《闻香识女人》中弗兰克上校的角色分析

广东外语外贸大学学生毕业论文（2012 届）广东外语外贸大学教务处制诚信声明我声明，所呈交的毕业论文是本人在老师指导下进行的研究工作及取得的研究成果。

据我查证，除了文中特别加以标注和致谢的地方外，论文中不包含其他人已经发表或撰写过的研究成果，我承诺，论文中的所有内容均真实、可信。

毕业论文作者签名：签名日期：年月日Contents1. Introduction: Scent of a woman (1)2. The personality of Frank (2)2.1. Conceited (2)2.2 Strong self-respect (2)2.3. Lecherous (3)2.4. Compassionate (4)2.5. Brave and fragile (4)2.6. Lose confidence in life (4)2.7 have a sense of justice (5)3、The tendency to commit suicide (6)3.1 Several signs of suicide in the film (6)3.2 The analysis of his suicide psychology (6)4. Frank’s role in the film (7)5. Conclusion (8)6. References (9)7. Acknowledgements (10)The Analysis of the Character of Frank in Scent of a WomanAbstract:Lieutenant Colonel Frank stars in the movie Scent of a Woman. As we all know, he plays so important a role that he makes the movie such a great success. In the film, he is conceited, cruel and lecherous but actually he is full of enthusiasm about life. He just couldn't bear the sharp change of position from a colonel in power into a blind man. So he grows cold towards anyone and cynical towards the whole world. He always passes himself off a hedgehog and hurts others on purpose or by accident. After enjoying the decent life for the last time, he finds there’s no reason to live on and would like to commit suicide. Fortunately, he meets Charlie, the one who is able to awaken his desire and hope for life. From then on, his life is renewed.Key words: personality; suicide psychology; position《闻香识女人》中弗兰克上校的角色分析摘要：弗朗克上校在剧中担任男主角，他的角色在这个故事中很重要，可以说是他使这部戏如此成功。

他自负、暴戾、好色、既勇敢而又脆弱，但是他实际上对生活充满着热情，只是他不能面对自己从自己引以为傲的上校角色变成一个一无所能的瞎子的事实。

于是他对生活充满了不满和愤恨，把自己封闭成一个刺猬，在有意和无意之间伤害着所有人。

在最后体面的享受完人生之后，他对人生再无眷恋，想就此结束自己的生命。

幸好他遇上了重新唤醒他的对生活和生命的渴望的查理，中校的生命也翻开了新的一页。

关键词：性格特征；自杀心理；地位作用1. Introduction: Scent of a womanScent of a woman, unlike its topic, is a story happens between two men, Lieutenant Colonel Frank and student Charlie. The film describes the precious friendship between them and they help each other for salvation.Charlie is an outstanding poor student of Baird, who is shy but frank. However, he is involved in a small trouble. He has no intention of having seen several friends nearby prepare to play jokes on the president. The president knows he is one of the two witnesses, so he alternates intimidation and bribery. If he tells who’s in charge of the joke, he would be free recommended to the Harvard University, but if not he will be expelled from school. However, Charlie does not want to betray his friends and he is determined not to say who directs the practical joke. The president promises to give him two days to make a decision. According to the original plan, Charlie came to v eteran Frank’s home to take care of him in order to earn his plane fare home for Christmas. Frank is one of Lyndon Johnson’s staff, who is blind in an accident. He feels that there’s no hope in life and decides to use all his savings and energy to travel the last time and then commit suicide. On the way, Charlie always stays by his side. They live in luxury hotels, eat delicacies, tango with a beauty, and race the Ferrari... In the view of Frank, he wants to have a look at the world once more. Both of them live in constant strife, but the more is consideration. Consequently, it turns out to be the relationship between father and son.When he finishes his entire plan, Frank feels there’s no need to live on and want to shoot himself. Fortunately, Charlie detects his intention timely and he is able to persuade him into giving up such a foolish idea. Frank is so impressed by Charlie’s pure nature and integrity that he regains the courage and the hope to survive.Charlie returns to school as expected. A trial is waiting for him. There’s no doubt that he will be expelled from the Baird if he doesn’t tell the truth. Lieutenant Colonel Frank appears at the council without expectation. He defenses for Charlie with his eloquence and military aggression on behalf of Charlie’s parents. He debunks the president’s selfish purpose and his inappropriate behavior. Thanks to Frank, Charlie wins widespread sympathy and gets away with punishment.Frank finds his value in the society and is full of enthusiasm about life. At the same time, he finds his sense of belonging to both the society and his family.Frank plays such an important role in Scent of a Woman that he is the one who makes themovie such a great success. If we want to have a better understanding about the movie, we have to study Frank first, for he’s the main character in the film. This thesis will illustrate in the following aspects: his complex personality, the tendency to commit suicide, and his