Week 2

Character Dossier-

My Character’s name is Claudia Rose. She was born in the the early 1930’s in the Upper East Side of New York. She was raised by her mother only. Her father left soon after she was born. Claudia moved around New York her entire childhood. Her mother worked as a temp at law firms and doctors offices. She would date men from work, and move in with him and Claudia. They lived with each man just long enough for Claudia’s mom to gain his trust, take his money, and move. When Claudia was 16, she was caught having sex with her mother’s current boyfriend, by her mother. Her mother kicked her out of the house and forced her to live on the streets. Claudia would sneak back into her house during the day to shower and nap, and she would work at night at high-class restaurants as a waitress, and sleep wherever she could. At 18, Claudia met a man while waitressing. He was 50 years old at the time, and fell in love with Claudia at first sight. They quickly married and moved into his 5th avenue apartment. Claudia would stay at their apartment while her husband was at work during the day. At 24, Claudia started having an affair with the milkman that came by every Thursday around 1 pm. Their affair went on for two years until Claudia’s boyfriend grew tired of hiding. Claudia and her husband began plotting to kill Claudia’s husband by lacing his milk with peanut because he was highly allergic. Their plan was almost perfect. The day that the peanut milk was dropped off, Claudia went out for a “night with the girls”, as an alibi. When the police began to get suspicious of Claudia for her husband’s death, Claudia quickly turned on her milkman boyfriend.

Noir Response:

After last weeks “What is Noir?”, and this weeks readings, I think i am starting to understand pretty well. So far i have noticed that Noir is set up that you’re never mislead that it’s gonna be a happy ending. The story starts out bad, and ends bad, and you expect a tragedy from the beginning. In the readings from this week, themes of fate and fear and betrayal have been present. Such as in ‘The Postman always Rings Twice’, I expected a tragedy from the first page of the book. Cora represents the Female Fatale that is present in almost every noir. A girl that wants to kill you as much as she wants to love you. I would say that noir is very dark and hopeless. The characters personality in noir is also very clearly defined. But for the most part, Noir shows death and dark love of the world.

Alternate Ending:

“The Postman Always Rings Twice”

In the end of the book, Cora and Frank are driving towards the diner and stop at a gas station along the way in the middle of nowhere. Cora enters the gas station and flirts with the attending and distracting him by buying alcohol, while Frank steals all the money in the register along with alc. They manage to barely get away as the attendant chases them through the parking lot. About an hour later, Frank and Cora are drinking the alcohol and Frank is driving. Frank swerves off the road and hit a tree. Frank is killed instantly by the impact but somehow Cora remains untouched. Cora grabs all the money, puts it in her purse, and leaves Frank dead in the front seat. Cora hitch hikes and gets a ride with a trucker heading east and she makes her way for New York City.

Daily Create: Yodeling and Sunday Picture

Week Two: