That Most People Prefer Security to Justice

In Elia Kazan’s “On the Waterfront,” we see that to some extent that people do prefer security to justice. This film focuses on the balance between our moral conscience, and our need for survival. It explores how much we are influenced by our own need for survival compared to our sense of justice. Kazan, utilizes characters like Terry, to explore the limits of human tolerance and the conscience. He depicts a world shrouded in a blanket of fog and mist, which masks the criminality, corruption and immorality.

Kazan uses this money-driven world, to accentuate the economic and moral plight of the longshoremen. Through the influences of people like Edie Doyle and Father Barry, we see how hope can help us in our quest to disregard our fears of those that oppress us. In addition, we also see that the battle between our morality and our need to protect ourselves is difficult. We note that the need for courage to take a stand and do the right thing is important. This is shown mostly in Terry, but characters like Kayo and Joey Doyle also prove themselves to prefer justice to security.

At the start of the film, we see a hiring process determining the distribution of the jobs on the waterfront. We see that it is depicted as a wild scramble for tokens, where fights and groveling occurred to gain a job token. Forced to scramble in the dust like pigeons, in order to eke out a living, we see the longshoremen being dehumanized daily, for the sinister pleasure of Big Mac. Under the command of Big Mac, the union workers are viewed as a bunch of amorphous ragtag collection of exploited man.

During the scene where they fight for tokens the camera captures the longshoreman’s’ desperation and primal frenzy reinforces their need for survival, that they prefer to be safe than risking the chance for justice. Their preference for security is reinforced by their self appointed survival code of “D and D” which stands for deaf and dumb. Their level of oppression does not end here, as they are constantly confronted by Johnny Friendly’s bullying and murderous acts, which not only coerces them into obedience and increasing their desire for security, but also amplifies his power and authority.

In the opening scene where the mobsters trot down from their small office, accompanied by the sounds of discordant percussion, creates a sense of disquiet. Their order and movements seem to establish a sense of macho brotherhood. These self serving sycophants of Johnny Friendly comply with his orders without question ”if Johnny Friendly tells you to do something you do it “, similar to the longshoremen, as they are also people who prefer security over justice. With the addition of their “love for a lousy buck,” the mob members are all willing to be a pawn for Johnny Friendly.

Making the corruptions caused by money laundering schemes and scams which are devised in this tiny shabby building, by all the members of this brotherhood boundless, especially since they are all motivated with the idea of easy money, surreptitious deals and personal protection. Showing the fact that money, an economic necessity plays a major factor that coerces people to obey Johnny Friendly and seems to justify his skewed beliefs of the world following a “dog eat dog” concept.

This ironically named, Johnny friendly, who in reality is called Michael J. Skelly, is very much entrapped within his own desires, for protection and money. Although he is the mafia boss of the waterfront, we see in the scene of a luxurious hotel room with a butler, that Johnny Friendly is also a lackey for someone higher up, also a tool used to expand and enforce someone else’s authority, Mr. Upstairs. Additionally, we also see that the members of this exclusively male tribe, follows Johnny Friendly blindly, because they “owe” him.

Which gives off the feelings of being “bought” as Terry said “he bought a piece of me” which shows the Johnny Friendly use them, as a form of protection too, likewise with the Longshoremen. Although the Waterfront is filled with greed and deceit, the changes in most of the characters especially father Barry occur due to the appearance of Edie Doyle, who blindly follows the code “shouldn’t everyone help everyone else? ” Her appearance firstly influences Father Barry, by brutally questioning his faith in God and his role as a priest, accusing him of being “a priest hiding in a church” and being overwhelmed by the corruptions around him.

Her question challenges Father Barry to see how cowardly he is and unworthy of being a “disciple of god. ” In the film, Edie symbolizes untainted purity and goodness, and we see this throughout the film. Her constant rebuttal of Terry, criticizing his behavior “no wonder everybody calls you a bum” assists Terry to realize Johnny Friendly’s persona. Edie and Terry’s growing love for one another also plays a big factor, to upgrade his status from a “bum” to someone worthy enough for Edie’s love, forcing Terry to do justice to fight for what he desires.

At the start when after Joey Doyle’s death, we see Terry wracked by guilt, as he has been split in two by his unknowing collusion in the death of Joey. He starts to question Johnny Friendly’s ways, especially from the perverse humor of Johnny Friendly’s lackeys in response to Joey’s death, and the impartial facial expressions in the face of murder and violence. This provides the vacillation of Terry’s internal struggle between his choices, for security or justice. As we watch Terry struggle with his decision, we often see him shrouded by mist, which is a synonymous with moral confusion and blurred perception.

This symbol of moral confusion does not only apply to Terry, but also for most of the longshoremen as it shows their deliberate avoidance of the reality of corruption and its personal and social ramifications. Like the longshoremen, Terry is like one of the caged pigeons, circled by hawks. One of the most identified differences to him which hints to us of his developing sense of responsibility and changing survival code is the way he chews gum expressively, shrugs, lags behind, pulls his collar up and stuffs his hands in his pocket, which all indicate his restlessness, and great contrast to the goons in Johnny Friendly’s orbit.

This shows us that his conscience is competing against his wishes to escape and pretend that these horrors have no connection to him and still be under the protection of Johnny Friendly. As his conscience and guilt pile up, we see him accepting the reality, and attempt to start over, by opposing Johnny Friendly and confessing his part in Joey’s death, and his love to Edie. The two confessions Terry makes is integral to his atonement, since they signify the turning point for Terry’s change of attitude and beliefs.

It depicts Terry as shedding his old self to embrace a more selfless world of moral conviction and obligation. Furthermore, we see from characters like pop and Charley, that money is not greater than justice, since these two characters are willing to sacrifice themselves in order to protect others. In the taxi scene, we see Charley submit to Terry when he realized that he was the one who were responsible for dragging Terry into this world of corruption. To repent and protect Terry, Charley tried to hide Terry from Johnny Friendly.

His actions are also due to his sense of responsibility and brotherly love for Terry. From this, we see Charley defy Johnny Friendly, and dismiss money, for family. Similarly, at the final scene pop also rebelled against Johnny Friendly by pushing him in the water for his pride and family, disregarding the consequences. From these two characters, we see that justice, especially concerning family does overcome the need for security, although this protection is coupled with the ability to earn some easy money and have a good life.