"The Cook, the Thief, his Wife and her Lover"
research paper by Orlin Damyanov,
for EN 120 course with Prof. Lurie,
The American University of Paris
In his work "The Cook, the Thief, his Wife and
her Lover", Peter Greenaway displays the complexity of his main character
Georgina. We witness her constant struggle to break free from her hateful
and disgusting husband. She realizes her pernicious dependence on Albert.
His coercion, oppression and abuse make Georgina's life unbearable. Her
need for freedom is expressed in her involvement in a sexual relation with
a man completely different from her husband and his cronies. Their relationship
begins silently and is based almost entirely on sex. Sex gave her a measure
of control in a world in which her real influence was limited and problematic
(Giddens, p.70). The happiness that the lovers derive from the closeness,
affection and tenderness of their sexuality are things that Georgina was
missing in her inauthentic life. Passion appears as a strong element in
their liaison and till the circumstances allowed them to make love unnoticed,
their relationship was a carefree and happy experience. When their love-affair
was discovered by Georgina's husband and Michael was afterwards brutally
killed, Georgina is left with her confused feelings, unable to assess the
real value of the relationship she had with Michael.
In the situation of Georgina there is a sentient need for a creative and
rewarding relationship. This physical-psychological desire, however, does
not have love as the basis of a long-term, deep emotional relationship
between two individuals (Goldman, Philosophy of Sex, pp. 78-79). It is
more the bodily desire for the body of another that dominates her mental
life (Goldman, Philosophy of Sex, p. 76). In the Georgina's need for closeness
we see an acute physical desire. Georgina is craving for intimacy that
could be fulfilled by a mutual sex act with somebody different from the
environment she despises.
In her relationship she wants to differentiate herself from the repelling
world of her husband. This is why Greenaway stresses on the total nakedness
of the lovers when they make love: "She has insisted on taking off
all their clothes" (Greenaway, p.42). Nakedness allows Georgina to
be the person she is in fact. She does not want to wear the clothes that
are a part of another world she hates so much. Georgina's desire is oblivion
and everything that associates her with Albert should disappear in the
few moments she can spend with Michael. Sex, in this sense, is held to
lay her bare psychologically as well as physically (Goldman, Philosophy
of Sex, p.80).
We can see another effort, in a slightly different direction but depicting
the same need of separation with the world of her husband, when she says
to Michael, "and don't ever call me Georgie"(Greenaway, p. 51).
She hates everything related to Albert--the main reason for her endless
misery. He is also the direct cause for Georgina's liaison with Michael
because of the destructive role that plays in her life and his rude behavior
towards Georgina explains her constant search for tenderness in her relationship
with Michael. Her very nature rebels against the violation of her woman-self
(Rank, p.267). Albert treats he not as a woman but as an animal or an object.
It is the physical of the woman-self that remains unsatisfied and unhappy
as well as the emotional and spiritual side craving for expression of her
real self in a masculine and brutal world created by her husband (Rank,
p.267). A woman wants to be wanted but not in the sick and wicked way of
Georgina's husband but as a respected human being. We can argue that Albert
loves her in a crazy way, but even without his violence and despotism,
he has to want his woman lovingly, instead of will-fully. The result of
this lack of complementary fulfillment makes her need to be loved distorted
and thwarted, seeking out only sexual pleasure in her relationship with
Michael. This resembles very much a neurosis if it is described psychologically
(Otto, p.269). As we can see the reason for the abnormality of Georgina's
relationship is mainly due to her husband who himself does not enjoy psychological
health. One of the many reasons is that lovers that enjoy it, do not tend,
either consciously or unconsciously, to subjugate the other person, if
we assert the term lover is appropriate for Albert. There is no equality,
autonomy or freedom in the relations between Georgina and Albert. The communion
of marriage also implies that each partner remains genuinely himself (Lepp,
p. 135). This does not suggest that Albert should impose his deranged needs
on Georgina. The cruelty with which he does so makes him resemble a savage
not a human being. In this situation, Georgina does not have a life of
a normal, independent person. This has caused, for example, her excessive
smoking. The side-effect of the inability of Georgina to fulfill her basic
human needs for love and affection is her addiction to smoking. Smoking
helps her temporarily stave off the cravings created by the emptiness of
the surrounding reality. It reveals her incapacity to cope with certain
sorts of anxiety (Giddens, p.73). The equivalent we see in the food addiction
of Albert that adds "meaning" in his life. This compulsive behavior
of Albert shows that the integrity of his self as a whole is unbalanced
(Giddens, P.76).
