WRITE A PARTIAL ESSAY ABOUT FARGO
ASSIGNMENT!!
Your task is to write a PARTIAL PAPER consisting of an introduction with a TAG and THESIS, and at
least one body paragraph. A TAG means _______________________
______________________
_________________________. In other words, you are establishing the context for your writing, your
own credibility, and setting up yourself as the author.
Essay topic: In FARGO, Margie solves the mystery of Jerry Lundegaard and his wife’s kidnapping. She
is not, however, able to understand Grimsrud, who brutally killed five people, seemingly without caring at
all. She says, “and here we are and it’s a beautiful day… I just don’t understand it.” Although the
murders do bother Margie, ultimately she walks away from any attempt to understand it. Her investigation
is over. The audience howwever, does not get off so easy. We must take up the investigation that
Margie refuses to investigate.
For this essay, discuss the character of Grimsrud and where an investigation of his psyche might lead us.
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Modern life with it’s iPhones, texting and constant Twitter updates makes it easier than ever to stay
connected. Or does it? In Fargo, a film by Joel and Ethan Coen, we are forced to confront how this
constant chatter may lead to less connectedness, not more. What happens when human beings realize
that they no longer need one another to survive? To find the answer, let’s take a look at the character of
Grimsrud.
Gaer Grimsrud is one of the kidnappers hired by Jerry Lundegaard to kidnap and ransom Jerry’s wife.
Though Jerry never explains exactly what he needs the money for, we know it’s partly to buy some
independence and self respect, something his father in law, Wade, has been trashing in Jerry for a long
time now. Unfortunately, Jerry’s simple, non violent plan to get the money quickly turns sour and one of
the reasons
In Fargo, a film by Joel and Ethan Coen, we see a kidnapping mystery gone wrong. Largely due to
the actions of the laconic Grimsrud, five people wind up brutally murdered. The detective on the case,
seven months pregnant Margie Gunderson waddles and “you betcha’s” her way to finding those
responsible for the kidnapping. But the moment this mystery is solved a second mystery reveals itself.
Why is Grimsrud the way he is and what can this mean to us? For all her detective skills, Margie walks
away from this mystery, preferring to ignore what Grimsrud represents and drown her ignorance in Arby’s
and Old Country Buffet. The audience doesn’t get off so easy. Unlike Margie, we can’t let this one go.
Let’s take a look at what the mystery of Grimsrud may represent about the human condition.
Back in the day, if you wanted to survive and live a decent life, you really needed to band together and
help one another. One man pitted against a bear or a pack of wolves or an invading hoarde, didn’t stand
much of a chance. But working together we could make a civilized society. One person could grow food,
another become a carpenter, a third study medicine, a fourth a teacher, and so on. There was a sense
back then that we were all in this together, that we needed one another to make life work. Perhaps
Grimsrud represents the dissolution of this interdependence.