Is Coalhouse Walker Jr an anti-hero? *spoilers: Ragtime, Sweeney, old films- Page 2

[camp_actor]

Posted: 8/2/07 at 8:37pm

I actually HATE having to defend myself for taking part in the ACTUAL THREAD TOPIC.

Glad I'm not the only one who thinks that the idea of "spoilers" is boring.

[Funny Face]

Posted: 8/3/07 at 1:37am

Too bad this dumb ish has taken all the attention away from the truly intelligent dicussion...

[actormcfamous]

Posted: 8/3/07 at 3:22am

Whoa! THE BEGGAR WOMAN IS SWEENEY'S WIFE, BUT SWEENEY KILLS HER?

Get a life instead of ruining this interesting discussion.


I find it quite ironic that the conversation wouldn't have been ruined at all if people had simply respected a request for a spoiler alert rather than jumping on the person who made the request. I understand about not needing a spoiler for Ragtime, but I would have had no idea that there were Sweeney spoilers in this thread until I opened it (had there not been a warning posted on the main board page). Seriously people, show some respect for people who one day want to see a show and have that tension about what is coming next (especially a brilliant and suspenseful show like Sweeney). Especially because there's more discussion about Sweeney in this thread than there is about Ragtime.
Updated On: 8/3/07 at 03:22 AM

[AnnaK<3LMIP]

Posted: 8/3/07 at 1:39pm

When I read the novel before I even heard of the musical, I was sure he was going to die before he did. You had to know his justice wouldn't really be justice -- how could he go back to living without Sarah? Yeah he had his son, but all he really wanted was justice for himself and essentially his son. He was not going to get the justice he felt he deserved, no matter what was claimed to coax him out. You had to see the death coming.

Ok but about the anti-hero discussion..

I think something that really stood out to me concerning whether or not he is a hero is the fact that Booker T Washington is involved in the show. Washington was a real hero, there can be no doubt about that. I don't want to say Coalhouse was not a hero because although I have never felt racism directed towards me, you do sympathize with what he's been through. Maybe he didn't go about it the heroic way BUT at least he wanted justice and fought for it. To me, that's heroic enough.

BUT. I'm also torn..because..well am I the only one who feels as though the novel portrayal of Coalhouse Walker Jr made him seem more..I'm not sure how to put it..I suppose emotionally unstable and thus a bit crazed in the end of it all as opposed to the musical?