First Impressions: “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”(1961)
Breakfast at Tiffany’s is a quintessential 60s manic pixie dream girl movie.
I wish I could say that.
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It’s rather, in my opinion, an interesting take on the archetype. Although the conflict is rather unrealistic — what with Holly’s brother dying out of nowhere, and the arrest happening at the exact time that it’s needed for the plot — there is something to be taken away from it. In the beginning, Holly Golightly seems to be a manifestation of the quintessential manic pixie dream girl, with her quirky apartment, her nameless cat, and her shoes buried in the flower pot. And sure, she helps Paul “Fred” Varjak get his career back on track, leading him on a journey of self-growth. But, there’s more to Holly than that. She has a very visible fear of being trapped, which stems from her first house, and she’s clearly attached to and loves her brother, Fred. She has real fears and real, concrete desires. And although she’s naive, she’s also deeply distrustful of genuine kindness offered to her.
What didn’t appeal to me was the assertion that “people do own each other”, but that’s just a personal opinion. The ideology behind it was commendable — human relationships are the basis of our humanity. The identity of the “I” is formed through the lens of the other. Holly’s constant rejection of this lens traps her in a void of identity, where she can assume all identities and still have no identity (although this is not the case in reality. She has an identity of being “a real phoney”, as Mr O.J. calls her. She is perceived by people at all times, and it’s exactly what she seems to be afraid of. She doesn’t want to be put into a box, and thus, trapped, because it requires her to confront her identity, which she wants to avoid.
Paul’s character, in my opinion, could have been explored beyond his feelings for Holly, and his relationship with that one woman. I am curious to know why he stopped writing after his short story collection was published. Perhaps the novel will offer more answers.
