if they were taking jobs away from men who needed to support their families.
Although much was accomplished with the Women’s Rights Movement during the beginning of the 20th Century as women took on more male-dominated jobs and the men of the United States went off to fight the first World War, a lot of this was forgotten when the stock market crashed and left so many people without jobs or any means to feed their families. Much of what was gained during the first wave of the Women’s Rights Movement with gender equality in the workplace was lost during this period. Women who were divorced or widowed often found it more difficult to provide for their families not only because of the stigma that being divorced placed on a woman in this time, but because of the inability to find work or even childcare to leave the home. Many women were forced to try to find seasonal or temporary work and even when they did they were discriminated against. Although society looked down upon women in the workplace they persevered through this tragic period to sustain their families. The Great Depression was a catastrophic time for both men and women. Through this difficult time, women fought through deprivation and discrimination to provide for their families, showing a woman’s true strength when faced with life’s horrific battles.
The movie O Brother Where Art Thou? is set during the Great Depression. The character Penny, who is supposed to mirror the character Penelope in Homer’s The Odyssey, is vastly different from the woman she is representing, but as women, they share similar characteristics. Penny is distinctive of a woman during the early 1900’s. She is a strong and demanding woman who stops at nothing to provide for her family and does what is necessary to hold her family together. Penny’s husband Everett is in prison for fraud and she is tired and ashamed his immature actions. She tells everyone that he was hit and killed by a train. She claims her independence and willingness to overcome hardships by divorcing Everett while he is in prison and then allows herself to be courted by another man, Vernon Waldrip. Penny, unlike Penelope, decides against waiting for her husband to take care of her. She takes matters into her own hands when she decides to marry. Vernon is one of the lucky few that are very well off even though the rest of the country is in financial peril. This move on Penny’s part is a calculated action made to ensure the safety of her family during the unsure times of the Great Depression.
Women’s roles have vastly changed since the reciting of Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey.
Although women’s roles have changed, a woman’s vigor to fight for her rights and to fight for what she believes is right has remained the same. Penelope shows us in The Odyssey a woman’s strength, waiting years for her husband to return home from war. She shows this as she refuses to give up hope on her husband, even as she was being pressured to find a suitor to take her husbands’ place. She never gave up faith or neglected her morals. Penny, in the movie O Brother Where Art Thou? shows similar vigor, only in a different manner. She uses women’s new found equality to her advantage and decides to divorce her fraudulent husband and marry a man who would ensure her and her children’s futures during the insecure time of The Great Depression. Both women show strength through diversity, although within different circumstances. The film and the epic poem show us the great power of women at vastly different time periods.
Throughout the early 1900’s, women’s revolutionary campaigns for gender equality and the right to vote were widespread in the United States. With the 19th Amendment that passed in 1920, women gained the right to vote. Because of the dramatic decline in the economy with the stock market crash in 1929, women’s rights and suffrage movements were put on the backburner not only because they had accomplished much of what they had set out to achieve, but mainly because of the economic crisis. Although women’s rights had been put aside temporarily, women felt empowered and enthusiastic about their new freedoms and when it came to the need for them to work outside the home, women were more than willing to contribute. During the Great Depression, many men found themselves out of work, and women found it necessary to hold the family unit together. Most men found their lack of work incredibly degrading because they were not able to support their wives and children. Men who could not find work were sometimes so humiliated by their incapability to provide for their family and found it so shameful that they abandoned their families, leaving their wives to support their children. When the man of the household was unable to contribute to the survival of his family, the woman of the household was forced to go out and find work. The women who were lucky enough to find jobs were looked down upon because it was seen as if they were taking jobs away from men who needed to support their families.
Although much was accomplished with the Women’s Rights Movement during the beginning of the 20th Century as women took on more male-dominated jobs and the men of the United States went off to fight the first World War, a lot of this was forgotten when the stock market crashed and left so many people without jobs or any means to feed their families. Much of what was gained during the first wave of the Women’s Rights Movement with gender equality in the workplace was lost during this period. Women who were divorced or widowed often found it more difficult to provide for their families not only because of the stigma that being divorced placed on a woman in this time, but because of the inability to find work or even childcare to leave the home. Many women were forced to try to find seasonal or temporary work and even when they did they were discriminated against. Although society looked down upon women in the workplace they persevered through this tragic period to sustain their families. The Great Depression was a catastrophic time for both men and women. Through this difficult time, women fought through deprivation and discrimination to provide for their families, showing a woman’s true strength when faced with life’s horrific battles.
The movie O Brother Where Art Thou? is set during the Great Depression. The character Penny, who is supposed to mirror the character Penelope in Homer’s The Odyssey, is vastly different from the woman she is representing, but as women, they share similar characteristics. Penny is distinctive of a woman during the early 1900’s. She is a strong and demanding woman who stops at nothing to provide for her family and does what is necessary to hold her family together. Penny’s husband Everett is in prison for fraud and she is tired and ashamed his immature actions. She tells everyone that he was hit and killed by a train. She claims her independence and willingness to overcome hardships by divorcing Everett while he is in prison and then allows herself to be courted by another man, Vernon Waldrip. Penny, unlike Penelope, decides against waiting for her husband to take care of her. She takes matters into her own hands when she decides to marry. Vernon is one of the lucky few that are very well off even though the rest of the country is in financial peril. This move on Penny’s part is a calculated action made to ensure the safety of her family during the unsure times of the Great Depression.
Women’s roles have vastly changed since the reciting of Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey.
Although women’s roles have changed, a woman’s vigor to fight for her rights and to fight for what she believes is right has remained the same. Penelope shows us in The Odyssey a woman’s strength, waiting years for her husband to return home from war. She shows this as she refuses to give up hope on her husband, even as she was being pressured to find a suitor to take her husbands’ place. She never gave up faith or neglected her morals. Penny, in the movie O Brother Where Art Thou? shows similar vigor, only in a different manner. She uses women’s new found equality to her advantage and decides to divorce her fraudulent husband and marry a man who would ensure her and her children’s futures during the insecure time of The Great Depression. Both women show strength through diversity, although within different circumstances. The film and the epic poem show us the great power of women at vastly different time periods.
Bluegrass and the Role of Music and the Musician
Cindy Clark wrote:
BLUEGRASS MUSIC
In the early 1600’s, immigrants coming to America from Ireland, Scotland, and England brought with them the different types of music which are said to be the roots of bluegrass music. African American gospel music and blues are also considered to be roots of bluegrass music and African Americans are credited for the banjo which originated from an instrument called the banzas that was brought to America by African slaves. The new settlers wrote songs about life on the farm or in the hills and of their life in their new homeland. Their music became known as “mountain music” or “country music”, what we could also refer to as Old time music or traditional Folk tunes. This music stayed isolated within the rural southern mountains of America until radio introduced it to the rest of the country. The Monroe Brothers from Kentucky were popular in the 20’s. Bill Monroe played the fiddle and Charlie Monroe played the guitar. Their style of music included elements of Gospel, folk music, Country and Blues. The brothers split up in 1938 to form separate bands and Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys was born. The instruments they used were the guitar, bass, fiddle, mandolin and banjo. Their music gained popularity, and in 1939 they appeared on the Grand Ole Opry. The name bluegrass comes from Bill Monroe’s band, the Blue Grass Boys, and he is considered the father of that style of music. But it was really in the early ‘40’s when a young musician named Earl Scruggs joined the band that bluegrass music took a definite form. Lester Flatt also joined the band and both Scruggs and Flatt were very influential in bluegrass music. Scruggs' three-finger picking style on the banjo has come to be known as “Scruggs style” banjo. Scruggs and Flatt eventually left Monroe’s band to form their own band, “The Foggy Mountain Boys” . They included the resophonic guitar or Dobro in their newly formed band. From 1948-1969 Flatt and Scruggs were a major force in introducing bluegrass music across the country by way of television, major universities and coliseums, and schoolhouse appearances. Scruggs wrote “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” which was used in the film Bonnie and Clyde and is considered “one of bluegrass music’s most famous instrumentals.” In 1969 Scruggs decided to go solo with his three sons. Together they formed “The Earl Scruggs Revue”. Lester Flatt continued on successfully with “The Nashville Grass” until his death in 1979. Bluegrass relies mostly on acoustic stringed instruments. Many considered the instruments Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys played to be the traditional bluegrass instruments. Bluegrass bands have included instruments such as the harmonica, accordion, piano, autoharp, drums, drum bit, and the electric guitar but these are considered to be more modern, not the traditional bluegrass style and is sometimes referred to as “Newgrass.” Bill Monroe died on Sept. 9, 1996. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in May, 1997 because of the profound influence his music has achieved in the music of America.
The film O Brother, Where Art Thou? takes place in rural Mississippi during the Great Depression. In the film, Ulysses is trying to get back home. Along his way, he comes across a radio station. He and his companions decide to earn some quick cash. Unknowingly their song is a hit and the owner of the station is ecstatic. He is anxious to find them before someone who could sign a record deal with them does. In the 30’s “new” performers were sought after by recording companies throughout the South. The music that emerged during this time period was a reflection of the social and cultural conditions that America was experiencing. During the Great Depression many people lost their homes or had to leave their home and move away in the hope of finding a job or some way to survive. The lyrics in the song, "Man of Constant Sorrow", echo the dire straits many Americans found themselves in.
I am a man of constant sorrow
I've seen trouble all my day.
I bid farewell to old Kentucky
The place where I was born and raised.
For six long years I've been in trouble
No pleasures here on earth I found
For in this world I'm bound to ramble
I have no friends to help me now.
It's fare thee well my old lover
I never expect to see you again.
For I'm bound to ride that northern railroad
Perhaps I'll die upon this train.
To a displaced people music gave them the opportunity to reconnect, in a sense, to their homes and restored to them a sense of identity that had been lost in an uncertain world. There are many correlations between the music and what is happening in the film. I feel the music in the film plays a big part in helping to tell the story. Ulysses is trying to get home and as he encounters the blind man on the railroad the impression given is, he is about to embark on a spiritual journey as well. Even his companions get saved along the way and they pick up a blues' musician who claims to have sold his soul to the devil. The devil apparently looks a lot like the lawman hunting them down. Much of the music played throughout the film, gospel, blues, folk, bluegrass, and old time music, is spiritual. Old Time music or Traditional Folk music historically comes from the south and folk music evokes a sense of brotherhood among people. The setting in the film is in the south and there is also a sense of brotherhood that sets in among Ulysses and his companions. I think it is interesting that all of the music in the film is "exclusively roots music". The 1920’s and 1930’s was an important time in America in the history of music because American roots musical forms reached, according to musicologists, “their most diverse and expressive forms.” It is considered roots music because many other forms of music have grown from it, including rhythm and blues and rock and roll.
