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Storytelling
Output Report
for
"Lawrence
of Arabia"
ANALYSIS
INFORMATION:
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Complete |
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Complete |
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Complete |
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Partial |
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Author:
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Robert Bolt and Michael Wilson |
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Analysis sources:
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Film.
Horizon/Columbia Pictures, 1962. (Video. director's cut in widescreen
format. RCA/Columbia Home Video, 1989)
Shooting script. Bolt, Robert and Wilson, Michael. , undated,
267 pages with Intermission.
Cinemania CD-ROM. Microsoft. 1995.
Information Please Almanac. Johnson, Otto, Exec. Ed. Houghton
Mifflin. New York, NY. 1994.
Lawrence of Arabia: The 30th Anniversary Pictorial History.
Morris, L. Robert & Raskin, Lawrence. Doubleday. New York, NY.
1992.
The People's Almanac. Wallechinsky, David & Wallace,
Irving. Doubleday. Garden City, NY. 1975.
FILMMAKER SOURCES:
Seven Pillars of Wisdom.
Lawrence, T.E. Cape. London, England. 1935.
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Genre:
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Epic/Film Noir |
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Setting:
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Middle East |
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Period:
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1916-18, during WWI |
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Analysis by:
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Kevin Hindley |
Comments:
...Lawrence
is a tormented man, full of pride and self-hatred from the outset--a
doomed figure whose character was drawn from two previously disparate
sources: the Epic Film, with its emphasis on the large canvas and spectacle
which often overwhelmed story and character; and Film Noir, developed
from 1945 on, with its emphasis on the darker side of the human condition....
The fusing of these two genres together into "Lawrence" created
something quite new.
(Martin Scorcese. Foreword, in Morris & Raskin, p. xiv)
Brief Synopsis:
Journey
now to the deserts of the Middle East in this transcendent, refurbished
epic story that paints a stark yet luxuriant portrait of one of the
most remarkable men in history...LAWRENCE OF ARABIA.
...Assigned to Arabia during World War I, Lawrence courageously unites
the warring Arab factions into a strong guerrilla front that endures
both brilliant victories and eventual defeat against the Turkish Empire
ruling this treacherous desert area.
(Video blurb, RCA/Columbia)
Objective
Character Mini-Synopsis:
GENERAL MURRAY, British Army leader in Arabia, would rather be
fighting the Germans at the front, and has no time for Arabia or creatures
like--
LAWRENCE aka AURENS, an extraordinary man whose body does what
his mind wills, except when it's in the hands of the--
TURKISH BEY, a not-so-gentle man who prefers blondes and enjoys
having younger men serve under him. Fortunately for them, he hasn't met--
DAUD and FARRAJ, young camp followers whom Lawrence adopts as his
orderlies, much to the chagrin of--
ALI, a Harith tribal leader who disdains those of lesser stature
or of an enemy tribe, such as--
TAFAS, Lawrence's desert guide, who's not above drinking from the
well of his dirty enemy, and pays for this crime with his life, as does--
GASIM, one of Ali's warriors who Lawrence rescues from the desert
then executes after he kills one of Howeitat, a tribe led by--
AUDA, who serves no man but does serve Mammon, going for the gold
when he joins the cause of--
FEISAL, leader of the Bedu tribes and the closest thing to king
in Arabia, which means he's ready to cut deals with--
GENERAL ALLENBY, next leader of the British Army, who's not above
flattery and double-dealing to achieve his objectives. He'd rather be
fishing, in England, as would--
DRYDEN, lackey of the Arab Bureau, who wanted to use Lawrence's
expertise but ended up using him to sell out the Arabs. He'd rather be
in Tunbridge Wells, with other parochial Englishmen like--
BRIGHTON, Allenby's by-the-book military liaison to Feisal, who's
never met a non-Englishman he didn't dislike or distrust, which includes--
BENTLEY, an American war correspondent who finds heroes for a living,
and takes them as they come, warts, sadomasochism and all.