His eruptive and odious behavior has a detrimental consequence upon Georgina.
Most of the things in her life are forced upon her by Albert. She could
not even have an opinion on her own. This leads to the lack of her own
direction in life, a goal or ideal to follow. In her miserable situation,
there are no signs of future amelioration of Albert's disposition on which
depends everything in her life. There is no hope that something will put
an end to her monotonous suffering. Georgina's existence corresponds to
a shadow of her husband. She serves him as an intrinsic part of his image
in front of his friends. Georgina is often humiliated in front of the people.
This is the reason why she wants them to see her capability of counteracting
his opprobrious demeanor towards her. In the conversation with Albert she
states, "Everyone pitied me - even you pitied me" (Greenaway,
p.87). In the confession if front of the dead body of her lover, she makes
us aware of the constant torture of her mentally sick husband: "Albert
beat me. . . .He had a suitcase under his side of the bed - were all sorts
of objects - a toothbrush, a plastic train, the handle of a skipping rope,
a wooden spoon, a wine bottle... and he'd use them. If I didn't do it whilst
he watched, he'd insist on doing it - at least when I did it - it hurt
less... He wasn't really interested in sex - at least not me - not with
women..."(Greenaway, pp. 82-83). When Albert uses her in his sick
perversions, everything is painful to Georgina. This has caused the accumulation
of detestation and repugnance in her. She needs a way out of this living
hell. Michael, in this case, plays the role of a rescuer for he gives her
the so needed warmth, fondness and respect. The gloominess of her life
is enhanced by the futile attempts she had made in the past to end this
nightmare, either by escape or poisoning her husband (Greenaway, p.83).
Now she knows that the only way to be free and experience freedom, at least
for a short period of time, is by doing something of which Albert is not
aware. She does not want to continue this awful dependence on her husband.
In fact, Albert is the one who cannot live without her. This is not an
abnormal love towards Georgina, it is, as Greenaway himself describes it,
"a pathetic total reliance" on Georgina (Greenaway, p. 66). Georgina
realizes the need to be wanted, not in this pathetic way, but in a way
in which she would be happy and would make another person happy. Georgina
also knows, however, that a love affair in these circumstances, is not
possible but her desperateness provides her with decisiveness. She cannot
live like this anymore for her security does not have a whole lot of value
anymore, because she is tortured physically and psychologically to the
brim of agony. She knows Albert's weakness--his pathetic reliance on her--and
even if she is infidel, he would not be able to live without her. All these
factors give her strength to make her decision and when the opportunity
has come, in the face of Michael, she is ready to act.
It is necessary to mention the fact that the two lovers rarely speak and
the beginning of their relationship was characterized by eye-contact, and
later on touch and body language. This, almost complete, absence of verbal
communication clearly shows that the lovers do not feel the need for this.
If talking appears redundant in the relationship, we might well think that
the need for closeness and warmth is related exclusively to sex. Thus,
the body language appears as the only necessary and appropriate way of
communicating. This is one of the elements contributing to the notion that
sex is the underlying motive for the existence of Georgina's liaison with
Michael. After all, sex is a much more powerful way of interaction and
appeasing the desire for affection than talking and discussing their problems.
The passionate way Georgina and Michael make love implicitly exhibits that
sex is a very successful tool for satisfying this need. It is a way out
of the depressing reality as much as it provides forgetfulness. Georgina
perhaps realizes that talking neither can provide this sweet oblivion,
nor it can neither solve her problems.
The first thought that comes to our mind, when we read or watch the melodrama
is that the development of a verbal communication between the lovers is
naturally inhibited by the circumstances that affect Georgina's relationship.
We know very well that the long absence of Georgina will infuriate her
husband and that every minute is precious: "From inside the cubicle,
the modest man was about to speak. She stops him by putting her hand over
his mouth.
GEORGINA: I've got two minutes" (Greenaway, p.28).
Even if we accept this obvious explanation for the silence of the lovers,
the previous assumption that the relationship is based on pure sex, still
holds true. Making love appears much more important to the lovers than
getting to know each other.
After a certain period of time, the need to talk would certainly appear
in both of them. The silence is broken, however, by Albert when he "represents"
his wife to the diner who instead of reading the menu reads books about
the French Revolution (Greenaway, pp. 45-46). They try not only to avoid
talking but reject it as a way of learning something about themselves.
