Week 10 Story : Tom and Jerry
In the tv show, Tom and Jerry, the cat, Tom chases after Jerry, the mouse over and over again no matter how many times both Tom and Jerry lose to each other and either get caught or are able to run away.
Tom is a blue cat who gets pampered a whole lot while Jerry is a brown mouse who lives in the same house as Tom but in his little mouse hole which is in proximity to Tom. Tom is a quick tempered cat who cannot stand Jerry living in the house with him as he wants to be seen as the alpha. Jerry is independent and goes through his day by messing with Tom and trying to get by. In one episode where Tom attempts to catch Jerry numerous times ends up in destruction of property an the house ends up being damaged. Tom does not eat Jerry when he does get a hold of him because at times, they do get along and are good friends like the Pandava brothers.
Tom and Jerry are the best of both worlds - the reasons to them chasing each other and acting like they have a love/hate relationship is because of no apparent reason and it is just because it is a normal way a cat acts and the duties he has to fulfill towards his owner. In one episode, Tom rarely succeeds in catching Jerry and that is because of Tom's stupidity and because at times, Jerry's cunning strategies that allow him to tire out Tom.
Tom uses different ways and techniques to try and capture Jerry including putting out cheese mouse traps, trying to hit Jerry with a golf club, etc. to try and get Jerry but nothing ends up working out because of Jerry's intelligence. Jerry's cleverness allows him to escape everything that Tom throws at him and thinks strategically immediately. Jerry ends up cutting Tom in half, pushes him out through a window of the house, dodges explosives, mouse traps, pistols, fires, etc.
This children's classic is famously known for the different things both Tom and Jerry do to each other to outrun or capture one another and the various objects and settings that are used in this show are what make the cartoon visually appealing and funny to watch. Tom is no match for Jerry as Jerry is highly intelligent for a mouse and ends up triumphantly winning each little battle they both have and Tom is mostly shown as the loser. In some rare occasions, Tom ends up being the victorious one amongst the two but it is highly rare as Jerry's brains overpower Tom's temper.
In another episode, Tom has a guilty conscience when he throws Jerry out of the house into the freezing cold snowstorm and goes back outside to rescue the little mouse from frostbite and taking him by the fire and giving him warmth. They both share intimate and friendly moments where it is easy to tell that their life is not the same without each other and will not be the same without one another. Although they do care for each other immensely, Tom and Jerry butt heads in almost every single episode and it is what makes the show so intriguing to watch to see what new technique Jerry has to offer and what is going to make the show what it is.
In each of Tom's attempts to catch Jerry, Tom deals with another cat trying to catch Jerry as well, which ends up being a fight or disagreement between Tom and the vicious black alley cat. Tom and Jerry have been around for so many years with multiple episodes, movies and seasons to watch these two frenemies have this relatable friendship or relationship prolong. I thought that having Tom and Jerry as my story line would allow us to go back and think about the Pandava brothers and their strong relationship to where they all stand up for each other no matter what. Brothers and friends will have arguments and disagreements, but at the end of the day, they will help one another and rise together as Tom and Jerry have resembling the Pandavas.
Author's Note: This cartoon is known for its stereotypes and Tom's numerous attempts to capture Jerry and the destruction that this causes in the background. Tom rarely ever eats Jerry when he does catch him because they are frenemies and they have a love/hate relationship as discussed before. They have so many instances where Jerry has outsmarted Tom and ends up burning off his tail in the iron or on the stove and this is the type of small humorous moments that the audience and people all over the world end up laughing to and end up enjoying.
Tom is a blue cat who gets pampered a whole lot while Jerry is a brown mouse who lives in the same house as Tom but in his little mouse hole which is in proximity to Tom. Tom is a quick tempered cat who cannot stand Jerry living in the house with him as he wants to be seen as the alpha. Jerry is independent and goes through his day by messing with Tom and trying to get by. In one episode where Tom attempts to catch Jerry numerous times ends up in destruction of property an the house ends up being damaged. Tom does not eat Jerry when he does get a hold of him because at times, they do get along and are good friends like the Pandava brothers.
Tom and Jerry are the best of both worlds - the reasons to them chasing each other and acting like they have a love/hate relationship is because of no apparent reason and it is just because it is a normal way a cat acts and the duties he has to fulfill towards his owner. In one episode, Tom rarely succeeds in catching Jerry and that is because of Tom's stupidity and because at times, Jerry's cunning strategies that allow him to tire out Tom.
Tom uses different ways and techniques to try and capture Jerry including putting out cheese mouse traps, trying to hit Jerry with a golf club, etc. to try and get Jerry but nothing ends up working out because of Jerry's intelligence. Jerry's cleverness allows him to escape everything that Tom throws at him and thinks strategically immediately. Jerry ends up cutting Tom in half, pushes him out through a window of the house, dodges explosives, mouse traps, pistols, fires, etc.
This children's classic is famously known for the different things both Tom and Jerry do to each other to outrun or capture one another and the various objects and settings that are used in this show are what make the cartoon visually appealing and funny to watch. Tom is no match for Jerry as Jerry is highly intelligent for a mouse and ends up triumphantly winning each little battle they both have and Tom is mostly shown as the loser. In some rare occasions, Tom ends up being the victorious one amongst the two but it is highly rare as Jerry's brains overpower Tom's temper.
In another episode, Tom has a guilty conscience when he throws Jerry out of the house into the freezing cold snowstorm and goes back outside to rescue the little mouse from frostbite and taking him by the fire and giving him warmth. They both share intimate and friendly moments where it is easy to tell that their life is not the same without each other and will not be the same without one another. Although they do care for each other immensely, Tom and Jerry butt heads in almost every single episode and it is what makes the show so intriguing to watch to see what new technique Jerry has to offer and what is going to make the show what it is.
In each of Tom's attempts to catch Jerry, Tom deals with another cat trying to catch Jerry as well, which ends up being a fight or disagreement between Tom and the vicious black alley cat. Tom and Jerry have been around for so many years with multiple episodes, movies and seasons to watch these two frenemies have this relatable friendship or relationship prolong. I thought that having Tom and Jerry as my story line would allow us to go back and think about the Pandava brothers and their strong relationship to where they all stand up for each other no matter what. Brothers and friends will have arguments and disagreements, but at the end of the day, they will help one another and rise together as Tom and Jerry have resembling the Pandavas.
Author's Note: This cartoon is known for its stereotypes and Tom's numerous attempts to capture Jerry and the destruction that this causes in the background. Tom rarely ever eats Jerry when he does catch him because they are frenemies and they have a love/hate relationship as discussed before. They have so many instances where Jerry has outsmarted Tom and ends up burning off his tail in the iron or on the stove and this is the type of small humorous moments that the audience and people all over the world end up laughing to and end up enjoying.
The classic tv show, Tom and Jerry was one of my favorite TV shows growing up. I remember watching an episode every morning while getting ready for elementary, middle school and even high school since it would start my day off on a light note as tom and jerry was designed to do.
Hi Asha! I really enjoyed reading your comparison of Tom and Jerry to the Pandava brothers in the Mahabharata. However, I feel as though in this post, you do not tell a story. Though you do retell the myth in a way by using Tom and Jerry as a contemporary comparison, you do so without telling a conventional story with plot, characters, and development of either of those. Consider retelling the myth with Tom and Jerry as the characters!
ReplyDeleteHey Asha!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE Tom and Jerry so this was one of my favorite stories to read. I thought it was super entertaining and was also very well written. My only comment is that I would love this to be more story-like. I think as Alex mentions above, it would be really cool to use Tom and Jerry as characters in the Mahabhrata. Overall, I love the idea behind it!
Asha, I too grew up with this cartoon! I can totally see how you drew a comparison with these characters and the Pandava brothers. I would have loved to see even more material that reflects these similarities. I think your story here reads a little bit less like a narrative than perhaps an academic analysis, but it was intriguing all the same! Even more than the Pandava brothers themselves, I wonder if you considered the relationship between their family and their cousins with whom they went up against in the myth? Either way, considering the relationship dynamics of the characters in the Mahabharata do indeed bring about some interesting observations as you have addressed here!
ReplyDelete