The music used in O Brother, Where Art Thou? is representative of that time in history and so it is with Homer’s The Odyssey. Homer calls on the Muse to tell the story of the many adventures of the man skilled in all ways of contending, Odysseus. "The Muses were representative of poetry, the arts and sciences and sources of inspiration.” There are many instances where the Muse is a source of inspiration. In Book VIII Demodocus, the blind singer/poet, is a storyteller at the court of Alcinous, king of the Phaeacians. Although he has lost his natural sight, he is highly favored by the Muse and given a song more precious than sight; the gift of divine sight. The Muses were spoken of as “queens of song” and “gave birth to dialogue”, in essence they created what they sang about. In Homer’s time, music was used as a means to encourage the more civilized aspects of human existence such as hospitality and being kind to strangers. Homer created a code of conduct and ethnic identity for the Greeks. Role models such as Odysseus told them how to behave. Music was believed to elicit specific human behavior. Ancient Greeks were deeply religious and considered music a way of exalting the glory of God. Gospel and spiritual music is about glorifying God as well as some folk and bluegrass. Music played an integral role in the lives of ancient Greeks. Much the same way music from the 20’s and 30’s helped to shape American society and identity.
BLUEGRASS MUSIC
In the early 1600’s, immigrants coming to America from Ireland, Scotland, and England brought with them the different types of music which are said to be the roots of bluegrass music. African American gospel music and blues are also considered to be roots of bluegrass music and African Americans are credited for the banjo which originated from an instrument called the banzas that was brought to America by African slaves. The new settlers wrote songs about life on the farm or in the hills and of their life in their new homeland. Their music became known as “mountain music” or “country music”, what we could also refer to as Old time music or traditional Folk tunes. This music stayed isolated within the rural southern mountains of America until radio introduced it to the rest of the country. The Monroe Brothers from Kentucky were popular in the 20’s. Bill Monroe played the fiddle and Charlie Monroe played the guitar. Their style of music included elements of Gospel, folk music, Country and Blues. The brothers split up in 1938 to form separate bands and Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys was born. The instruments they used were the guitar, bass, fiddle, mandolin and banjo. Their music gained popularity, and in 1939 they appeared on the Grand Ole Opry. The name bluegrass comes from Bill Monroe’s band, the Blue Grass Boys, and he is considered the father of that style of music. But it was really in the early ‘40’s when a young musician named Earl Scruggs joined the band that bluegrass music took a definite form. Lester Flatt also joined the band and both Scruggs and Flatt were very influential in bluegrass music. Scruggs' three-finger picking style on the banjo has come to be known as “Scruggs style” banjo. Scruggs and Flatt eventually left Monroe’s band to form their own band, “The Foggy Mountain Boys” . They included the resophonic guitar or Dobro in their newly formed band. From 1948-1969 Flatt and Scruggs were a major force in introducing bluegrass music across the country by way of television, major universities and coliseums, and schoolhouse appearances. Scruggs wrote “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” which was used in the film Bonnie and Clyde and is considered “one of bluegrass music’s most famous instrumentals.” In 1969 Scruggs decided to go solo with his three sons. Together they formed “The Earl Scruggs Revue”. Lester Flatt continued on successfully with “The Nashville Grass” until his death in 1979. Bluegrass relies mostly on acoustic stringed instruments. Many considered the instruments Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys played to be the traditional bluegrass instruments. Bluegrass bands have included instruments such as the harmonica, accordion, piano, autoharp, drums, drum bit, and the electric guitar but these are considered to be more modern, not the traditional bluegrass style and is sometimes referred to as “Newgrass.” Bill Monroe died on Sept. 9, 1996. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in May, 1997 because of the profound influence his music has achieved in the music of America.
The film O Brother, Where Art Thou? takes place in rural Mississippi during the Great Depression. In the film, Ulysses is trying to get back home. Along his way, he comes across a radio station. He and his companions decide to earn some quick cash. Unknowingly their song is a hit and the owner of the station is ecstatic. He is anxious to find them before someone who could sign a record deal with them does. In the 30’s “new” performers were sought after by recording companies throughout the South. The music that emerged during this time period was a reflection of the social and cultural conditions that America was experiencing. During the Great Depression many people lost their homes or had to leave their home and move away in the hope of finding a job or some way to survive. The lyrics in the song, "Man of Constant Sorrow", echo the dire straits many Americans found themselves in.
I am a man of constant sorrow
I've seen trouble all my day.
I bid farewell to old Kentucky
The place where I was born and raised.
For six long years I've been in trouble
No pleasures here on earth I found
For in this world I'm bound to ramble
I have no friends to help me now.
It's fare thee well my old lover
I never expect to see you again.
For I'm bound to ride that northern railroad
Perhaps I'll die upon this train.
To a displaced people music gave them the opportunity to reconnect, in a sense, to their homes and restored to them a sense of identity that had been lost in an uncertain world. There are many correlations between the music and what is happening in the film. I feel the music in the film plays a big part in helping to tell the story. Ulysses is trying to get home and as he encounters the blind man on the railroad the impression given is, he is about to embark on a spiritual journey as well. Even his companions get saved along the way and they pick up a blues' musician who claims to have sold his soul to the devil. The devil apparently looks a lot like the lawman hunting them down. Much of the music played throughout the film, gospel, blues, folk, bluegrass, and old time music, is spiritual. Old Time music or Traditional Folk music historically comes from the south and folk music evokes a sense of brotherhood among people. The setting in the film is in the south and there is also a sense of brotherhood that sets in among Ulysses and his companions. I think it is interesting that all of the music in the film is "exclusively roots music". The 1920’s and 1930’s was an important time in America in the history of music because American roots musical forms reached, according to musicologists, “their most diverse and expressive forms.” It is considered roots music because many other forms of music have grown from it, including rhythm and blues and rock and roll.
The music used in O Brother, Where Art Thou? is representative of that time in history and so it is with Homer’s The Odyssey. Homer calls on the Muse to tell the story of the many adventures of the man skilled in all ways of contending, Odysseus. "The Muses were representative of poetry, the arts and sciences and sources of inspiration.” There are many instances where the Muse is a source of inspiration. In Book VIII Demodocus, the blind singer/poet, is a storyteller at the court of Alcinous, king of the Phaeacians. Although he has lost his natural sight, he is highly favored by the Muse and given a song more precious than sight; the gift of divine sight. The Muses were spoken of as “queens of song” and “gave birth to dialogue”, in essence they created what they sang about. In Homer’s time, music was used as a means to encourage the more civilized aspects of human existence such as hospitality and being kind to strangers. Homer created a code of conduct and ethnic identity for the Greeks. Role models such as Odysseus told them how to behave. Music was believed to elicit specific human behavior. Ancient Greeks were deeply religious and considered music a way of exalting the glory of God. Gospel and spiritual music is about glorifying God as well as some folk and bluegrass. Music played an integral role in the lives of ancient Greeks. Much the same way music from the 20’s and 30’s helped to shape American society and identity.
Becoming the Hero
Kirsten Bjorn wrote:
The Roaring Twenties was a time of flappers, swing, and a good time, yet little did we know what would happen to end this celebration. During 1929-1939, America went through what was called The Great Depression, which was caused by the infamous Stock Market Crash on October 27, 1929. But, with the help of a new leader, America was able to rise from the ashes, literally. As New York Democratic Governor, Franklin Delano Roosevelt established a number of new social programs from 1929-1932. With the 1932 election and a quarter of the United States workforce unemployed, Roosevelt was inaugurated March 4, 1933. To help stabilize the economy, in FDR’s first term, Congress enacted the New Deal program, a large, complex interlocking set of programs designed to produce relief in government jobs for the unemployed, recovery of the economy, and reform or regulation of Wall Street banks and transportation, according to Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site. For relief, the day after his inauguration, Congress passed the Emergency Banking Act, which declared a “bank holiday” and announced a plan to allow banks to reopen upon their closing as everyone wanted to withdraw their money. To give Americans confidence back in the banks, Roosevelt signed the Glass-Steagall Act that created the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the FDIC, which is still effective today. The most popular of all New Deal agencies, and Roosevelt's favorite, was the Civilian Conservation Corps, the CCC, which hired 250,000 unemployed young men to work on rural local projects. Congress also gave the Federal Trade Commission broad new regulatory powers and provided mortgage relief to millions of farmers and homeowners. Reform of the economy was the goal of the National Industrial Recovery Act, NIRA, of 1933. It tried to end cutthroat competition by forcing industries to come up with codes that established the rules of operation for all firms
within specific industries, such as minimum prices, agreements not to compete, and production restrictions. Recovery was pursued through federal spending. The NIRA included $3.3 billion of spending through the Public Works Administration to stimulate the economy. Roosevelt worked with Republican Senator George Norris to create the largest government-owned industrial enterprise in American history, the Tennessee Valley Authority, TVA, which built dams and power stations, controlled floods, and modernized agriculture and home conditions in the poverty-stricken Tennessee Valley. The repeal of prohibition also brought in new tax revenues and helped FDR keep a major campaign promise. The Social Security Act established Social Security and promised economic security for the elderly, the poor, and the sick. While the First New Deal of 1933 had broad support from most sectors, the Second New Deal challenged the business community. During FDR’s second term, 1937-1941, the Minimum Wage Law of 1938 was the last substantial New Deal reform act passed by Congress. Although his third term was in the middle of World War II and the Pearl Harbor attack, he got the country through it and made it onto his fourth and final term as President until his death in 1945. As America’s 32nd President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was able to bring the country out of The Great Depression and restore hope to citizens with his plan of relief, reform, and recovery. With the help of his cabinet and support of the country, FDR’s programs were a major contributing factor that rebuilt America.
Based on Homer’s The Odyssey, the Coen brother’s 2000 movie O Brother, Where Art Thou? takes place during The Great Depression. Ulysses Everett McGill and his trusty sidekicks, Pete and Delmar, are escapee convicts on the run from the law. Everett and the gang break out of jail on the search for hidden treasure, but in actuality there is no treasure to be found. Everett is on the hunt to win back his wife from a “bona fide suitor.” On his journey to find his wife, Everett, Pete, and Delmar pick up a hitchhiker named Tommy who has sold his soul to the devil in exchange for the skill to play the guitar. They hear of a man willing to pay money for original songs; they find him and record the song, “I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow.” They are given fifty dollars, which was valued at a lot more money than it is today, and, unbeknown to them, the song becomes an instant hit. Everett becomes somewhat famous and “bona fide” by the song, then is pardoned from his crimes, which ultimately wins back his wife. During the Depression, President Roosevelt and character Ulysses Everett McGill live up to their fate and become hero to the country and the hero to his wife.
Within The Great Depression, O Brother, Where Art Thou? and Homer’s The Odyssey, historical figures and central characters are able to overcome their struggles and ultimately become the hero. In Homer’s, The Odyssey, Odysseus and his son Telemachus are able to bring peace back to Ithaka, like it was before Odysseus left to fight in the Trojan War, by killing the suitors that were trying to marry his wife Penelope and take over his thrown. As Ulysses Everett McGill only prayed to God when his life was at stake, he believes that the flood saved them because of science. While Pete and Delmar see the obvious answers, Everett looks to science and believes that it was not “fate” that the water had saved them, because “they’re flooding the valley to hydro-electric up the whole durned state,” (not that God had anything to do with it). As it was Odysseus’ fate to return home and take back his land, so did Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Ulysses Everett McGill reach their fate.