We can explain this only if we look at it as a consequence of fear. Michael
thinks that if they talk they will reveal themselves and eventually the
thrill and interest in each other could be lost (Greenaway, p.51). Georgina
similarly fears that talking and getting to know each other would lead
to the exposing of unpleasant and shameful facts. She does not want her
husband to be involved in their relationship, even only as being mentioned.
She hates everything associated with him. During the insufficient minutes
she can spend with Michael, Georgina wants to be what she really is. She
has the need to reassure herself that she is capable of loving and being
loved. She knows for sure that she needs the closeness of somebody who
cares about her and treats her gently but Georgina is not able to impart
a clear form to her relationship. She does not know whether this is love
and is love what she really needed. Anyone could have been in the place
of Michael if he was in the same situation and responded in the same way.
Georgina simply does not have much choice. The condition in which is presently
makes her look for something that would provide her with at least some
security, confidence and happiness. She is desperate in her actions because
she cannot longer endure the cruelties and abuses of her husband without
having something to give her a reason to live and continue to withstand
the burden of being treated as an animal. In fact, she needs something
to make her unbearable situation bearable and provide her the power and
faith to fight against the injustice in her life. Although Michael does
not fit entirely in the picture of Georgina's ideal for a man, as we can
understand from her conversation with Richard after the death of her lover:
"RICHARD: (with a gentle smile) Georgina--he wasn't handsome.
GEORGINA: You're right.
RICHARD: He was modest and middle-aged.
GEORGINA: You're right.
RICHARD: He was overweight.
GEORGINA: (sadly) You're right" (Greenaway, p.86)
she is satisfied with the way he is because he has the quality of being
different from Albert and his cronies. Richard describes him as being modest
and Greenaway refers to him as "the modest man" before giving
him a particular name. Modesty is something that is the opposite of Albert's
ostentation. He reads books--something very unusual for Albert's circle.
Even in the description of Albert's table and that of Michael there is
a striking difference: "everyone else in the restaurant - certainly
in the vicinity of ALBERT's noisy table - is talking or animated in some
way. Around the modest man's table there is a sense of calm and rest"
(Greenaway, p. 22).
Later on wee see that Michael is sexually very potent, "RICHARD: And
from what I saw - he didn't need an aphrodisiac". This is one of the
factors that makes the relationship possible, having in mind that it is
primarily based on sex. This combined with the gentleness and tenderness
of Michael, makes him capable of giving pleasure to Georgina and is a substantial
determinant of the happiness the lovers derive from their relationship.
Michael is able to fulfill a basic need of a woman--to be admired, appreciated
and valued, even if it this is confined only to sex: "I'm getting
good at it - aren't I?...aren't I, Michael?..." (Greenaway, p.60).
In the obnoxious world, in which Georgina is forced to live, the need to
know that she is good at something is not satisfied. These are all factors
that contribute to Georgina making her bold decision and if the beginning
of their relationship is silent, and sex is the major constituent of it,
passion appears to play the role of a binding force much stronger then
anything else.
This important peculiarity of Georgina's love affair makes it hard to explain
the sexual attachment of the two lovers without taking into account passion.
Every time Greenaway describes the way they make love, he characterizes
it as passionate: "hurriedly, silently and passionately they start
to make love (Greenaway, p. 28), then GEORGINA and the modest man embrace
passionately (Greenaway, p. 34); the lovers caress and kiss with passion
(Greenaway, p. 35); the modest man treats her body with care - but their
lovemaking is passionate (Greenaway, p. 42); GEORGINA and MICHAEL passionately
embrace (Greenaway, p.60); they passionately kiss" (Greenaway, p.
60). Evidently, Greenaway wants to emphasize on passion as an inseparable
element of Georgina's liaison. However, stressing on passion means stressing
on the sexual side of Georgina's relationship. The fervor with which Georgina
and Michael make love does not show that sex is the ultimate objective
in their relation but it implies that passion has a strong binding force.
We cannot consider love as the explanation of this, at first side, purely
sexual connection between the lovers, because there is not enough evidence
to prove that love lies behind the relationship, at least not in the beginning.
Passion, however, can play a major role in a sexual relationship. Passion
can explain the need for sex, because making love passionately is a possibility
to set yourself apart from the routines of everyday life (Giddens, p.37).
Therefore, passion, in the case of Georgina, can be associated with urgency
to be something different, even be in conflict with the hateful reality.
