In class today, we listened and lectioed to "Vincent Black Lighting 1952". They say the way to really learn about something is to teach it, and I learned something new today.
I said that the song worked so well (at least it does for me) because it relies on archetypes -- both of character and plot. These are well known and traditional literary figures, which means they can be introduced and come to life in the brief space of a song. We already know James, we already know Red Molly.
What saves these from being cliches is that a cliche is stale, trite and expected. The archetype takes a new and interesting character, and plugs it into a new stories. (Or "presses that button", as I put it in class.)
Anyway, here's a page on archetypes.
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Ok- I just looked at the archetype list and I think that you can make the argument that James is more than just a bad boy.
I think James is sort of a "lost soul," beacuse he seems to be a bit of an outsider, however, he's got a sensitive streak for the bike and his girl. He also has charcteristics of the profesor, the swashbuckler ( I love this word) and the warrior.
As a "professor" type, James seems fairly inflexible and gives the cold hard facts to Red Molly (the I've always been bad etc.). As a Swashbuckler,well its sort of self explanitory w/ his whole living on the egde, never knows when he might die lifestyle. As a Warrior, James has this dark nobility to him that makes him a champion. His honour doen't come from chivilary (spelling anyone?) so much as it comes from his bad-ass attitude. Also, his knight's armour is like his bike (at least that is how I picture it).
On to Red Molly. Obviously she is a Seductress with some boss mixed in (hey, she knows what she wants and how to get it, that sounds like a go-getter to me)
The Boss and the Seductress are really similar archetypes. Both women love to get ahead and attaining goals is important; and they don't mind clearing their paths and causing some damage to gain the upper hand. Both seem to have a rough tough attitude about getting a job done ( whether it be getting a man or a lucrative contract etc..) It would be interesting to find some work of literature in which a character warped from one to the other.
I noticed that there wasn't a martyr archetype. So now I'm wondering, can martyr's ever be counted as heros, or are they in a class all their own?
I feel a bit of Martyr-dom going on w/ James. (this is hard to explain, it makes sense in my head) He knows that being a bad boy will kill him, but he does it anyway. As a result, his death makes his life/spirit seem beautiful and romantic. He believed in his cause (wild side lifestyle) and died for it. (Although he didn't really "sacrifice" himself so maybe I'm way off on this one...)
Bear in mind that all these categories are descriptive. People wrote the stories first, and then people said "hey, do you see a pattern?" This particular list is by no means authoritative.
As to James, what bothers me about the song, is that Red Molly's love (or his for her) is not enough. He's a doomed soul, and figures on dying young because what's-the-point-anyway? But finding love (a soulmate, even) often brings a whole new perspective on life.
I would much prefer if he had died in some other way -- some tragically ironic way -- than while committing one more robbery.
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