The Roaring Twenties was a time of flappers, swing, and a good time, yet little did we know what would happen to end this celebration. During 1929-1939, America went through what was called The Great Depression, which was caused by the infamous Stock Market Crash on October 27, 1929. But, with the help of a new leader, America was able to rise from the ashes, literally. As New York Democratic Governor, Franklin Delano Roosevelt established a number of new social programs from 1929-1932. With the 1932 election and a quarter of the United States workforce unemployed, Roosevelt was inaugurated March 4, 1933. To help stabilize the economy, in FDR’s first term, Congress enacted the New Deal program, a large, complex interlocking set of programs designed to produce relief in government jobs for the unemployed, recovery of the economy, and reform or regulation of Wall Street banks and transportation, according to Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site. For relief, the day after his inauguration, Congress passed the Emergency Banking Act, which declared a “bank holiday” and announced a plan to allow banks to reopen upon their closing as everyone wanted to withdraw their money. To give Americans confidence back in the banks, Roosevelt signed the Glass-Steagall Act that created the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the FDIC, which is still effective today. The most popular of all New Deal agencies, and Roosevelt's favorite, was the Civilian Conservation Corps, the CCC, which hired 250,000 unemployed young men to work on rural local projects. Congress also gave the Federal Trade Commission broad new regulatory powers and provided mortgage relief to millions of farmers and homeowners. Reform of the economy was the goal of the National Industrial Recovery Act, NIRA, of 1933. It tried to end cutthroat competition by forcing industries to come up with codes that established the rules of operation for all firms
within specific industries, such as minimum prices, agreements not to compete, and production restrictions. Recovery was pursued through federal spending. The NIRA included $3.3 billion of spending through the Public Works Administration to stimulate the economy. Roosevelt worked with Republican Senator George Norris to create the largest government-owned industrial enterprise in American history, the Tennessee Valley Authority, TVA, which built dams and power stations, controlled floods, and modernized agriculture and home conditions in the poverty-stricken Tennessee Valley. The repeal of prohibition also brought in new tax revenues and helped FDR keep a major campaign promise. The Social Security Act established Social Security and promised economic security for the elderly, the poor, and the sick. While the First New Deal of 1933 had broad support from most sectors, the Second New Deal challenged the business community. During FDR’s second term, 1937-1941, the Minimum Wage Law of 1938 was the last substantial New Deal reform act passed by Congress. Although his third term was in the middle of World War II and the Pearl Harbor attack, he got the country through it and made it onto his fourth and final term as President until his death in 1945. As America’s 32nd President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was able to bring the country out of The Great Depression and restore hope to citizens with his plan of relief, reform, and recovery. With the help of his cabinet and support of the country, FDR’s programs were a major contributing factor that rebuilt America.
Based on Homer’s The Odyssey, the Coen brother’s 2000 movie O Brother, Where Art Thou? takes place during The Great Depression. Ulysses Everett McGill and his trusty sidekicks, Pete and Delmar, are escapee convicts on the run from the law. Everett and the gang break out of jail on the search for hidden treasure, but in actuality there is no treasure to be found. Everett is on the hunt to win back his wife from a “bona fide suitor.” On his journey to find his wife, Everett, Pete, and Delmar pick up a hitchhiker named Tommy who has sold his soul to the devil in exchange for the skill to play the guitar. They hear of a man willing to pay money for original songs; they find him and record the song, “I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow.” They are given fifty dollars, which was valued at a lot more money than it is today, and, unbeknown to them, the song becomes an instant hit. Everett becomes somewhat famous and “bona fide” by the song, then is pardoned from his crimes, which ultimately wins back his wife. During the Depression, President Roosevelt and character Ulysses Everett McGill live up to their fate and become hero to the country and the hero to his wife.
Within The Great Depression, O Brother, Where Art Thou? and Homer’s The Odyssey, historical figures and central characters are able to overcome their struggles and ultimately become the hero. In Homer’s, The Odyssey, Odysseus and his son Telemachus are able to bring peace back to Ithaka, like it was before Odysseus left to fight in the Trojan War, by killing the suitors that were trying to marry his wife Penelope and take over his thrown. As Ulysses Everett McGill only prayed to God when his life was at stake, he believes that the flood saved them because of science. While Pete and Delmar see the obvious answers, Everett looks to science and believes that it was not “fate” that the water had saved them, because “they’re flooding the valley to hydro-electric up the whole durned state,” (not that God had anything to do with it). As it was Odysseus’ fate to return home and take back his land, so did Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Ulysses Everett McGill reach their fate.
Exploring African American Musical Influences in O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Chris B wrote:
African Americans in the United States are clearly recognized for their musical contributions and the cultural elements of music they brought with them from their native land. The black experience in America is a sad story, and out of their suffering in America much of their music developed. In the Cohen Brothers film, O Brother, Where Art Thou? a wide selection of music was used including songs with strong ties to African American musical roots. This essay will explore African American musical influences that have contributed to the developments of many different genres of music including blues, Negro spirituals, and black gospel, and also analyze their use in the film.