THE OBJECTIVE CHARACTERS:
Name:
T.E. Lawrence
Gender: Male
Description:
Although
it was widely believed that Lawrence was a homosexual, a multimillion-dollar
epic filmed in 1962 could not possibly be frank about that. And yet
Lean and his writer, Robert Bolt, didn't simply cave in and rewrite
Lawrence into a routine action hero.
Using O'Toole's peculiar speech and manner as their instrument, they
created a character who combined charisma and craziness, who was so
different from conventional military heroes that he could inspire the
Arabs to follow him in that mad march across the desert. There is a
moment in the movie when O'Toole, dressed in flowing white robes of
a desert sheik, does a victory dance on top of a captured Turkish train,
and almost seems to be posing for fashion photos. This is a curious
scene because it seems to flaunt gay stereotypes, and yet none of the
other characters in the movie seem to notice--nor do they take much
notice of the two young desert urchins that Lawrence takes under his
protection.
What
Lean, Bolt, and O'Toole create is a sexually and socially unconventional
man who is simply presented as what he is, without labels or comment.
(Roger Ebert, in Cinemania)
Role: El Aurens, broker of Arab unity
Characteristics:
Motivation:
Feeling; Pursuit; Faith; Help;
Methodology: Certainty; Proaction; Nonacceptance;
Evaluation: Hunch; Unproven; Test; Ending;
Purpose: Ability; Actuality; Self Aware; Order; Change;
Name:
Sherif Ali
Gender: Male
Description:
"He
is a handsome young man of about LAWRENCE's age; an impressive figure
in both bearing and costume."
(Bolt and Wilson, p. 30)
Role:
Bedu warrior, leader of the Harith tribe
Characteristics:
Motivation:
Logic; Reconsider; Disbelief; Support;
Methodology: Reaction;
Evaluation: Proven; Trust;
Purpose: Perception;
Name:
Auda abu Tayi
Gender: Male
Description:
"The
man is AUDA. The complete desert Bedouin. His face is haggard, fierce,
dignified and childish. His eyebrows are raised in amused enquiry."
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. 82)
Role:
Bedu warrior, leader of the Howeitat tribe
Characteristics:
Motivation:
Conscience;
Purpose: Inertia;
Name:
Colonel Brighton
Gender: Male
Description:
"He
is very military, but intelligent and hard-bitten. When he speaks it is
rapidly, as a man who knows his own mind and has something on it. His
name is BRIGHTON."
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. 33)
Role:
British liaison officer
Characteristics:
Motivation:
Control; Hinder;
Methodology: Protection;
Evaluation: Theory;
Name:
Daud and Farraj
Gender: Male
Description:
Two
impish little Arab boys who do everything--"yes, everything,"--to
serve their master, "Lord Aurens."
Role:
Lawrence's orderlies
Characteristics:
Name:
Gasim
Gender: Male
Description:
"...GASIM,
a shifty, cheerful, undersized and impoverished Bedouin..."
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. 58)
Role:
Bedu warrior
Characteristics:
Purpose:
Chaos;
Name:
General Allenby
Gender: Male
Description:
"ALLENBY
is a footballer, burly and fit; a gentleman, erect and self-respecting;
a General Officer who has thoroughly assimilated power, shrewd, commanding,
daring, and humble."
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. 124)
Role:
Murray's successor as GOC
Characteristics:
Motivation:
Avoidance;
Methodology: Inaction; Acceptance;
Name:
General Murray
Gender: Male
Description:
"GENERAL
MURRAY is one of those regulation officers whose pride is to appear more
regulation than anyone can be. His face is hard and shrewd, his expression
exasperated."
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. 11)
Role:
General Officer Commanding
Characteristics:
Motivation:
Oppose;
Name:
Jackson Bentley
Gender: Male
Description:
...dressed
in a light suit and trilby hat, he is an incongruous, even absurd figure.
