In On The Waterfront, Elia Kazan chronicles the transformational journey of an inarticulate but sensitive Terry Malloy; exploring the resulting battle within his conscience as he grapples with his growing sense of morality. Terry steps forward as a man, throwing off the shackles of dependence on his brother Charley. The film captures Terry's changes in ethical perception through his interactions with the characters who populate the Waterfront. From Edie Doyle's virginal guiding force to Johnny Friendly's tyrannical grip, Schilberg and Kazan create a world in which a bumbling "ex-tanker" with no moral vocabulary is held up as a hero for speaking out against the injustices of a silenced community. But to do so he challenges the prevailing reticence of the people of the Waterfront. In this way, Kazan gives insight into the value of the individual at times when there is no impulse of personal thought in a community. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The relationships forged by circumstance on the Waterfront lead Terry to reexamine the very core of his being. From the beginning of the film, the audience is introduced to Terry as a naive and ignorant "bum" who does what he is told. After being unknowingly complicit in Joey Doyle's success, an incredulous Terry who thought "they would just lean on him a little", can't seem to fully grasp the extent of his situation. Although he acknowledges "he was a good guy," Terry's vocabulary is devoid of any moral substance; he fails to express any real emotion, instead preferring the apathetic "Ionno". However, in considering Terry's character, the audience must also appreciate the context in which he grew up; the cold, gritty culture of the Waterfront that preaches the "Deaf and Dumb" and encourages a callous sense of justice. These traits are not shared by Edie Doyle and Father Barr, strangers to the Waterfront. The two characters share an idealized view of people that sees them constrained by Christianity, fairness, and brotherhood ("Shouldn't everyone care about everyone else?"). After Terry and Edie escape from the Church, the two avoid eye contact; yet, from the moment their eyes meet, there is a palpable attraction reinforced by the uplifting violins in the background. The audience sees Terry's infatuation with Edie emerge in this courteous and graceful man with a disarmingly natural demeanor. Terry becomes comfortable with Edie and as his care for her grows, it is supported only by her plea to "help me for God's sake". Kazan chooses to shoot the scene as a close-up of Terry to capture every bit of body language that lends itself to discomfort; the quivering lip and the incessant rubbing of the chin. The scene represents a situation that Terry's heart has never experienced before and yet we see his rapid change in priority from fear of Johnny Friendly, to Edie being "annoyed with [him]". Thus, it is evident that Terry's belief in something deeper than his own well-being provides him with clarity; the ability to see beyond the person he is, to the person he needs to become. The voice of every man and woman on the waterfront has been subjugated through years of bearing witness to Hoboken's distorted reality; singing "like a canary" meant testing your wings. Traditionally, the community has succumbed to Johnny Friendly's regime, for fear of repercussions. As a result, the concepts of loyalty and disloyalty are severely blurred. “Loyalty” as seen by the public is loyalty to the dominant set of social values; as such, longshoremen believe that “they don't get done..