Blues music was developed over a long period of time by black Americans working as slaves in the Deep South. The precursors to the modern form of blues were the “field hollers” and “work songs” that slaves sang as they toiled in the fields. These first songs sung in the fields were often of a melancholy nature and blues music finds its roots in such songs reminiscent of the sad era of African slavery in America (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origins_of_the_blues). As blues music developed, the Negro Spirituals played an important role in so much as the musical intonation and sound developed. Although, the blues style of playing found its way into many genres, the traditional blues often possess a “blue” feel in the sound and lyrics that focus on the difficult and darker side of life. Blues icon Robert Johnson reportedly “sold his soul to the Devil” in order to learn how to play guitar. From this perspective blues can be considered the opposite end of the “moral” spectrum opposed to other genres of music such as Negro spirituals, and black gospel which also possess African roots (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African-American_music). Looking at the progression of blues it is easy to see how blues has lent itself to much of the classical rock. Blues is probably the most distinct instrumental/musical contribution that has been incorporated into other popular genres (http://www.articlealley.com/article_1030997_48.html). Bands such as Led Zeppelin have often credited old Blues artists such as Robert Johnson with certain elements of their music. Genres that are distinctly, “secular” find many of their roots in the blues of the “oldies”.
Negro Spirituals began to develop during the late 18th early 19th century, as slaves were taken to church with their masters (http://www.negrospirituals.com) This music became their adaption of certain traditional hymns which they learned in the white church. This genre differs from Blues music primarily in the message and content, besides the fact that it was religious music combined with messages of the suffering and hardships of the slaves. However, musical elements of African American origin including a “blues sound” have also heavily influenced this music. The old spirituals such as, “Give me Jesus” with lines such as, “You can have all this world, but give me Jesus” directly tie the religious aspects of God and the Bible with the black experience. In this song, the slaves are singing to their masters telling them that they can possess the whole world, as long as the slaves are allowed to have Jesus. This is quite a significant picture that represents at least of portion of Negro Spiritual themes.
The genre of black Gospel also deals with concepts of God and religion and was, in essence, “brought out” of the established white church. Modern Gospel began developing in the 1920 and was influenced by the traditional blues musical quality (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Urban_contemporary_gospel). Initially rejected by the church, Gospel music became a recognizable symbol of music made popular by singers such as Thomas A. Dorsey, Sallie Martin, and Willie Mae Ford Smith (Burnim “Gospel Music Research” Black Music Research Journal, 1980). Gospel music tends deal with life’s questions by directing people to a trust in God’s word, the Bible. Even the name itself “gospel” is a direct connection to the “Gospel of Christ” found in the New Testament. The musical elements included powerful delivery, elements of free flowing music, call and response, and spoken lines by the song leader that are reminiscent of the old spirituals.
Attempting to answer a question brought up in discussion recently, “What is the difference between the old Negro Spirituals and Gospel. Gospel music in and of itself often focuses on the external message derived from religious themes found in the Bible. The words “gospel” means, “good news” and that usually describes gospel music’s themes of hope, salvation, and heaven. The Negro Spirituals are unique because they combine the themes of religion and God with the African American experience as slaves. The two are very similar but this is a distinct difference- the incorporation of African American episode into the Spirituals themselves separate them from the gospel genre. Spirituals also tend to be more free-flowing in their use of scales, keys, melodies, and rhythms. Gospel songs are more structured and the use of vocal harmonies is traditional and carefully developed.
Significance in the film:
The musical selections serve a twofold purpose in the film. Firstly, the different styles of music were used to apply the classic story of, The Odyssey to the American scene in, O Brother, Where Art Thou? The Odyssey is clearly rooted in Greek culture and that geographical area of the world; similarly, the producers anchored the film in America using a wide selection of primarily “American” forms of music. The historical connection to the past is an important part of traditional epic poetry. The songs selections in the film provide a sense of the important connections to the historical events linking the viewer to the past. The majority of the songs carried a distinctly American flavor and this helped to connect the story to the heart of American history and the American scene. Secondly, another entire dynamic is how the use of blues, gospel, and Negro spirituals were used to generate a contrast between the two searches for answers. This reoccurring theme of people searching for answers can be seen in the musical selections. The blues songs such as, “Hard Time Killing Floor Blues” by Chris Thomas King can be interpreted to represent one end of the search- looking for answers by turning away from God to the Devil. The old traditional gospel, “I Went Down to the River to Pray,” similarly conveys this theme of looking for answers by looking to God and religion. In the film, religion provides comfort and support for O'Donnell and Pete who come under conviction at the river baptism. Pragmatist McGill rejects the religious experience of his cohorts seeing no practical use for God; in fact reacting by stating they are still wanted by the state of Missouri for their crimes even if they were “forgiven” by God. The musical selections and styles somewhat mirror the fact that people often either turn to God for help or get angry at God and turn “to the devil”. The musical contrast between the genres of “religious” and “secular” music, create the different dynamics which enable the viewer to see the opposite ends of the moral spectrum of the search for answers.
The theme of searching for “what is the proper way to behave?” found in The Odyssey correlates to the, “search for answers” found in, O Brother, Where Art Thou? These great quests and questions found in both works of art are heard in the echo of music from both ends of the moral spectrum. The Negro Spirituals and Black gospel represent the search for answers by looking to God and possessing religious faith. By contrast, the Blues from the “fires of hell” looks away from God to the Devil seeking to find meaning in life. These two ends of the spectrum represented musically in the film, represent the two alternates that are presented as the characters in these works seek to walk through their lives. Additionally, the inclusion of a wide selection of music from the old classics and such traditional music, mirror the importance of tradition and legend to the telling of epic poetry. The use of such music, in a sense, makes the film itself an “epic film” because of it connects with the largeness of people in another time and place and follows the tradition of epic storytelling using music.