But he makes no attempt to be less so. He has been in unlikelier situations
before and will again. Clutching the gunwhale with one hand he examines
the approaching store steadily. His tough, alert and cynically humorous
face is alive with curiosity.... His attitude to the Arab is that of
neither the sahib nor the humanitarian, but simply of a rather graceless
man who wants his bags.
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. II-1)
Role:
American war correspondent
Characteristics:
Name:
Mr. Dryden
Gender: Male
Description:
"...DRYDEN,
a donnish man with a pale, lined, lively face, wearing civilian clothes..."
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. 11)
Role:
Arab Bureau representative
Characteristics:
Evaluation:
Unending;
Name:
Prince Feisal
Gender: Male
Description:
...a
prophet-like FIGURE mounted on a white horse comes riding out from the
darkness. This is FEISAL.... Surrounded by swirling dust, FEISAL is
a noble and tragic figure as he sits bolt upright on his trembling foam-flecked
mare staring after the plane.... After a few moments he braces himself
as one who prepares to shoulder once again an intolerable burden.
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. 37-38)
Role:
Prince of the Bedu tribes
Characteristics:
Motivation:
Consider; Uncontrolled;
Methodology: Potentiality;
Purpose: Desire; Aware; Equity;
Name:
Tafas
Gender: Male
Description:
"...and
TAFAS, his Arab guide, who wears the robes of a Hazimi of the Beni Salem."
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. 22)
Role:
Lawrence's guide
Characteristics:
Motivation:
Temptation;
Name:
Turkish Bey
Gender: Male
Description:
The
BEY is sitting at the window, with his face in his long and sensitive
hands, motionless in an attitude of despair....
His attitude is not truculant [sic], nor even insulting, is indeed dignified
and almost wistful, as though he had some distasteful duty to perform,
which habit had not quite inured him to.
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. II-45)
Role:
Torturer
Characteristics:
Purpose:
Inequity;
AUDIENCE AND STORY DYNAMICS APPRECIATIONS:
Nature as it relates to Actual Dilemma:
After
his Arab National Council meeting in Damascus disperses in chaos, Lawrence
gives up his quest for self-rule for the Arabs, leaving the way for the
British (and the absent French) to negotiate with Feisal their goal of
controlling the region.
Essence
as it relates to Positive Feel:
The
British Army's Allenby and the Arab Bureau's Dryden actively seek information
about Feisal, sending Lawrence out to find it. Using what they learn,
they manipulate the Arabs for their own purpose -- to defeat the Turks.
Lawrence, with Ali's help, taps his imagination for ways to unite the
Arab tribes to defeat the Turks and lay claim to Arabia for themselves.
Tendency as it relates to Unwilling:
As
a sensitive, compassionate man, Lawrence finds himself unsuited to the
"Greedy, barbarous and cruel" ways of the desert Bedu, which
he must endure. When he unleashes those qualities in his own nature, he
wants no more of the desert and returns home.
Reach
as it relates to Female:
Women
can identify with Lawrence as a caring, compassionate person trying to
help other reach their potential. They can feel empathy for him as he
keeps trying to gain them their freedom, but runs out of options, whereas
men would not want to put themselves into Lawrence's shoes.
Resolve
as it relates to Change:
An
expert on the region, Lawrence volunteers to be sent to Arabia, a country
he comes to love even more as he adopts its customs and dress. But after
experiencing the desert's brutality firsthand, and realizing the futility
of trying to change the Arabs' squabbling nature, he abandons it:
LAWRENCE
I pray I may never see the desert again. Hear me God.
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. II-112)
Approach
as it relates to Do-er:
Lawrence
tries to mold Arabia to suit him through his strength of character, charisma,
and leadership qualities: Provoked to give the Arabs:
FEISAL
What no man can provide, Lieutenant. We need a miracle.
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. 52)
Lawrence
goes and takes Akaba, crossing the impossible-to-cross Nefud desert; he
solves the Auda-Ali tribal dispute by executing the wrongdoer, his friend
Gasim; he competes with Allenby to reach Damascus first; etc.