role in the film.2. The personality of Frank2.1. ConceitedFrank is once one of Lyndon Johnson’s staff, who does not like anyone call him "sir", but calls him "Colonel". He isn’t a colonel any longer. However, the first time he interviews Charlie the mood he uses is just that from a colonel to a soldier. He talks loud and even abuses him. We can draw this conclusion from what he says “uh-oh, we got a moron here, is that it? What I'm looking for is some indication of a brain. Too much for football without a helmet? Hah! The Lyndon's line on, Gerry Ford, Deputy Debriefer, the Paris Peace Talks, 1968. snagged the Silver Star and a silver bar. Threw me in G-2. Intelligence, of which you have none”. T he title of Colonel is the most glorious role that Frank has ever been entitled, which gives him a sense of accomplishment and pride. He so deeply affected by the role that he can not get used to the role conversion when he loses it. At this time, Frank is a poor old guy image covered with thorns, somehow annoying, which makes Charlie anxious from the heart. Frank shows a strong momentum of superior. The real relationship is that between an officer and soldier. What is more, he always shows off that he is General Patton's aide and sees a lot of great personages. In his words, he is a man who has been around.2.2 Strong self-respectWhen Frank retires, he is unwilling to live with his relatives. Instead, he chooses to live in a hut alone. In the movie, you can see he snarls at others all the time, he would rather spend his time lone in a small room smoking and drinking than share the wonderful times with them. As a result, all of them keep a respectful and even fearful distance from him. During the time he interviews Charlie, he asks him to come a little closer in order to get a better look at him. But how is that possible? As we all know, he is blind. Both two times when Frank wants to support him with his hand the moment Frank staggers, what he receives is the response “Are you blind? Are you blind? Then why do you keep grabbing my goddamn arm? I take your arm.” This is a strong desire to be respected but it reflects his inferior mentality. He doesn’twant to be looked down upon by others just because he is a blind man. Neither does he like being shown sympathy by the rest. We can also know that he doesn’t like the idea to be thought a man of no use. Thus, he shows distortion in his personality, namely he can't face his body disability.When paying a visit to his elder brother, Frank kisses his sister-in-law intentionally and praises her beauty, and says he always has a sneaker for her. Besides he miscalls the names of his relatives and missays the information of them and even talks dirty words on purpose. He does all these in order to show his superiority above others and wants to be remembered by carrying out such annoying behaviors. But when his nephew Randy tells something about him in a teasing way, he flies into a great rage. From what Randy says, we know that Frank is earmarked for general but finally he is passed over for the promotion because of his inappropriate behaviors. Unfortunately, he gets drunk and blows his eyes. On hearing this, he jumps up suddenly grabs his throat and threatens to kill him. In essence, what he does is to defend for his self-esteem.Another thing happens at the hearing. When the president says Frank is out of order. He snarls “I’ll show you out of order. You don’t know what out of order is, Mr. Trask, I’d show you, but I' m too old, too fucking blind, if I were the man I was five years ago, I’d take a flame thrower to this place! Out of order? Who the hell do you think you’re talking to? I’ve been around, you know?" we can say every time he is offended, he will defend for himself.2.3. LecherousThough stubborn and brutal, Frank becomes high-spirited when talking about women. There’s no difficulty for him to tell what kind of perfumes or soaps a woman use. Being blind for some time, lieutenant colonel Frank becomes particularly sensitive about hearing and smell, and he can even identify the height, hair color and eye color by smelling the perfume. As a matter of fact, this ability originates from his deep understanding and comprehension of life. After dancing the tango and the leaving of the beauty, he turns out to be at a loss and extremely disappointed. You may feel he is the one born for women.However, his fascination with woman is quite frank, just as what he is called. Let’s look at his expressions “Women! What can you say? Who made them? God must have been a fucking genius. The hair-they say the hair is everything, you know. Have you ever buried your nose in a mountain