Aristotle's Influence in today's world

Aristotle’s Influence in today’s world

Aristotle’s influence on the narrative is now visible to me more than ever. I can honestly agree that his theories influenced today’s narrative. Recently I went to the cinema to see The Confessions of a Shopaholic. I have read the book and only when I saw the film Aristotle’s logic and theory struck me.

Aristotle’s theory can be matched to this film. Like his famous Oedipus story, the main character ‘the girl in the green scarf’ is influenced by this theory; it doesn’t mention pity and fear. Tragedy sparks an intellectual response, a fearing moment of perfect clarity. Balance rationality, where higher forces bring everything together to make sense.

The reversal in the story happens and her luck changes from good to bad as she sends a wrong letter to a mixed up editor, recognition follows when she realises she has a problem with shopping and hurts somebody she loves and cares for. As a character she is seen as a hero she still has a flaw.

Another film influenced by Aristotle’s theories is well known Casablanca. The character; we are introduced to the main character Rick who owns and operates a thriving nightclub and casino, we find him loved and envied by everybody. We quickly find him caught up in a chain of intertwined personal and political events that force him to make some fateful decisions. We see him just like in The Confessions of a Shopaholic and Oedipus a hero who is flawed. The plot; is changed by reversal in the story leading to the recognition. After his attempt to win her over he manages to do the heroic thing in the end as he recognises himself and what he is doing, he sends his beloved on a plane with her husband as it was the right thing to do. As Rick returns to America to me it mirrors Oedipus’s leaving.