Taking a look at the characters
*Hoboken
Docks
*
*The protagonist of the film
*A former prizefighter
*Inside, he’s tender and conflicted
*He communicates through long silences
and seething outbursts
*Falls in love with Edie Doyle
*
*
*Sister of Joey Doyle & daughter of “Pops” Doyle
*Catholic teacher-in-training
*Helps Terry to reclaim his conscience
*Sexuality is crucial in her involvement with Terry,
and their attraction grows, in part, because they
are physical opposites
*Edie’s loyalty to her brother is the driving
motivation for all her actions
*
*
*Catholic priest
*Father Barry remains steadfast to one
overriding mission: administering the word
of God by advocating peaceful resistance
*his development parallels Terry’s—he
becomes active rather than passive and
begins to acknowledge his own potential
effectiveness
*
*
*Corrupt leader of the Longshoreman Local
Union
*Money and power are his motivations
*Initially, Friendly comes across as powerful
*After Terry Malloy speaks out to the Waterfront
Crime Commission and effectively strips
Friendly of all his power, Friendly becomes
pitiable
*
*
*Terry’s brother
*Second in command to Johnny Friendly
*Always exhibits concern for Terry’s well-being
*becomes increasingly desperate to figure out
how to maintain his loyalties to opposing
parties.
*Is murdered by Friendly’s goons
*
*A longshoreman who
testifies to the Waterfront
Crime Commission & is
murdered for it
*
*
*Edie & Joey’s father
*Has worked on the docks for
4 decades
*His only concern is for his
daughter, Edie
*
*The pier boss who
dispatched the work tabs
each morning
*Remains loyal to Johnny
Friendly
*
*A Waterfront Crime Commission
officer
*His questioning of Terry on the
rooftop proves his understanding
of Terry’s dilemma
*
*
*The boy who hangs out
around the pigeon coops
& idolises Terry
*
*Edie’s brother
*Only seen from his apartment
window
*A young longshoreman who is
coerced up onto the roof by Terry for
a “discussion” with Johnny Friendly’s
goons
*
*Write a response of approximately 400
words, using appropriate examples and
quotes (if possible), to this statement.
*Terry Malloy is a complex character.
We perceive him, at first, as a man
without a conscience. Throughout
the course of the film Terry is
transformed and, ultimately,
redeems himself. Discuss the role of
other characters in his redemption.