The Coens’ Tragic Comedy: The Big Lebowski

Abstract

Moral Hierarchies: In this section I compare and contrast two sets of moral hierarchies, one by Aristotle and on by Simone de Beauvoir.

Human Temptations: In this section I consider the way we get tempted from the better path and use Dante in the Inferno as a guide.

The Dude’s Temptations: I argue that the Dude’s temptations are to what Beauvoir calls “seriousness” and to “sub-man”-ness.

Microcosm: The Scylla and Charybdis of “Seriousness” and “Sub-man-ness”

Macrocosm: The Scylla and Charybdis of Modernity: In this section, I discuss the way the modern (and the postmodern) condition presents a version of these two temptations to all of us.

The Dude as Postmodern Job: Job is identified by God as a representative, a model sort of man. Similarly, the Stranger picks out the Dude as representative and model.

Why the Dude Is So Happy: In this section I contrast the Lacanian notions of Drive and Desire. Desires make us successful, but not happy; Drives deliver jouissance, but make it very hard to sustain our place in the social network. I read the Dude’s character as largely committed to Drives.

Why the Dude Is Not Job: In the end, as close as the Dude is in so many ways to being like Job, I argue that the Dude is not Job, because Job is all about obeying the Law (following Desires), whereas the Dude does not worry about obeying the Law because of his commitment to Drives.

What Makes a Hero: I argue that the Dude is the hero we need in these postmodern times.