Manchurian Candidate Character Analysis

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During the time which Manchurian Candidate is set, a sense of paranoia and fear pervaded the nation. The Cold War is still going on and the Korean War has recently ended during the majority of it. This fear of communism and nuclear war still exists, however. Raymond throughout the Manchurian Candidate is visibly subjected to the will of others. The audience sees him being told what to do by his mother, by Yen Lo, even by Marco as both a superior in the military and through the brainwashing techniques used. There is one distinct feature underlying all of these people which affect Raymond’s choices both under the influence of the mind control and outside of it. Fear, while not the sole factor, both consciously and unconsciously affects the choices …show more content…
The best example of this would be the scene in the bar where the audience can fully view the process of how Raymond becomes a tool for others. When he gets to the bar, the bartender mentions playing solitaire, one of the first “triggers” for Raymond. At this, he becomes stiff and more serious, automatically asking for a deck of cards. This portrayal shows a shift from the norm and how Raymond’s thinking changes, whether he means to or not. This “trigger” along with the queen of diamonds is representative of objectification of torture. This phrase and object become representative of the pain he more likely than not endured as a prisoner of war. Both become associated with what he experienced at the time and produces within him fear which also caused for his inability to accurately recall any of the events which took place during the time he was missing in action. The cluttered background and the continued background conversation between the bartender and patrons emphasize the focus on Raymond’s inability to register the environment around him and his focus on the cards. It gives the viewer a clearer view of how Raymond acts in response to the “triggers” he encounters. He shuts out the world around him and takes no notice of what those around him are saying as it is proved when he interrupts the conversation after the first “trigger”. The jump cuts between Raymond and the queen of diamonds …show more content…
Coercive persuasion would happen through, “(1) the reliance on intense interpersonal and psychological attack destabilize an individual 's sense of self to promote compliance, (2) the use of an organized peer group, (3) applying interpersonal pressure to promote conformity, and (4) the manipulation of the totality of the person 's social environment to stabilize behavior once modified,” (Ofshe). The factors listed all fit in with the situation Raymond was placed in. The isolation Raymond probably experienced would leave him and the others totally vulnerable to whatever the communists subjected them to. They could manipulate the information they receive and change it to fit their goals. Being among others of his unit who were also subjected to similar experiences as well as his interactions with those in charge of brainwashing him would help the second and third factors. Finally, being in enemy territory without any access to outside help would allow for the fourth factor. More than that, originally these practices were put into play through violence and used on prisoners (Ofshe). These different factors of negative reinforcement (violence, isolation, manipulation, etc.) used in association with the queen of hearts would easily instill fear in Raymond and leave him open to doing what is told. Raymond was a prisoner of war

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