Direction
as it relates to Stop:
Lawrence
needs to stop believing he's infallible, the only one with the right answers.
He needs to realize there are forces at work larger than him, and that
he cannot make everything "written in here" (in his head) come
true by sheer force of will.
Mental Sex as it relates to Female:
Lawrence
sees the larger picture of the Middle East situation, and attempts to
unite the territorial tribes and achieve post-war self-determination;
he intuitively understands that if they cross the Nefud, Auda's Howeitat
will join them, especially if promised gold; he tries to hold together
the quarrelsome tribes in his Arab National Council, and get them to cooperate
in keeping Damascus functioning as a city; etc.
Outcome
as it relates to Success:
Through
Lawrence, the British Army learns that the Arabs are hungry for artillery
to help defeat the Turks and later maintain independent rule of the region.
Allenby denies the artillery and retains British control.
Judgment
as it relates to Bad:
Lawrence
finds that while he is fully capable of fulfilling the role of God-like
leader, it comes at great cost to his own personality: his sado-masochistic
tendencies have been brought to the fore, and he finds he both enjoys
inflicting suffering on others and experiences pleasure in his own degradation
and torture.
Work
as it relates to Decision:
Dryden
decides that the Arab Bureau needs its own man on the spot, and sends
Lawrence to Arabia; Lawrence decides to cross the Nefud and take Akaba,
endearing him to both Arabs and British; Allenby decides to sit back and
let Damascus fall apart, so he can step in and take the reins; etc.
Limit
as it relates to Optionlock:
Lawrence
exhausts himself spiritually and physically trying to overcome the obstacles
in his path. What's missing is: the willingness of the Arab tribes to
put aside squabbles and govern themselves; the artillery needed to more
easily defeat the Turks, which the British refuse as it could be later
used against them; a charismatic Arab leader to take Lawrence's place.
Feisal's final dismissal brings Lawrence's mission to an end:
FEISAL
There is nothing further for a warrior here. We
drive bargains. Old men's work. Young men
make wars -- and virtues of war are the virtues
of young men -- courage and hope for the future.
And then old men make the peace, and the vices
of peace are the vices of old men -- mistrust and
caution. It must be so.
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. II-121)
THE OBJECTIVE STORY THROUGHLINE:
Throughline
Synopsis:
The
film begins with the death of Lawrence.... Suddenly, we're in British
headquarters in Cairo during World War I. [Lawrence] is a twenty-nine-year-old
General Staff desk man and not very interested in his work, as it provides
none of the adventure for which he has joined the service. He is, however,
transferred to Arabia at the request of the British Arab Bureau and,
once there, helps promote an Arab rebellion against the Turks who rule
the area. In order to do this, he must unite the warring Arab factions.
Then, with men supplied to him by Prince Feisal, he and Sherif Ali Ibn
El Kharish cross the burning sands of the Nefud Desert, encounter and
enlist the forces of Auda Abu Tayi, and capture the port of Aqaba from
a superior, but disorganized, Turkish garrison. Along the way, Lawrence
must take the life of a man he's saved because that man has done something
that could split the tribes. Realizing that one man's death will save
the lives of many others, Lawrence shoots the offender. When he does,
Lawrence experiences a baffling and perturbing feeling, an almost-sadistic
glee in the taking of another's life.
Now it's back to Cairo again, where [General Allenby] convinces Lawrence
to continue his work in the desert because he seems to be the only Briton
the Arabs trust. Equipped with arms, men, and money, Lawrence begins
a period of guerrilla warfare. He is deified by his Arab men, and his
exploits are made even larger as an American journalist traveling with
him dutifully reports the forays to a waiting world.
Lawrence is captured by the Turks, tortured, and possibly sodomized
by a vicious Turkish soldier, and then released. (The film hints at
the possibility that Lawrence actually enjoyed this brutal treatment
and may have had underlying homosexual and masochistic tendencies.)
Lawrence returns to Cairo and is given a new assignment by General Allenby.