of curls…and just wanted to go to sleep forever? Or lips-and when they touched, yours were like that first swallow of wine…after you just crossed the desert. Tits! Whoo-ah! Big ones, little ones, nipples staring right out at you like secret searchlights. And legs—I don’t care if they’re Greek columns or secondhand Steinways. What’s between themis the passport to heaven. There are only two syllables in this whole wide world worth hearing: pussy”. Actually his desire for women is quite simple, for he just wants that when he wakes up in the morning, she is still by his side.2.4. CompassionateDuring the trip, Charlie steps into a dilemma owing to the issues in school. Frank suggests him to tell the truth so that Charlie can bright his future from the perspective of his own life experience. Nevertheless, Charlie has his own principles. He is a student who has a sense of justice and his soul has never been polluted. In the face of moral and interests, he insists on the moral. So he doesn’t accept F rank’s advice. Frank grows anxious about Charlie’s future though he can find hopes for life from what Charlie says. He can feel that the world isn’t that dark. There is still conscience alive.After the Thanksgiving trip, Frank has already carried out his entire plan. What he wants to do is to shoot himself. But then he is concerned about Charlie’s future. "Charlie, how you ever gonna survive in this world without me?" By that time, the relationship between the two people has already changed into that of father and son. When Charlie the one who feels despairing in the same way grabs the gun and shouts out: “We give it up together, shoo t!” Frank becomes hesitated. It’s Charlie’s mercy that saves both of them at the last minute.2.5. Brave and fragileDancing tango and racing the Ferrari are two scenes in the film particularly exciting. Frank is not an ordinary person with disability. Actually he is not only independent but also adventurous. We can sense his affections towards life from the graceful tango he dances and his racing Ferrari in the street. But it also highlights his fear of life and the fear of being forgotten and abandoned by the society. We see a real Frank lying in the bed because of the psychological stress and fatigue. He can not pretend to be a strong character to cover his fragile any more. The film characters his inner contradictions. It combines the anger and despair which Frank gets in the trouble and the affection, righteousness that he still holds towards life together. In consequence, the character comes alive in people’s mind, making the film reach a new height.2.6. Lose confidence in lifeFrank and Charlie go to New York together. They take the first class, drive luxury cars, and live in superior suite. Though not rich in the last years, Lieutenant Colonel still wants adecent journey. He has plenty of room for play of a butcher's knife of these occasions: remembers the name of the flight attendants with the perfume she uses; invites the girl who can not dance to tango and earns applauses from the audience; drives a Ferrari at a high speed without being punished. All of these actions show Frank once enjoyed a high grade and lived in an aristocratic life, which forms a vivid contrast with the situation when we first make acquaintance with him when he sits in the dark room. The role in decent high society is what he cherishes most in this world. However, such series of crazy behaviors is the last of his self-indulgence and the prelude of his escaping from the earthly world. The essence of his plan is he wants to get a kind of psychological stimulation and self-relief, which make him enjoy the process of dying.2.7 have a sense of justiceRegaining the passion and hope for life, Frank is determined to try his best to help Charlie get rid of the crisis. He suddenly appears at the hearing, and wins applauses from the teachers and students with his impassioned defense. The most impressive part of his speech is “I don't know if Charlie's silence here today is right or wrong, I'm not a judge or jury, but I can tell you this: he won't sell anybody out to buy his future! And that my friend s called integrity, that's called courage. Now, that's the stuff leaders should be made of. Now I have come to crossroads in my life, I always knew what the right path was. Without exception, I knew, but I never took it, you know why, it was too damn hard. Now here's Charlie, he's come to the crossroads, he has chosen a path. It's the right path, it's a path made of principle that leads to character. Let him continue on his journey. You hold this boy's future in your hands, committee, it's a valuable future, believe