On the Waterfront Question

Terry Molloy: Make a list of the physical transformations Terry undergoes throughout the film. How does Marlon Brando show his burgeoning pride?

As he is portrayed by Marlon Brando, Terry is often depicted as a mumbling and inarticulate, his body is hunched, his hands are often in his jacket and his head is cowed. This body language depicts a man with low self esteem, with a lack of pride. But as the film progresses so does Terry’s body language change he starts to grow in confidence and holds his head high, especially in the closing scene when he is walking to the waterfront dock doors covered in blood with his head held high.

Why is Terry so reticent to testify? Why do you think he changes his mind?

Terry is firstly reluctant in testifying against the union mob and Johnny Friendly out of mostly fear of how the will react, but he changes his mind after the murder of his Brother Charley. He now doesn’t care about the consequences of him “ratting” on the mob.

How does Terry’s relationship with Edie change him?

Edie softens Terry up in a way, she makes him feel that he can now be come “a somebody”. Through her influence Terry gets the courage to speak up against the union mob.

To what extent do you think Terry is a victim of circumstance?

His life had been shaped through unfortunate circumstances that firstly got him involved in the union mob.

On more than one occasion, Edie runs away from Terry. Why does she do this?

Edie runs away from Terry because she knows deep down that she is not doing the right thing by being with Terry, because he was involved with the mob and the death of her brother.

In what ways does her physical appearance change? What do you think is meant by this?

Edie becomes more confident throughout the text, so her physical appearance changes. Terry suggests that Edie had ‘scrubbed up nice’ from when she was a young girl. W

hy does she engage in a relationship with Terry?

Because Edie believes she can change...