This post is a great read for anybody, but it will be especially intriguing for:
Teachers of Unit Three VCE English
Students studying this text as a part of VCE Reading and Creating, for either the Creative or Analytical SAC.
The following is an excerpt from our Rear Window Study Companion, available on the resources page of our website.
A major part of ‘unpacking’ meaning from a text lies in being able to see the layers added on top of the basic narrative arc. For instance, in terms of a pure plot line, Rear Window is a story of a man and his partner raising suspicions about a neighbour’s actions and eventually finding proof that a murder has occured. This central plot is the core of the film, but it’s not all that the film is about. If this was Hitchcock’s only objective - to tell a compelling story - then the minor characters would play no role in the film at all. For, if we break things down, characters that are viewed (other than the Thorwalds) through Jeff’s window, along with Stella, don’t actually progress the plot in any meaningful way.
With this in mind, we can take a sharp analytical approach to thinking about the purpose and role of the characters and how Hitchcock has used them to convey ideas and enhance the messages of his film. When writing analytically about the film, being able to come from an angle of understanding how Hitchcock conveys ideas through a character is an effective way to exhibit your knowledge of the film. When we think like this, we can start to consider the following:
Miss Torso does not converse with any of the main characters of the film and is always viewed from afar, completely unaware that she is being watched. Her moniker, given to her by Jeff, is an example of the physical judgements placed on women through the male gaze and this is seen further through Jeff’s confident belief that she is a “queen bee”. That the audience comes to see the blatant inaccuracy of Jeff’s perceptions is possibly Miss Torso’s most important contribution to the film. It is also worth considering the link between Miss Torso and Lisa and how Jeff comes to understand one of them, whilst remaining ignorant of his rash judgement of the other.
Miss Lonelyhearts poses questions and provokes thoughts surrounding the idea of relationships and people’s desire to find another to share their life with. Her pantomime dinner with no real guest, along with her attempt on her life portray a character desperately lonely and seeking companionship. Miss Lonelyhearts is also assaulted in her apartment, leading to further cynicism about her pursuit of connection and inability to find a partner who respects her. However, Hitchcock’s closing sequence displays Miss Lonelyhearts finding comfort in the company of The Songwriter leads the audience to consider a potential happy ending for the character. The optimistic viewer may see this as validation of the power of love and connection and relationships. The more cynical viewer may see things differently given the horrific experiences she endures.
The Songwriter is shown to be a frustrated and lonely character. Hitchcock includes a brief moment of insight as he comes home intoxicated and throws his sheet music across his apartment before falling into a seat. What is frustrating the songwriter is undetermined, however a later scene that shows him standing still amongst a large group of guests provides an insight into his inability to connect with others around him, hinting at his frustrations stemming from a sense of loneliness and being misunderstood. Combined with Miss Lonelyhearts (with whom Jeff raises a glass to in one scene), the audience can consider the personal struggle of the Songwriter and Jeff to find comfort with another and to overcome their own personal demons which may lead to frustrations.
The Newlyweds carry out their own narrative arc with the mere seconds that they are seen in the film. The expectations of marriage and relationships are shown as the husband looks out of the window tiredly as his wife speaks to him about his employment. Having witnessed this one moment of their relationship, Jeff feels vindicated in his cynical view of “nagging” wives and the pressure of marriage. The newlyweds also use their blinds for privacy, creating a barrier for Jeff and an opportunity for the audience to consider the ease with which they have viewed the other residents of the apartment complex.
Ben Taylor - The English Lab
We have lots more to say about this text! If you’d like for Ben to speak to your students or to your teaching team, please contact hello@englishlab.com.au
Please also look around our website for further resources and services that can help your Year Twelve teachers and students get the best out of themselves. Our study guide (of which this post is an excerpt from) is available by clicking on the ‘Resources’ tab at the top of this page.