me. Don't destroy it, protect it. Embrace it. It's gonna make you proud one day, I promise you.” At last, he is able to help Charlie defuse the crisis. Frank talks like a general but his role has been shifted into Charlie's "father". This new social role of Frank wins the respect of the audience. “There is no prosthetic for the soul ". The disability of the mind is more terrible than the physical disability. Lieutenant Colonel Frank’s words conquers the elite school which is the symbol of high society, suggesting that Charlie and his values of "moral supremacy" win the support from the upper class.3、The tendency to commit suicide3.1 Several signs of suicide in the film3.1.1. Frank’s expression in the Oak Restaurant – reveals the thought of committing suicideOak restaurant is the place which General Patton and Frank have often been to before the former is dead while the latter is blind. Besides, it’s the first station where he arrives in the implementation of the suicide plan. As a retired officer, he orders a Hamburg at the price of $ 24 in a luxurious restaurant, which makes Charlie quite confused. After being constantly questioned, he acknowledges that flying on the first class, living in luxury hotel and enjoying the best cuisine are just parts of the plan. The plan is that Frank will shoot himself in a luxurious hotel after enjoying the journey. The lieutenant colonel tells Charlie the truth, because he believes that Charlie is just a stranger in his life and his death doesn’t mean anything to Charlie. Although Frank expresses the will to commit suicide in a half-joking way, but it more or less provides some information for Charlie--the blind officer may be endangered.3.1.2. Find a dangerous weapon - Lieutenant Colonel assembles the pistol in the early morning.After visiting his elder brother, Frank’s plan is half done. However, his visit doesn’t get the understanding of his loved ones, on the contrary increases their resentment. So he decides to end up his life earlier. In that morning he wakes up and checks the pistol repeatedly. Fortunately, Charlie realizes his abnormal action and asks him to give all the bullets to him. In order to keep Charlie to accompany him for another day, Frank surrenders.Racing the Ferrari indicates that the lieutenant colonel Frank’s final happiness in life disappears. He finds his own survival in this world is entirely superfluous, a complete waste of food. Because he can do nothing and he has to rely on the care of others’. The fact that he lives in the dark makes him extremely fragile. Thinking that he can’t get used to the dark world, he decides to leave the world. Unwilling others to see his most miserable look, he asks Charlie to buy cigarettes in a distant place, so he has enough time to make full preparation for the suicide. He chooses such a moment because he thinks there’s no hope at all.3.2 The analysis of his suicide psychologyAl Pacino shapes a numerous classic roles all his life. But it is Scent of a woman that makes him become the Oscar winner. In the movie, he is a character of complex personality: bad tempered, lecherous but quite brave and has a sense of justice. Frank is once a member ofLyndon Johnson's staff, a powerful Colonel. But after being blind, he retires and become a disabled person who needs the care of others. The sharp change of position makes him into a bad tempered and aggressive blind old man. Career and love from lovers or family mean everything to a man, but for Frank, he thinks he has none and he can’t find his value in life. In his point of view, there’s no need for him to survive. His inner world becomes as dark as what his eyes can see. Seemingly, he is an annoying guy with complex personality but actually he is the person being beaten to the margins of the society and denies himself extremely.Lieutenant Colonel Frank is unwilling to survive without any values. He wants to live a decent life once again, and then end up his life. After being misunderstood by the relatives, dancing tango with a beauty and racing Ferrari, Frank suddenly becomes helpless and loses his direction in life. In the film Frank drives Ferrari rapidly in a lonesome street. Though the police come, he does n’t discover that he is blind. What’s more, he gets away from punishment. On hearing Charlie’s no intention of saying: "get out of the car, because you’re not driving anymore", Frank is dragged back and feels his incompetence in the real world. He doesn’t even have the ability to drive cars, let alone other things. He replies “I’m not driving anymore” with a miserable look. On the way back to the hotel, Frank acts abnormally. He disputes with Charlie