Survival and desire amalgamated
And turned an aphotic eye inward.
I saw my my expectations dismantled and dismembered
By the harsh and starving dogs of reality.
Truths that sit in the vacuity of space
Like a hypergiant star burning to ash.
All elements too weak to withstand the awesome heat.
We are what we are.
And all creatures must eat.
She’s not reluctant. She’s resigned.
To her death.
No. The order of things.
She eats and waits to be eaten.
It’s dark.
It’s nature.
Cairo Sweet – Miller’s Girl
Miller’s Girl
George Bernard Shaw wrote the infamous line, “Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach.” I’ve always had a problem with this because assuming teachers are failures is very unfair. However, in the movie Miller’s Girl we see the stereotype brought to life. Mr. Jon Miller, creative writing teacher at a Tennessee high school, is existing because his one and only book was criticized at the time of publication.
Mr. Miller is portrayed as pretty average, but lights up when one of his students, Cairo, shows true talent as a writer. But the audience sees another side of Cairo when she has trouble completing an assignment about personal accomplishment. She is advised to write what she knows. What follows is a disturbing tale of a high school girl’s crush, on her teacher, that descends into a form of madness.
If you’re a writer, then you write. If you don’t write, then you’re not a writer. Possessing the strength and confidence to pursue your passion in a field where reviews are subjective, and can be harsh, is an admirable trait. Mr. Miller’s one and only attempt at writing caused such a trauma, the audience is left to wonder why it hurt him so much. The portrayal of failure leading to abandoning a passion makes one wonder if it was passion all along, or a need for validation.
This movie is very thought provoking, and not just about writing. Rejection is very painful. When acceptance unexpectedly comes calling, it is not surprising when one seizes onto the source of acceptance, whether appropriate or not. The rejection / acceptance theme transcends the topic of writing into other relationships, which reveals itself throughout the film.
I highly recommend this to anyone who feels that their dreams were shattered. My advice? Don’t give up. Embrace your passion for yourself, and not for others.
By Christopher Malmevik
Photographs and Memories 