Damascus is to be attacked, and the Arabs need "El Aurens"
to lead them.
Lawrence leads his men to Damascus, where an Arab council is set up.
But the attempt at unification is a disaster, with all of the factions
bickering and threatening each other at a time when their joy should
be supreme. The council is dissolved. Allenby and Feisal attempt to
hammer out an accord, and Lawrence returns to England saddened by the
knowledge that he has failed.
(CineBooks
Motion Picture Guide, in Cinemania)
Backstory:
The
Ottoman Turks first appeared in the early 13th century in Anatolia,
subjugating Turkish and Mongol bands pressing against the eastern borders
of Byzantium. They gradually spread through the Near East and Balkans,
capturing Constantinople in 1453 and storming the gates of Vienna two
centuries later. At its height, the Ottoman Empire stretched from the
Persian Gulf to western Algeria...
Mohammed united the Arabs in the 7th century, and his followers, led
by the caliphs, founded a great empire, with its capital at Medina.
Later, the caliphate capital was transferred to Damascus and then Baghdad,
but Arabia retained its importance because of the holy cities of Mecca
and Medina. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Turks established at
least nominal rule over much of Arabia, and in the middle of the 18th
century, it was divided into separate principalities...
Under the influence of German military advisors, Turkey signed a secret
alliance with Germany on Aug. 2, 1914, that led to a declaration of
war by the Allied Powers...
(Johnson,
pp. 255, 274)
"At
stake was control of the Suez Canal and access to the oil which had been
discovered a few years earlier."
(Wallechinsky
& Wallace, p. 631)
Domain
as it relates to Physics:
The
story takes place in the Middle East theater of World War I, involving
the British endeavor to defeat the Turks and weaken the Germans. Lawrence
must accomplish great feats of physical endurance, travel extensively,
and engage in much fighting and bloodshed with the Arabs.
Concern
as it relates to Learning:
Lawrence
is concerned with experiencing life as an Arab; Dryden sends Lawrence
to learn Feisal's long-term political intentions, while Brighton is interested
in discovering Feisal's immediate intentions for the British Army; Ali
determines to learn politics; at the hands of the Turkish Bey, Lawrence
learns the vulnerability of his flesh and that he's no superman; Feisal
learns of the British-French treaty to divide post-war Arabia, and that
Lawrence's hoped-for unity was a lie; Bentley covers the war, letting
his readers learn about Lawrence's exploits; etc.
Range
as it relates to Preconditions:
Ali
has to tolerate Lawrence's bringing Daud and Farraj across the Nefud,
and his going back for Gasim; Lawrence puts up with the meaningless promotions
from Allenby; Ali cannot persuade Lawrence to forego mindless vengeance
on the Turks and focus on Damascus; in waiting out the Arab Council's
failure, Allenby causes unneeded suffering to the Turkish patients.
Counterpoint
as it relates to Prerequisites:
Allenby
must release Lawrence from his duties to find Feisal; Lawrence must cross
the Nefud to reach Feisal; for the Arabs to be great again, Feisal needs
"a miracle"; Allenby must convince Lawrence not to quit; Auda
needs gold before he'll attack Akaba; the Arab Council must fail before
the British step in; etc.
Thematic
Conflict as it relates to Preconditions vs. Prerequisites:
Most
all the preconditions attached to the story involve unnecessary suffering
and death, which appears almost natural in such a harsh environment as
Arabia. They're required by the great steps forward to their goal made
by the British and to some extent the Arabs, but not by Lawrence, who's
devastated by what he's put through.
Problem
as it relates to Nonacceptance:
Ali's
rejection of Tafas as not worthy of his well leads him to kill his blood
enemy, to Lawrence's dismay:
LAWRENCE
Sherif Ali! So long as the Arab people fight tribe
against tribe, so long will they be a little people.
