Atharv Dua Q1 blog post #3 - What does Tom really want from Jerry?
Ever watched “Tom and Jerry”? It’s a show about a cat and a mouse fighting like cats and dogs instead (knee slapper). As a kid, it was one of my favorite shows. If you’ve never watched the show (woah) long story short, my 6 year old self would’ve told you “tom cat, jerry mouse, cat hit mouse, mouse outsmart cat”. Think about it though: why did they keep fighting? Considering that Tom always ended up getting embarrassed and physically hurt, and that there was the huge risk of being eaten involved for Jerry, wouldn’t it have logically made sense to make peace instead?
Tom’s refusal to give up on catching Jerry likely stemmed from the identity that had been ingrained in him. Chasing mice was a part of his family’s history (they were all cats) and also part of his natural instinct (he’s a cat). Even though it literally went against the entire community’s interests, Tom kept trying to attack and eat Jerry to no avail, which at the end of the day left him with nothing and Jerry with the risk of being eaten by a hilariously antagonized cat. You know what that compares to?
Us.
Sure, we aren’t beating each other up with tree branches on a daily basis, but our society, specifically American society, is becoming more and more polarized. According to Amy McCaig from Rice University, people from each political ideology are consistently developing more negative feelings towards other political ideologies. Humor me for a second; let’s imagine Jerry and Tom as two different political ideologies. Even though they live in the same place and it would be in both of their best interests to live together in harmony and, instead of fighting, spend time together trying to improve their collective well-being, they still cannot manage to refrain from trying to hurt each other. If we start leaning towards our political identity and ignoring the shared values we as Americans share (however few there may be), wouldn’t we become like Tom who ignored the fact that both Jerry and him would benefit from him not eating Jerry, and instead kept pursuing his past identity just because of his family’s past? The irony is that we’re smarter than cats: we know that to make America work, we need to make sure that everyone, regardless of political orientation, is able to live together in peace, but some stark divisions still exist.
Yes, our identities are important. Yes, honoring the past and the identities that our loved ones passed on to us is important. But they cannot be more important than the American public coming together, and not just surviving in harmony but thriving in harmony, with more time and effort put into the improvement of the US; instead of fighting against each other, let’s fight alongside each other and promote a unified American identity, and both Tom and Jerry will live happily ever after.
Hey Atharv! This was a pretty interesting read. I personally never put much thought into why Tom and Jerry were fighting. Frankly, I was engrossed in watching what would happen to poor Tom. Why did something always happen to that cat?
ReplyDeleteI think that your take is very true. It is really difficult for both them and for us to overcome the identity we have associated and shaped ourselves with. These traits and practices we claimed are so integral to us after all. It would certainly benefit our society, however, to attempt to look past their ideals and understand that some deviation may not be the worst thing. My sister used to think Tom and Jerry were actually really good friends. Which would explain why she attacks me on the daily, because we are just the best of friends, obviously. Maybe if we adopt that view—that despite everyone’s differences we can still have positive relationships—then it would contribute to a more harmonious society.
Lastly, I loved the literalness of your writing. It made for an enjoyable break from my homework.
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ReplyDeleteHi Atharv, I thought your blog was one of the most interesting pieces of text I have read in a while. I often laughed at the comments you had in parentheses as they brought a light-hearted feel to the text (not that your blog is dark). I also enjoyed how you recognized and explained the absurdity behind Tom and Jerry that the general public tends to overlook or dismiss as a comedic effect. The specific use of one-word paragraphs and syntax is prevalent throughout your blog, which displays your complex thought process behind the creation of your blog. However, the transition and use of Tom and Jerry as a hook was what really impressed me. Your link between Tom and Jerry as a comedic foreshadowing of the political divide in American society was very thoughtful. It is clear that our in-class discussions have impacted you, and the way you simplified the argument was very pleasant to read. I thought your blog provided nice respite from my rigorous ACT prep. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteAtharv, you summarized the entirety of my childhood with this blog. I AM A HUGE TOM AND JERRY FAN!! Can you feel my excitement LOL? I know I said this on your last blog but I take it back this was the most interesting blog I have read in a long time. I love love love, like live laugh love how you connected Tom and Jerry to America today. Your concise description of the show I couldn't help but laugh as a wave of nostalgia crashed over me. One of the most mind boggling questions I had as a 6 year old was why Tom and Jerry kept fighting? As I grew up I forgot about it, but I can't think of a better comparison for the two. The way you depicted them as differing political identities and explored that in American society today was really interesting and very relatable. The divisions in our society today are deepening with every passing day as the political rhetoric becomes harsher with every passing day. It's really admirable that you hold a perspective of keeping the faith for a better future, for an America that is less divided by political ideologies and beliefs of how it should be.
ReplyDeleteWow, I have never thought about Tom and Jerry that way before, but now that you mention it, I agree with you that many aspects of American society can be reflected in the cat-and-mouse relationship. I feel like modern politics embodies the mindset of “we’re right and they’re trying to take away our rights,” where people see themselves as victims (mice) of a society being created by the other side (cats). In Tom and Jerry, the two characters are always trying to one-up each other, and nothing positive is achieved in the relationship except petty amusement. Today’s political groups are similar, bickering over and over about the same problems but never really reaching common ground. Admittedly, I was never a Tom and Jerry enjoyer, but I believe that there is merit in what you’re discussing. However old cartoons like Tom and Jerry may be, people today can still look back and find a deeper meaning—that’s the beauty of film.
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