Passion provokes a highly emotional involvement that can be so pervasive
and strong that it can lead the individual, or both individuals to ignore
their ordinary mode of living (Giddens, p.38). Thus, on the one hand, the
passion and fervor involved in the love-making of Georgina and Michael
appears to be a way out of the problematic, painful and cold world in which
they are living. On the other, however, passion can have the consequence
of creating a deep schism between the reality and the groundless fantasy
world of the lovers. Passion in this way would generate a preparedness
to consider radical options (Giddens, p.38). This could explain the reason
why after the object that provokes passion has disappeared--Michael was
killed--Georgina is ready to do something so radical.
We have to differentiate, however between the characteristics and the factors
contributing to the existence of the relationship and the kind of this
liaison.
When we interpret the relationship of Georgina and Michael we inevitably
come across the problem of how to define it. In my opinion, we can attribute
the term love to it as far as love can be circumscribed to the notion that
it is attraction based on sexual desire. The term love, however, implicates
much more than this. Although no one would probably be able to give a clear
definition of love, we can say that what happens between Georgina and Michael
looks much more like a consensual contract. Both of them see in each other
a way of escaping from reality, a way to deal with their complicated nature
and overcome their unhappiness. Their relationship is missing the admiration
to the object of love, open-mindedness, strong attachment, uniqueness of
the loved person and finally a friendship that usually goes hand in hand
with love. All these elements are missing in the relationship between Michael
and Georgina. If we, nevertheless, call the tie that exists between them
love, it would not be a normal love. This, however, could also be argued
because if we classify it as a love that is not normal or does not fit
into the standard notion of what love is than it should be at least accepted
as love by the lovers themselves. The tenderness and caresses of Michael
could not be a necessary condition from which we can assume that he is
in love with Georgina. Apart from his way of treating Georgina we do not
have any other evidence and we can easily presume that he is driven by
other motives. In the case of his partner, however, Georgina herself does
not know whether she loves Michael or what she feels about him is different
from love. Before Albert finds out that his wife is infidel, the subject
of whether she loves him has not been touched upon. Afterwards, however,
it seems that the circumstances necessitate the clarification of Georgina's
feelings. After the death of Michael she realizes what he meant for her.
She understands that she was very attached to him and that probably he
was the only person that was able to make her happy. (The notion of happiness
is emphasized by the gradation used by Greenaway: "they kiss . . .
she giggles . . . she laughs happily . . . she's a little delirious at
being with him . . . she laughs loudly . . . she is happy but bordering
on a desperation" (Greenaway, p.60)). This tremendous lost for her
combined with the injustice of his death would probably lead to her feeling
guilty, because Michael died because of her. Naturally, this would make
her do something to excuse herself, if not before Michael, before her conscience.
Her words: "I love you" (Greenaway, p.79) could be regarded as
an apology and excuse that would partly make her conscience clear. The
context in which she pronounces them also is not a clear indication that
she truly realizes their meaning. Support for this argument we can find
in the words of Georgina after time has past from the death of Michael
and she is not so emotionally unstable.
"GEORGINA: (without emotion) I love him.
[after a long pause]
GEORGINA: (she corrects her tense) I loved him." (Greenaway, p. 85)
By the change in the verb tense, we can see Georgina's true feelings. We
can assume that Georgina really loved Michael but it also clearly indicates
that she loved him as long as he was alive. As long as he was there, Georgina
loved him in the way she thought love is. There is a distinction between
the way Georgina sees the meaning of Œto love somebody' and the real meaning
of the words. One thing, however, holds true for Georgina--she loves Michael
in her own way. Greenaway also denotes that she says these words "without
emotion". Revenge is now a well-crystallized idea in the mind of Georgina
as a consequence of the accumulated wrath towards Albert. Saying such words
without emotion reveals the actual sense behind them. They sound more like
a justification of what she intends to do, following the logic that her
husband killed the man she loved, therefore he must be punished. The circumstances
in which she declares that she loved Michael are also favor this suggestion.
She says them in front of Richard who was a witness of their love affair.
Georgina wants to convince him to cook Michael and saying that she loved
him could well be a way of persuading him. The question of whether she
loved him or not seems to be important to Richard. His words, "If
you loved him that doesn't seem to be a very necessary question" (Greenaway,
p. 87) shows that this is a weighty argument in making his decision and
at the same time reveals his doubt about Georgina's love. This kind of
doubt is present even in Georgina and she needs a proof that can overcome
this scruple.