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. 32)
Allenby
and Dryden resist Feisal's demand for artillery, as that would make it
difficult to govern them later; Lawrence refuses to sell out the Arabs
to the British, vowing to give Arabia to the Arabs instead; the different
Arab tribes' refusal to compromise over the necessary work in Damascus
leads to the city's collapse and British intervention; etc.
Solution
as it relates to Acceptance:
Getting
the different Arab tribes to put their differences aside and unite under
a common flag would give them the strength necessary to ensure self-rule;
Feisal demonstrates his diplomatic skills, compromising over the divvying
up of Damascus with Allenby and Dryden; Ali is the only member of the
Arab Council to practice his tolerance, backing down and humbly asking
for Auda's pardon.
Focus
as it relates to Reevaluation:
Dryden
persuades Murray to reevaluate Lawrence's usefulness as an office wallah
and second him to the Arab Bureau; Lawrence twice reevaluates his purpose
in Arabia and tries to quit, but is promoted both times and stays; Bentley
changes his opinion of his hero, Lawrence, after seeing the slaughtered
Turks; etc.
Direction
as it relates to Evaluation:
Lawrence's
analysis of Feisal's situation is at odds with Brighton's, leading him
to try to further Arab independence; Allenby and Dryden give Lawrence
a false evaluation of British ambitions in the region; Lawrence assesses
Gasim's life to be less valuable than the goal of tribal unity to take
Akaba; while Ali feels pity for those receiving artillery fire, a bitter
Lawrence evaluates them thus:
LAWRENCE
They're Turks!
(Bolt
& Wilson, p. II-87)
Stipulation
as it relates to Obtaining:
Dryden
obtains Lawrence's services from Murray; Lawrence wins the Arabs' respect
by repeatedly achieving the impossible -- crossing the Nefud and the Sinai,
taking Akaba and Damascus -- and is given Bedu robes by Ali in return;
Allenby gives Lawrence guns and gold in recognition of his success at
Akaba; the Bedu receive booty each time they defeat the Turks; Feisal
thanks Lawrence for giving him Damascus as a bargaining tool.
Catalyst
as it relates to Prerequisites:
Dryden
sending Lawrence to find Feisal necessitates his crossing the desert first;
the Arabs' taking of Akaba requires the crossing of the impossible Nefud;
to get Auda's men to move on to Akaba, Lawrence must first settle the
tribal dispute by executing Gasim; to get gold for Auda and arms for the
Arabs, Lawrence and his boys must cross another desert, the Sinai; Allenby
has to promote Lawrence, twice, to convince him to stay the course; Allenby
must sit back and do nothing, in order for Arab rule of Damascus to capitulate;
etc.
Inhibitor
as it relates to Deficiency:
General
Murray deems Lawrence incompetent and insubordinate and is reluctant to
lend him to Dryden's Arab Bureau; crossing the treacherous Nefud desert,
Lawrence feels the need to go back for Gasim, risking death himself; Allenby
refuses to give artillery, jeopardizing the revolt against the Turks;
etc.
Goal
as it relates to Learning:
General
Allenby allows the Arab Bureau's Dryden to send Lawrence out as "its
own man on the spot sir, to... To make our own appraisal of the situation."
The goal is to:
DRYDEN
Find Prince Feisal. [...] Find out what kind of
man he is. Find out what his intentions are. I
don't mean his immediate intentions - that's
Colonel Brighton's business, not yours. I
mean his intentions in Arabia altogether.
(Bolt and Wilson, p. 20)
In
doing so, the British hope to discover Feisal's political ambitions and
how they can neutralize any plans of uniting tribes like Auda's and Ali's
into an Arabian nation, and so protect British post-war interests in the
region.
Consequence
as it relates to Conceiving:
If
the British fail to learn the best way to use Feisal's Arabs to their
own advantage, Lawrence and the Arabs conceive of only one result:
LAWRENCE
They've only one suspicion; that we'll let them
move the Turks out and then move in ourselves.
I've told them that that's false, that we have no
ambitions in Arabia. Have we?
