The struggle against innocence, 5 page paper about the contrast in times between the movies Chicago by Bill Condon and legends of the fall by Susan Shilliday.

The Struggle Against Innocence

Innocence is heavily portrayed in the movies Chicago and Legends of the Fall at two very different times. Both Samuel Ludlow from Legends of the Fall and Roxie Hart from Chicago are innocent and naïve. They both lack the ruthlessness that is needed to survive in both war and a Social Darwinist society.

Legends of the Fall depicts the time preceding World War I. This is a time when society was built on ruthlessness and competitiveness. People became greedy and cruel in the business world. This needed to stop and people thought the war would stop it. The war was to cleanse society of this ruthless attitude. Men were to go into war and come out ridden of these qualities.

In a time when people thought war would cleanse society everyone wanted to be a part of it, and the economy had room for people to leave.

Legends of the Fall

English: picture of myself, Ryan Roxie

Photo of 1.5 y/o Schnoodle, Roxie

The industrial society was so productive that it could take men from their jobs, put them in the army, and the economy would never feel it. The war became a phenomenon. Every man wanted to be the token honorable and noble soldier. Men were supposed to come out of war with a genuine truth about them. These men felt that with this truth and honor they would be appealing to society. The problem that no one expected was most men came out of the war worse than when they went in.

Samuel Ludlow from Legends of the Fall was a prime example of an individual drawn to these qualities. Samuel wanted to help his country alongside his brothers. He knew he was honorable and wanted to go to war to prove that honor. In Legends, Samuel's goal wasn't trying to survive but to promote change for the best. The...