As a woman, Georgina desired not only the physical contact with her lover,
but would also need to be reassured that she was loved: "how can I
know that he loved me if there were no witnesses"(Giddens, p. 128),
(Greenaway, p.87) Georgina needed someone to see them making love not only
because she wants the others to know, and thus not to be pitied by them,
but also because she wants to have a proof that what she was doing with
Michael is love in the eyes of the people. She is very delighted to hear
that the way they were behaving is something normal and acceptable.
"GEORGINA: Have you ever seen lovers behave like that before?
RICHARD: (after a pause) My parents behaved like that.
GEORGINA: (surprised and delighted) They did?! You saw them?
. . .
RICHARD: ... and in my fantasies... lovers always behave like that."
(Greenaway, p.87).
In this episode of the melodrama we notice Georgina's eagerness to hear
the description of the way she and Michael were making love from the mouth
of Richard as he saw them. She needs to reassure herself that "lovers
behave like this" or, in other words, that she and Michael fall into
the category of lovers, that what they did was love. The motive that lies
behind this need is comprehensible. Georgina herself is not sure that her
relationship is a love relationship. She wants to know that someone else
thinks of them as lovers that loved each other in an admirable way. This
is why she asks Richard: "Were you jealous? Did we make you jealous?"
(Greenaway, p.87).
A crucial point in the dialogue of Georgina with Richard is when she says
that she loved him and the proof is that Richard saw them:
GEORGINA: (with a smile) What would make you change your mind? Do you want
to sleep with me? You can do what he did. (RICHARD sadly shakes his head)
How can I persuade you?
RICHARD: You can't. You may have loved him...
GEORGINA: You know I did - you saw me" (Greenaway, p. 88).
Two points could be made here. First-of-all Georgina now knows that she
has a live proof not only that her relationship was real but that she loved
him because Richard saw her. She assumes that this enough to certify that
she loved him. She herself is not sure of that but the thought of other
people seeing her and valuing her relationship as something from their
fantasies is flattering enough to be accepted. She does not only embrace
this thought but she uses it as an argument in persuading Richard. Love
has now become the reason why she wants Michael cooked. Georgina wants
to convince Richard that because of her ruined love Michael has to be cooked
and in this way rectitude to be acquired. It is more plausible to assume
that real reason, however, is her hate towards Albert who have crushed
her only source of happiness in her life and revenge for that violent act.
She does not want just to kill him but a retribution for everything he
had done and understandably in front of all the people who were witnesses
of her humiliation (Greenaway, p.92)
Another point that could be made from the above quotation is that Georgina
is ready to sleep with Richard to achieve her goal. This already proves
that revenge is the reason for cooking Michael and not love because if
Georgina really loved him she would not offer her body only to achieve
a better manifestation of her revenge.
In the contemporary melodrama "The Cook, the Thief, his Wife and her
Lover", Peter Greenaway presents us a shocking and incredible world
of confrontation of human values and personalities. In this world of conflicts,
Georgina's pursuit of affection and attachment stands out with the uprightness
of its motives. Her capacity for spontaneous enjoyment and sexual pleasure
were threatened to extinction as a result of the sadistic way her husband
treated her. Georgina is able to withstand and fight against her unfortunate
fate. Sexuality, in this unnatural and execrable environment, expressed
in Georgina's liaison with Michael, is her main source of happiness.
Greenaway has achieved a tremendous effect by presenting the actions and
dialogs of his characters and, by these means of expression, displaying
the internal struggle that Georgina undergoes in her search for freedom.
The drama of Georgina, however, is that she is not confident in her love
towards Michael. We observe to what extent the savage world of her husband
has affected and transformed her mentality. Besides sex she is incapable
of finding another form of expressing her feelings. The lost of her source
of satisfaction and delight lead her to a headlong pursuit of revenge.
She surpasses the taboo of cannibalism only to achieve rectitude. For Georgina,
the killing of her husband is not only the only a solution but a compensation
for her miserable and deplorable life. This act, however, debases her to
the level of her husband.
Bibliography
Greenaway, Peter. "The Cook, the Thief, his Wife and her Lover".
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Rank, Otto. Beyond Psychology. Dover Publications. New York. Copyright
© 1941 by Estelle B. Rank. 1958.
Lepp, Ignace. The Psychology of Loving. Translated by Bernard B. Gilligan.
A Mentor Book from New American Library, Times Mirror. New York, 1963.
Giddens, Anthony. The Transformation of Intimacy. Sexuality, Love and Eroticism
in Modern Societies. Stanford University Press. Stanford CA, 1992.
Schneider, David J. Social Psychology. University of Texas, San Antonio.
Addison Wesley Publishing Company, 1976.
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