African Americans in the United States are clearly recognized for their musical contributions and the cultural elements of music they brought with them from their native land. The black experience in America is a sad story, and out of their suffering in America much of their music developed. In the Cohen Brothers film, O Brother, Where Art Thou? a wide selection of music was used including songs with strong ties to African American musical roots. This essay will explore African American musical influences that have contributed to the developments of many different genres of music including blues, Negro spirituals, and black gospel, and also analyze their use in the film.
Blues music was developed over a long period of time by black Americans working as slaves in the Deep South. The precursors to the modern form of blues were the “field hollers” and “work songs” that slaves sang as they toiled in the fields. These first songs sung in the fields were often of a melancholy nature and blues music finds its roots in such songs reminiscent of the sad era of African slavery in America (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origins_of_the_blues). As blues music developed, the Negro Spirituals played an important role in so much as the musical intonation and sound developed. Although, the blues style of playing found its way into many genres, the traditional blues often possess a “blue” feel in the sound and lyrics that focus on the difficult and darker side of life. Blues icon Robert Johnson reportedly “sold his soul to the Devil” in order to learn how to play guitar. From this perspective blues can be considered the opposite end of the “moral” spectrum opposed to other genres of music such as Negro spirituals, and black gospel which also possess African roots (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African-American_music). Looking at the progression of blues it is easy to see how blues has lent itself to much of the classical rock. Blues is probably the most distinct instrumental/musical contribution that has been incorporated into other popular genres (http://www.articlealley.com/article_1030997_48.html). Bands such as Led Zeppelin have often credited old Blues artists such as Robert Johnson with certain elements of their music. Genres that are distinctly, “secular” find many of their roots in the blues of the “oldies”.
Negro Spirituals began to develop during the late 18th early 19th century, as slaves were taken to church with their masters (http://www.negrospirituals.com) This music became their adaption of certain traditional hymns which they learned in the white church. This genre differs from Blues music primarily in the message and content, besides the fact that it was religious music combined with messages of the suffering and hardships of the slaves. However, musical elements of African American origin including a “blues sound” have also heavily influenced this music. The old spirituals such as, “Give me Jesus” with lines such as, “You can have all this world, but give me Jesus” directly tie the religious aspects of God and the Bible with the black experience. In this song, the slaves are singing to their masters telling them that they can possess the whole world, as long as the slaves are allowed to have Jesus. This is quite a significant picture that represents at least of portion of Negro Spiritual themes.
The genre of black Gospel also deals with concepts of God and religion and was, in essence, “brought out” of the established white church. Modern Gospel began developing in the 1920 and was influenced by the traditional blues musical quality (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Urban_contemporary_gospel). Initially rejected by the church, Gospel music became a recognizable symbol of music made popular by singers such as Thomas A. Dorsey, Sallie Martin, and Willie Mae Ford Smith (Burnim “Gospel Music Research” Black Music Research Journal, 1980). Gospel music tends deal with life’s questions by directing people to a trust in God’s word, the Bible. Even the name itself “gospel” is a direct connection to the “Gospel of Christ” found in the New Testament. The musical elements included powerful delivery, elements of free flowing music, call and response, and spoken lines by the song leader that are reminiscent of the old spirituals.
Attempting to answer a question brought up in discussion recently, “What is the difference between the old Negro Spirituals and Gospel. Gospel music in and of itself often focuses on the external message derived from religious themes found in the Bible. The words “gospel” means, “good news” and that usually describes gospel music’s themes of hope, salvation, and heaven. The Negro Spirituals are unique because they combine the themes of religion and God with the African American experience as slaves. The two are very similar but this is a distinct difference- the incorporation of African American episode into the Spirituals themselves separate them from the gospel genre. Spirituals also tend to be more free-flowing in their use of scales, keys, melodies, and rhythms. Gospel songs are more structured and the use of vocal harmonies is traditional and carefully developed.
Significance in the film:
The musical selections serve a twofold purpose in the film. Firstly, the different styles of music were used to apply the classic story of, The Odyssey to the American scene in, O Brother, Where Art Thou? The Odyssey is clearly rooted in Greek culture and that geographical area of the world; similarly, the producers anchored the film in America using a wide selection of primarily “American” forms of music. The historical connection to the past is an important part of traditional epic poetry. The songs selections in the film provide a sense of the important connections to the historical events linking the viewer to the past. The majority of the songs carried a distinctly American flavor and this helped to connect the story to the heart of American history and the American scene. Secondly, another entire dynamic is how the use of blues, gospel, and Negro spirituals were used to generate a contrast between the two searches for answers. This reoccurring theme of people searching for answers can be seen in the musical selections. The blues songs such as, “Hard Time Killing Floor Blues” by Chris Thomas King can be interpreted to represent one end of the search- looking for answers by turning away from God to the Devil. The old traditional gospel, “I Went Down to the River to Pray,” similarly conveys this theme of looking for answers by looking to God and religion. In the film, religion provides comfort and support for O'Donnell and Pete who come under conviction at the river baptism. Pragmatist McGill rejects the religious experience of his cohorts seeing no practical use for God; in fact reacting by stating they are still wanted by the state of Missouri for their crimes even if they were “forgiven” by God. The musical selections and styles somewhat mirror the fact that people often either turn to God for help or get angry at God and turn “to the devil”. The musical contrast between the genres of “religious” and “secular” music, create the different dynamics which enable the viewer to see the opposite ends of the moral spectrum of the search for answers.
