The Bohemian Motif In La Boheme And Rent
Gupta 1
Linda Ayscue Gupta
Dr. Marcel Cornis-Pope
MATX 601 Texts and Textuality
11/08/07
Analysis of the Bohemian Motif in La Boheme and Rent
The Bohemian counterculture emerged from the collected experiences of writers, artists, students, and youth who were drawn to the left bank of the Seine in Paris during the mid-1800s
(“Welcome to Bohemia” 1; par. 1 & 2). Bohemians rejected typical bourgeois values and created a lifestyle characterized by a denunciation of materialism and traditional moral values and by a devotion to work solely for artistic expression (“How Bohemians Lived” 1; par. 1). The
Bohemian movement spread to the Grub St. area of London during the mid-1800s primarily because of the influence of British born writer …show more content…
Against the backdrop of conflict in both stories between adhering to Bohemian ideals or selling out for financial security, both La Boheme and
Rent are primarily love stories. In both stories the character of Mimi symbolically enters the apartment of Rodolfo in La Boheme or Roger in Rent with an unlit candle. The conflict in La
Boheme lies in whether Rodolfo can master his insecurity in time to commit to Mimi before he loses her, either to another lover or to her illness. Similarly the conflict between Marcello and
Musetta in their tempestuous love affair lies in whether Musetta can ever commit to just one man. In Rent, Roger is afraid of commitment. He has been abandoned without warning before, and he is reluctant to trust Mimi. The suspense in both operas lies in whether the couples will commit to each other. The tension is heightened by our awareness that Mimi in La Boheme is ill with consumption. Mimi and Roger in Rent are ill with AIDS. Maureen is Rent’s Musetta, ever on the move from one relationship to another. She has affairs with both Mark and Joanne and flirts with various receptionists, bartenders, etc. – all at others’ emotional expense. At
Linda Ayscue Gupta
Dr. Marcel Cornis-Pope
MATX 601 Texts and Textuality
11/08/07
Analysis of the Bohemian Motif in La Boheme and Rent
The Bohemian counterculture emerged from the collected experiences of writers, artists, students, and youth who were drawn to the left bank of the Seine in Paris during the mid-1800s
(“Welcome to Bohemia” 1; par. 1 & 2). Bohemians rejected typical bourgeois values and created a lifestyle characterized by a denunciation of materialism and traditional moral values and by a devotion to work solely for artistic expression (“How Bohemians Lived” 1; par. 1). The
Bohemian movement spread to the Grub St. area of London during the mid-1800s primarily because of the influence of British born writer …show more content…
Against the backdrop of conflict in both stories between adhering to Bohemian ideals or selling out for financial security, both La Boheme and
Rent are primarily love stories. In both stories the character of Mimi symbolically enters the apartment of Rodolfo in La Boheme or Roger in Rent with an unlit candle. The conflict in La
Boheme lies in whether Rodolfo can master his insecurity in time to commit to Mimi before he loses her, either to another lover or to her illness. Similarly the conflict between Marcello and
Musetta in their tempestuous love affair lies in whether Musetta can ever commit to just one man. In Rent, Roger is afraid of commitment. He has been abandoned without warning before, and he is reluctant to trust Mimi. The suspense in both operas lies in whether the couples will commit to each other. The tension is heightened by our awareness that Mimi in La Boheme is ill with consumption. Mimi and Roger in Rent are ill with AIDS. Maureen is Rent’s Musetta, ever on the move from one relationship to another. She has affairs with both Mark and Joanne and flirts with various receptionists, bartenders, etc. – all at others’ emotional expense. At