Week 8
Inner-‐Direc-on in You Can’t Take It with You
Ques-on for students
• What is your capital? • How would you define your capital right now as a student?
• How would you define it later when you apply for a job?
• Descendants – 子孫 (to descend from) • Transparency – 透明性(コミュニケーションにおける)
• Like inner-‐direc-on, one’s capital is invisible. • In fact, inner-‐direc-on is a form of capital.
“Progressive” model for society
• As opposed to “tradi-on-‐directed” socie-es, the “inner-‐directed” society is based on a progressive model. This model depends on transparent communica-on.
On transparency
• Why is transparent communica-on necessary?
• One’s inner-‐direc-on is not defined by race or class, it is invisible so it has to be communicated.
• Why express this inner-‐direc-on? • To be recognized.
• What is the social value of this inner-‐self?
• Laborers: their labor as capital. • Educated ci-zens: “inner-‐direc-on” as capital.
“Progressive” model for society
• Inner-‐directed people discover and develop new technologies.
“Progressive” model for society
• They are needed for a society based on produc-on. Increasingly, this society is one based on mass-‐produc-on.
Value of “inner-‐direc-on”
• How much of your “inner-‐direc-on” will help us produce new and “beUer” things in the future?
The American model
• Sons and daughters of immigrants oWen have the talent to develop new technologies.
• Why?
Americans as descendants of immigrant
• Because they don’t have their parents’ roots. They are “free” from the past. They don’t depend on tradi-on. Instead, they seek out new ideas, including a new way of life.
Americans as descendants of immigrant
• This new way may also include the no-on of love, that is, how men and women communicate with each other.
1930s
• New York is the (global?) center of media produc-on/invisible informa-on.
• Do New Yorkers lead a local or mass existence?
• To develop inner-‐direc-on (Inner-‐talent to develop something new) one needs:
1. Other investors 2. Not only money investments, but support, as
in, “love.”
You Can’t Take It With You (1938)
• Directed by Frank Capra
YCTIWY (1) – Tony’s Inner-‐Direc-on
• Tony: To do what you want to do takes courage.
• Tony: When I was in college, I wanted to discover something unique.
(clip1)
YCTIWY (1) – Tony’s Inner-‐Direc-on
• TONY: We could take all the power we could ever need from the sun's rays.
• Tony: We got so excited about it we forgot to sleep.
YCTIWY (1) – Tony’s Inner-‐Direc-on
• TONY: We could take all the power we could ever need from the sun's rays.
• Tony’s interest in technology and research, not banking.
YCTIWY (1) – Tony’s Inner-‐Direc-on
• Defining “oneself” by seeng a goal that is “large scale.”
• 膨大な規模/目標を果たすことによって「自分」を見つけ出す
The “dark” side of inner-‐direc-on
• Inner-‐Direc-on can be a trial. (苦労) • The result may be failure. (挫折)
Reality and Inner-‐Direc-on
• One gain a sense of iden-ty if inner-‐directed goal is successful.
• However, what if one’s inner-‐direc-on fails?
Reality and Inner-‐Direc-on
• What if one’s inner-‐direc-on fails? • That is, what if one’s goals are not accomplished in reality?
(clip 2)
Reality and Inner-‐Direc-on
• What if one’s inner-‐direc-on fails?
(clip 2)
Reality and Inner-‐Direc-on
Alice: Then what? (トニーの「野望」の研究に関して)
Tony: We leW school and now he‘s selling automobiles and I’m in some strange thing called banking.(現実に直面、厳しい現実)
Reality and Inner-‐Direc-on
Alice: And? Tony: He's married, and his wife just had a baby. He didn't think it was fair to gamble with the future. (inner-‐direc-on and future risk).
Reality and Inner-‐Direc-on
“He didn't think it was fair to gamble with the future.”
He couldn’t invest his talent in the future anymore.
Tony’s friend no longer has a “future.” He must give up on his inner-‐direc-on to start a family.
Reality and Inner-‐Direc-on
• Tony doesn’t have a family. He isn’t married. So he can s-ll gamble. Why doesn’t he risk his talent?
Reality and Inner-‐Direc-on
• Tony doesn’t have a family. He isn’t married. So he can s-ll gamble. Why doesn’t he risk his talent?
• He’s afraid.
Reality and Inner-‐Direc-on
• Why is he afraid though? He’s wealthy.
Reality and Inner-‐Direc-on
• Why is he afraid though? He’s wealthy. • Because he comes from a wealthy family. • This family does not support his inner-‐direc-on (of research in chemistry/technology).
Reality and Inner-‐Direc-on
• So he needs support. Where does that support come from? Someone very different from his family.
Reality and Inner-‐Direc-on
Tony: So what's my excuse? Well, the Kirbys have been bankers for 9,000 years. That's been pounded into my brain.
Alice: Tony, that's kind of silly, you're preUy young to…
Alice believes that Tony’s inner-‐direc-on s-ll has poten-al for investment.
Reality and Inner-‐Direc-on
NOTE: How does Alice value Tony?
Reality and Inner-‐Direc-on
NOTE: How does Alice value Tony? Not according to his social status or class, but according to his intelligence, that is, his inner-‐directed poten-al.
Reality and Inner-‐Direc-on
His intelligence/his inner-‐directed poten-al. Alice: Besides, I resent what you said about your brain. I think it's (your brain is) beau-ful.
Remember!
• With inner-‐direc-on, you cannot accomplish your goals on your own.