and wants to take a piss on the avenue. But Charlie persuades him into not doing so. Frank says, "I'm tired, Charlie. I’m tired". The sentence "I'm tired" really shows his inner emotion--he will give up the whole world. It really hurts when a hero turns old and can’t find his position or values in life. Frank is some kind of such people, he is reluctant to admit his disability and valueless. All he wants to do is to leave the world completely. Fortunately, he meets Charlie whose soul is non-negotiable. Charlie makes Frank believe there’s something he can do really well, like dancing tango and driving cars. There’s still hope for living.4. Frank’s role in the film.The film is based on the psychological development of Frank. He experiences the sharp change of position from a powerful Colonel to a blind man. Thus, he grows cold, disappointed and cynical towards anyone and the society. He wants to commit suicide after a decent travel. Thanks to Charlie, Frank finally finds his own position in the society and hope for survival. Compared with the beginning, the living situation of Frank does not change, but his world outlook changes a lot. A person's inner sense of accomplishment is his source of pleasure and the value or significance of survival. We should play different social roles to gain such kind of inner sense of achievement in different periods of our lives.People living in society get the hope for surviving from the success of playing one or several social roles, which is the same as the view of William James, the American Psychological founder. In his point of view “The most profound principle of human nature is to seek the agreement or appreciation of others." Frank and Charlie, as the two main characters of the film, are representatives of the old and the young. Their experiences during the Thanksgiving travel are more like the confusions of a man in his old age and youth. They are the turn points of life. Charlie appears like an angel the moment when Frank is in despair, and he touches him with his moral principles. As a result, they agree with each other from the depth of their souls despite they differ in personality and social backgrounds. It is hard to identify whether it is the innocent Charlie saves Frank or Frank saves himself because of his inner enthusiasm of life. In the end of the film, Frank turns the tide and saves Charlie.5. ConclusionFrank, the protagonist of Scent of a Woman, contributes a lot to the theme of the story. On one hand, he is cold, randy, and often full of complaints and even grows cynical towards the whole world. He seems to lose his hope in life and wants to commit suicide. On the other hand, he is quite brave and has a sense of justice. He criticizes the hypocritical headmaster for his illegal behaviors and praises Charlie for his bravery to adhere to the truth. He decides to commit suicide because he can’t find his value of life or the position in society. With the help of Charlie, his life is renewed.Frank is the main character of the film and what’s more, he is the one who contributes to the success of the movie. His experience and words bring us into deep thought. From what Frank has said, we need to reform our education system and teach our students to be a man of integrity and honesty. Besides, when we encounter difficulties in our life, we should not give up the hope easily but try our best to destroy them.6. References[1] Chang Lingli. An Analysis of Scent of a Woman[J]. Big Stage, 2011, (05) .[2] Xu Jiangang. The Psychological Description of Scent of a Woman[J]. Movie Literature, 2007, (12).[3] Zhou Qingti. Subtitle Translation with a Case Study of Scent of a Woman, English Journal, 2007,(04) 42-45[4] Scent of a Woman [J]. Crazy English, 2005,(04)[5] 陈志菲. 追寻弗兰克的心理走向——兼评影片《闻香识女人》的文化意义[J]. 世界电影, 2003,(04) .[6] 王国平. 头顶上的星空——电影《闻香识女人》赏析[J]. 中学生, 2009,(17) .[7] 王青. 生命的探戈——影片《闻香识女人》的心理人格分析[J]. 安徽文学(下半月), 2008,(07) .[8] 焦威. 从电影《闻香识女人》中看人性之美[J]. 理论与当代, 2010,(10)7. AcknowledgementsI want to express my sincere thanks to my supervisor,Associate Professor T, for her valuable suggestions and patient correction and polishing of my paper. Without her support, this paper will not come into being. Thanks are also due to other teachers in the English Department who not only taught me English but also broadened my horizon and helped me embark on the road of life. My friends, A and B, should also be on the list of people whom I want to express my gratitude. They really did me a favor in helping me collect the materials and typing the paper.Finally, I want to thank my parents who gave me unselfish support during the four years' study and whose debt will never be paid.。