Maya Deren's Film 'Meshes Of The Afternoon'
Maya Deren’s film “Meshes of the Afternoon” shows a women’s struggles with her relationship through her dreams. In her dreams there are three different options that she’s debating and a hooded figure that keeps reappearing.
In this film the same woman is seen in four different roles. First she’s walks into the house and falling asleep in a chair, and then in her dream there are three other versions of herself. The first version gets pulled down the stairs by a force which makes me think she’s being pulled away from the life she is living. She symbolizes the choice to leave the boyfriend. Then the second girl who can’t seem to make it up the stairs, because of the same force that was effecting the first girl, to reach the hooded figure. This
symbolizes that she feels like she’s stuck and she can’t move forward in the relationship even if she’s trying. Then there the last girl who walks in with the knife. This girl symbolizes the thoughts of wanting to kill herself, which ends up being the choice she makes. Each different version symbolizes a different choice that she could make. This is the reason for them all sitting around the table each taking a turn at holding the key which then turns into a knife when the decision has been made. Then the third version of herself walks up and looks as though she’s about to kill the real version of herself.
The hooded figure symbolizes her boyfriend. This is shown by the amount of characteristics that are shared between the boyfriend and the hooded figure. This becomes apparent after the hooded figure walk up the stairs with the flower, in her dream, and then watch almost the exact same scene happen but this time instead of the hooded man it’s her boyfriend holding the flower, this time in real life. This shows that her boyfriend is the root of the decision she is having to make.
With the symbols of the hooded figure and the women shows the struggles this women was facing in her relationship. Sadly she thought the best option would be to just kill herself instead of staying or leaving this unhappy relationship.
In this film the same woman is seen in four different roles. First she’s walks into the house and falling asleep in a chair, and then in her dream there are three other versions of herself. The first version gets pulled down the stairs by a force which makes me think she’s being pulled away from the life she is living. She symbolizes the choice to leave the boyfriend. Then the second girl who can’t seem to make it up the stairs, because of the same force that was effecting the first girl, to reach the hooded figure. This
symbolizes that she feels like she’s stuck and she can’t move forward in the relationship even if she’s trying. Then there the last girl who walks in with the knife. This girl symbolizes the thoughts of wanting to kill herself, which ends up being the choice she makes. Each different version symbolizes a different choice that she could make. This is the reason for them all sitting around the table each taking a turn at holding the key which then turns into a knife when the decision has been made. Then the third version of herself walks up and looks as though she’s about to kill the real version of herself.
The hooded figure symbolizes her boyfriend. This is shown by the amount of characteristics that are shared between the boyfriend and the hooded figure. This becomes apparent after the hooded figure walk up the stairs with the flower, in her dream, and then watch almost the exact same scene happen but this time instead of the hooded man it’s her boyfriend holding the flower, this time in real life. This shows that her boyfriend is the root of the decision she is having to make.
With the symbols of the hooded figure and the women shows the struggles this women was facing in her relationship. Sadly she thought the best option would be to just kill herself instead of staying or leaving this unhappy relationship.