• Note in this film: who invests in Tony’s talent (to become an engineer)?
• Who doesn’t invest in Tony’s talent?
Reality and Inner-‐Direc-on
NOTE: How does Tony’s father value Tony?
(clip 3)
Reality and Inner-‐Direc-on
Compare scene with Tony and his father. Tony: I thought…I could work on that grass project when I get back. Remember that thing that Bob Smith (my friend) fooled around with in college?
Father: (laughs) Tony: (angry) If you think it’s funny, I’m sorry. I came here to say goodbye.
Alice and Tony’s father
Alice takes Tony’s inner-‐direc-on seriously (真剣)
Tony’s father laughs at Tony’s inner-‐direc-on (冷笑)
Alice vs. Tony’s father
Tony’s father is blind to Tony’s inner-‐direc-on. He can only see his son as a “Kirby” banker (tradi-on-‐directed).
Because his father refuses to see his inner-‐direc-on, Tony decides to leave the family/tradi-on.
Tradi-on-‐direc-on as Inter-‐genera-onal
• Tradi-on-‐direc-on is ver-cal Between genera-ons • Father • Son
Horizontal (shared within a genera-on)
• Inner-‐direc-on is horizontal Genera-onal iden-ty (同世代感) • Man Woman (same genera-on)
You Can’t Take It With You
• Inner-‐direc-on is horizontal • Man Woman • Tony and Alice
Odd Love Triangle (奇妙な三角関係)
Alice’s Family (Inner-‐Directed)
Kirby Parents (Tradi-on-‐directed)
Tony Kirby
Inner Dir. vs. Tradi-on
• Tony chooses the inner-‐direc-on of Alice’s family (Sycamores-‐Vanderhofs).
• And rejects the tradi-on-‐direc-on of his parents, the Kirbys.
• The Kirbys must accept the inner-‐direc-on of their son.
Tony’s values
Father: You can’t do this, aWer all the plans I made for you.
Tony: I think this business (of banking) is great. It’s good for you because you like it. I don’t and I never will (like this business).
Tradi-on
• Tony doesn’t care about his parents’ money/wealth/business.
• Why?
Tradi-on
• Why?
• It has nothing to do with Tony’s (inner) talents.
• Family business is valued according to social status (社会的地位)and wealth.
Tradi-on
• The Kirbys measure/value others according to their superiority in terms of class and wealth, not their talent(s).
• Their values are tradi-on-‐directed.
Tradi-on
• The Kirbys believe their values are correct because they have always been rich.
• Authority = power over -me • “Our beliefs/values are correct. That is why we have always been rich and superior.”
Inner-‐Direc-on and modern democracy
Alice: I don’t care if you (Tony and Kirbys) are rich.
Inner-‐direc-on is not about wealth, but the poten-al to create wealth.
• This wealth is not always measured in terms of money.
• There are other standards of value.
• The standards of transparency, that is transparent communica-on.
Transparency and “love”
• In many Hollywood films ,“love” is defined in terms of transparent communica-on.
• “I can talk to her/him about things I can’t men-on to anyone even my parents or friends.”
• While tradi-on-‐directed values no longer apply, it is unclear how people are valued in an inner-‐directed society.
• How is value (one’s worth) defined in an inner-‐directed society?
Standards of transparent communica-on
• In this film, “love” is defined in terms of transparent communica-on.
• “I love you” meaning:
“Our communica-on is transparent.”
Inner-‐Direc-on and modern democracy
• A person’s value is no longer limited to tradi-on.
• Tradi-on-‐directed values no longer apply.
(clip 4, 3:00)
Inner-‐Direc-on and modern democracy
(clip 4, 3:00)
• And “love” is defined in terms of transparent communica-on.
Flow of informa-on
• In an inner-‐directed society, the ideal flow of informa-on is democra-c.
• It is not “owned” by the wealthy. • The informa-on gets exchanged between people with very different backgrounds (in terms of class, and later ethnicity).
Flow of informa-on
• The informa-on gets exchanged between people with very different background (in terms of class, and later ethnicity)
Flow of informa-on
• Everyone should have equal access not only to property, but informa-on.
Flow of informa-on
• Communica-on is less a maUer of defining authority as it is one of recognizing the other person.
Flow of informa-on
• Communica-on is a maUer of recognizing each other.
• “Seeing” each other.
Condi-ons of trust
• In terms of informa-on and trust, it means that both par-es have the power to build it.
• Communica-on is a process of building collabora-on within a certain genera-on.
• Friends and lovers, not extended family, become central in these films.
The ideal of “love” and democracy
• Democracy: government by the people. • “Democra-c” communica-on: based on equal access to informa-on and its uses.
Democra-c communica-on
• “Love” between man and woman. • Local friends and community. (“It doesn’t maUer who is rich and poor. We are equal to them as long as we can exchange informa-on equally.”)
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
• Watch the first hour. If you’re interested in the film, watch the rest of it. (Room 3535)
• レンタル屋でも見つかります。 (邦題:『素晴らしき哉、人生!』)
• Think of how it differs (in terms of depic-ng inner-‐direc-on) from You Can’t Take It with You and American Madness.
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
• Although it is known as an “American classic,” take notes on the “dark” side it depicts.
• If you watch the rest of the film, watch the “bank run” (where everyone asks to have their money returned) scene. It’s very similar to the bank run scene we watched in American Madness, but also very different. Note these differences.