The theme of searching for “what is the proper way to behave?” found in The Odyssey correlates to the, “search for answers” found in, O Brother, Where Art Thou? These great quests and questions found in both works of art are heard in the echo of music from both ends of the moral spectrum. The Negro Spirituals and Black gospel represent the search for answers by looking to God and possessing religious faith. By contrast, the Blues from the “fires of hell” looks away from God to the Devil seeking to find meaning in life. These two ends of the spectrum represented musically in the film, represent the two alternates that are presented as the characters in these works seek to walk through their lives. Additionally, the inclusion of a wide selection of music from the old classics and such traditional music, mirror the importance of tradition and legend to the telling of epic poetry. The use of such music, in a sense, makes the film itself an “epic film” because of it connects with the largeness of people in another time and place and follows the tradition of epic storytelling using music.
Women and Marriage in O Brother, Where Art Thou? and The Odyssey
Chelsea Benson wrote:
Marriage is defined as the social institution under which a man and wife establish their decision to live as husband and wife by legal commitments and religious ceremonies. The word marriage comes from the Latin word “mas” meaning male. Originally, marriage was the action of a father giving his daughter to another man. Marriage varies slightly around the world, as it is influenced by cultural beliefs and customs. In earlier times marriage was more of a family duty than a romantic encounter. In many areas of the world it was considered shameful to marry only for love. Marriage was used as a tool to raise a person's status or get a hold of the in-law's property.
Marriage is defined as the social institution under which a man and wife establish their decision to live as husband and wife by legal commitments and religious ceremonies. The word marriage comes from the Latin word “mas” meaning male. Originally, marriage was the action of a father giving his daughter to another man. Marriage varies slightly around the world, as it is influenced by cultural beliefs and customs. In earlier times marriage was more of a family duty than a romantic encounter. In many areas of the world it was considered shameful to marry only for love. Marriage was used as a tool to raise a person's status or get a hold of the in-law's property.
In Europe, the royal families often used marriage as a sort of peace treaty between two nations. The idea was that a father would not try to take over the kingdom of which his daughter was now the queen or princess. Also, royal families had a practice of marrying within their own families. It was considered below the royal status to take a wife or husband who was not also of royal blood, so without any new genes being added into the mix the royals suffered from many of the genetic problems of being inbred. One such case was with the House of Habsburg. This was the family that Charles II of Spain descended from. He suffered from so many genetic abnormalities that he could not even chew his food properly.
Until relatively recently, marriages were often dominated by men. This is apparent in many marriage traditions. In ancient Greece and Rome, the woman was expected to leave her family and become a part of her husband's house. At that time the responsibility of caring and providing for her is completely transferred to the husband. Recently though, marriage dynamics have changed dramatically. Many wives work as well as their husbands, and if a man dominates the wife in their relationship, often he is labeled oppressive.
There is a form of marriage known as polygamy, in which a person has more than one spouse. This form of marriage is not accepted in religions such as Christianity and Judaism. The most common form of polygamy is when a man takes multiple wives. In many Middle Eastern cultures it was acceptable to keep as many wives as a man could afford and treat fairly. It was not a case of getting tired of the old wife and getting a new one to replace her. Tradition states that all wives must be treated with equal kindness and all must be provided for materially.
Infidelity in a marriage is a rather touchy subject. It is almost universally unacceptable for the female in the marriage to cheat on her husband, but there are certain circumstances when it becomes acceptable for the man to have affairs outside of the marriage. In ancient times the woman was viewed to be property, her feelings towards her husband’s actions were not taken into consideration. In many eastern cultures it was not uncommon for him to keep a concubine or mistress as the role of the wife was to bear a child and the role of the other woman would have been to give the man pleasure.
In O Brother, Where Art Thou? the underlying reason behind Everett's urgent need to escape from prison was that he needed to win back his recently divorced ex-wife, Penny, before she could get remarried. Penny divorced Everett “from shame” because he was in jail for fraud. He was working as a lawyer with a fake license. Penny, being a woman in a male dominated era, was not going to be able to support their daughters by herself while Everett was in jail, so remarriage became a sort of necessity in order to take care of her family.
The only way that Everett could hope to win her back would be to prove to her that he could provide for her and their children, but seeing as he was a convict on the run, there wasn't much hope of him finding a job that he was legally able to do. As he was trying to convince her, he mentioned that he could get a guy he knows to print him up a dental license to which Penny became disgusted with him. She has the ability to choose between Everett and her fiancé, Vernon T. Waldrip, so there is nothing he could do to force her to marry him.
In a way, Everett became legitimate on accident. If he hadn't sung that song in front of that exact crowd, Pappy O'Daniel would not have pardoned the three of them and made them his brain trust. In the end luck and coincidence are what make Everett's journey back to his wife successful. Their marriage was based on partnership; Everett was expected to provide for and be there for the family and Penny was expected to care for and raise the children. When Everett was sent to prison; he was not upholding his end of the marriage. If he had not had all the experiences on his journey to change him, Penny probably would not have taken him back.
Odysseus and Penelope had very different marriage dynamics than Everett and Penny. Odysseus expected her to ward off any possible advances from suitors while he was off being seduced by goddesses. If she had caved to the suitors advances, Odysseus may not have taken her back to be his wife. He ordered the women servants to be killed along with the suitors, so we can reasonably assume Penelope would also have met a tragic fate. Everett on the other hand is at Penny's mercy. They are both in similar situations, however, because both Penelope and Penny are being courted by new suitors. Odysseus was considered to be dead and Penny told everyone that Everett was hit by a train. Both of the societies that they lived in frowned upon single mothers who owned property, so they were both being pressured to remarry and move on.
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