Alienation and Redemption in Eraserhead Essay Example

Alienation and Redemption in Eraserhead Paper David Lynchs Eraserhead can be seen as an expression of the pervading sense of alienation in modern society. Lynchs protagonist, Henry, lives in a bizarre and frightening industrial wasteland that is both a cause and a product of the alienation of its inhabitants. When exploring the alienating forces in Henrys world, the viewer gains a sense of disillusionment with modernity, and a hope that humanity will one day have the will to redeem itself. A discerning viewer will notice two forms of alienation: external and internal. In the external world, the major alienating element is artificiality. The manmade wasteland drones intermittently, cold and unnerving. Large metal pipes congest the already narrow spaces, creating an even more ominous atmosphere. In a futile attempt to cloak the bleakness of Henrys world with false cheer, pleasant music sometimes plays in the background, distant and weak. In such an alienating environment, the inhabitants alienate each other even more through their insincere and superficial conventions. During Henrys dinner with the Xs, Henrys dialogue with Mrs. X is strained and shallow; the two merely follow the conventions of polite conversation. Mrs. X also creates a faà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ade of familial integration for the vegetating grandmother by letting her help toss the salad. Mr. X smiles at Henry in an affected manner after inquiring about what he knows. Even their chicken dinner is unnatural, manmade. The chickens serve as a wry protest against consumerism, a convention that reflects the increasing artificiality and meaninglessness of life in modernity. We will write a custom essay sample on Alienation and Redemption in Eraserhead specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Alienation and Redemption in Eraserhead specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Alienation and Redemption in Eraserhead specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The emptiness of the external world and its conventions engender feelings of helplessness in Henry that alienates him from himself. Henry is not in control of what he produces. In the opening sequence of the film, a spermlike creature wiggles its way out of Henrys mouth, as he remains powerless, his face frozen in a look of horror. A grotesque and intimidating man in the planet unleashes this creature into Henrys world, where it appears as a deformed baby. This baby is the source of Henrys physical and emotional imprisonment, for he is forced by convention and his own acquiescent nature to take care of it. In a disturbing dream sequence, the full extent of what this imprisonment has done to Henry becomes apparent. In the dream, Henrys head pops off and the babys head emerges from inside him to replace it. This chilling sequence signifies that Henrys external and internal alienation has warped him into the feeble being he had involuntarily created and nurtured. Also found in the dream are the two mysterious incarnations of Henrys mind: the man in the planet, and the lady in the radiator. The man in the planet is the part of Henrys psyche that alienates him from others and from himself. Like the soulless factory machines in Henrys world, the man in the planet moves mechanically, thoughtlessly. The lady in the radiator, on the other hand, smiles warmly and invites Henry into her world, where everything is fine. The lady becomes a symbol for the solace and sense of wholeness that Henry desires. She is an escape from the man in the planet, the mental state that has alienated him. As intimidated as Henry is by the man in the planet, his decapitated head manages to break free for a second and end up in a pencil factory, where it is used to make erasers for pencils. This dream empowers Henry to take steps to regain control, to break free from the man in the planet, and to reach the lady in the radiator. In all previous parts of the film, the alienated Henry merely reacted to what was happening around him. Now, after the epiphany his dream provided, he feels determined enough to destroy the deformed baby, the product of his weakness and alienation. The act is frightening as the world in Henrys mind shatters against the impact of his momentous act. In its death throes, the baby is larger and more horrific than ever, but as the bright light comes flooding in, Henry is liberated and reunited with the lady in the radiator. It is no accident that Henrys hairstyle resembles the eraser tip of a pencil. It implies that we, like Henry, have the mental power to erase all the external and internal forces of alienation that plague our world. Destroying these forces will be frightening, even painful, for weve been obliged by culture and convention to nurture them. However, the result of such destruction will lead us to a world and an emotional state much more beautiful, much more wonderful than the external and internal wasteland to which weve become accustomed.