“Since this is an opera, not life, you’ll see
Justice give way before humanity.
So now, to stop our story in its course
Enter the royal official on his horse.”
— Bertolt Brecht, “Threepenny Opera”
(Disclaimer: If you are planning on seeing “Threepenny Opera” at the University Theatre and don’t want to know the ending, do not read the first paragraph.)
It is at this point in Brecht’s play that there is a turn of events that shocks the audience with a surprise and self-proclaimed humane ending. The main character, Macheath, known as Mac the Knife, is saved at the last second before he is hanged with a pardon from the Queen.
After being accused of rape, murder and robbery, Mac is rescued just in the nick of time and even elevated to knight’s status in honor of the Queen’s coronation.
The “Threepenny Opera” is a play written by Bertolt Brecht, a uniquely political and socially observant playwright. In the opening scene, “threepenny” is explained by saying that the play is written for the poor and performed for the poor so it had to be cheaply done for the poor to afford it. Throughout the entire play, the audience is treated to the hardships of the poor until the end when everything turns up roses for the main character.
I must admit that I was quite satisfied after seeing the University Theatre’s production of “Threepenny”, with everything all wrapped up nicely at the end for the audience. Seriously, what liberal wouldn’t love to see the criminal given the chance for a comfortable and reformed life after his hard life of crime? Perfection!
The literary term “Deus ex machina” or “G-d from a machine” is put to use very neatly by Brecht. But this isn’t just used in plays. Think of “Lord of the Flies”, when the boys are saved at the last second before killing Ralph, the boy who doesn’t succumb to primal urges of violence and disorder. It is idealistic and just too perfect to be real.
The same goes for the typical sports or underdog movie. The team that has faced hardship and is playing for the fun of the game or for someone’s memory is the one that wins. This has become so stereotypical of movies that it becomes all the more disappointing when it doesn’t happen in real life.
Girls, I think we know a bit about being disappointed in the idea of a savior on horseback that comes just in time as well. Brave young men who fight for the women they love are glorified in movies all the time. Think all the way back to “Sleeping Beauty”, my personal favorite Disney movie. Prince Phillip fights his way to save the young princess valiantly and saves her from Maleficent. He is the perfect man; he is brave, chivalrous, selfless (and rich, if that’s your thing) and, most importantly, is madly in love with Princess Aurora.
However, the idea of a “knight in shining armor” who comes and saves us from an evil stepmother or wicked witch or what-have-you just doesn’t happen in real life. It’s possible that this is because not many of us have evil stepmothers or have crossed paths with wicked witches, but who really knows?
This, of course, is not a new idea. Exactly how do these portrayals affect our views of life in the real world? Are we jaded enough to shrug off the ideals portrayed in movies as being non-existent? Can we really afford to wait for perfection?
Now, as all my friends would tell you, I would be the last person to deny the existence of true love or fate. However, not acknowledging that relationships take work and not everything comes to you simply if you are a good person can be harmful.
Perhaps one of the problems is the unrealistic expectations for people set by the media. (Not the news media, of course, which highly underestimates the intelligence of the American public and is set on scaring viewers instead of treating them with respect.) With the recent influx of technology in people’s lives, it appears as though more and more young people can get away with less human interaction. With more movies and television and less human contact, there could be significant negative effects on perceptions of reality.
In a perfect world, these things would not be problematic. It’s like Brecht says in “Threepenny”: “How nice and easy everything would be if you could always reckon with saviors on horseback.”
Julie Isen ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in political science.