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. 137)
Having
learned the Arabs want artillery to battle the Turks with, the British
are unhappy with that idea:
DRYDEN
Give them artillery and you've made them
independent.
ALLENBY
Then I can't give them artillery can I?
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. 141)
Cost
as it relates to The Conscious:
Lawrence
has to face his sado-masochistic nature -- to contemplate the knowledge
that he enjoys killing other humans -- and realize that he's only human
after all; Brighton becomes cognizant of the brutal politics of the British
Army, in disorganized Damascus:
BRIGHTON
We can't just do nothing, sir!
ALLENBY
Why not? It's usually best. [...]
BRIGHTON
(a little horrified)
Medicals, too, sir?
ALLENBY
(harsh)
Yes, Harry, Medicals too!
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. II-104)
After
the Turks' slaughter, Bentley considers what Lawrence has become even
as he glorifies him for the press:
BENTLEY
Oh, you rotten man. Here. Let me take your
rotten bloody picture. For the rotten bloody
newspapers.
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. II-100)
Dividend
as it relates to The Present:
Lawrence's
status in the military is raised from Lieutenant to Major to Colonel;
Feisal and the Arabs receive world-wide recognition in the newspapers,
and retain possession of Damascus; Ali gains a new-found interest in politics;
etc.
Requirements
as it relates to Obtaining:
Lawrence
must gain the trust of the Arabs; Bentley must get his story and pictures
of a "hero"; Allenby promotes Lawrence to persuade him to continue
as a leader; Auda and his men get gold and take loot from the trains;
etc.
Prerequisites
as it relates to Becoming:
Lawrence
must become more like an Arab to get them to follow him, then more barbarous
with each killing; Bentley must become one of Lawrence's entourage of
guerrilla trainspotters to get his story; Feisal changes to a more diplomatic
prince, willing to listen to the British advice; Ali moves from violence
and killing to the English-style politics; etc.
Preconditions
as it relates to The Subconscious:
Dryden
and his Arab Bureau want their own man on the spot in Arabia, even though
Allenby already has Brighton there; Bentley wants to be a star reporter;
etc.
Forewarnings
as it relates to The Future:
After
his thrashing by the Bey, Lawrence returns to Jerusalem to quit and learns
what's in store for Arabia:
FEISAL
Well I will leave you, General. Major Lawrence
doubtless has reports to make. About my people;
and their weakness. And the need to keep them
weak. In the British interest. The French interest
too of course, we mustn't forget the French, now.
ALLENBY
I've told you, sir no such treaty exists.
--and:
DRYDEN
Well now, Mr. Sykes is an English Civil
Servant and Monsieur Picot is a French Civil
Servant. Mr. Sykes and Monsieur Picot met.
And they agreed that, after the war, France
and England should share the Turkish Empire.
Including Arabia. They signed an agreement
-- not a treaty, sir, an Agreement --- to that effect.
(Bolt
and Wilson, pp. II-63-64)
THE SUBJECTIVE STORY THROUGHLINE:
Throughline
Synopsis:
On
first meeting, Ali kills Lawrence's guide for drinking from his well,
leading Lawrence to call him "greedy, cruel, and barbarous."
Initially distrustful of Lawrence's motives, Ali comes to respect him
for achieving the impossible through sheer effort. Forced to use violence
in order to communicate with the Arabs, Lawrence grows more and more
barbarous--while Ali learns from the diplomacy of Lawrence and is drawn
toward politics as a career.
Backstory:
Lawrence,
the illegitimate son of an English baronet, will not take his father's
name or title, and thus has somewhat of an identity crisis. He feels
a need to prove his abilities to Ali, who is secure in his position
as leader within his tribe and as one of the Bedu peoples.
Domain
as it relates to Psychology:
Lawrence
is compassionate and caring, risking his own life for those in need of
his help, while Ali lives by the desert version of Social Darwinism, killing
enemies and scorning those weaker than him as worthless. Lawrence is changed
by the violent acts he's forced to take part in, until he is the cruel,
ruthless killer who'll take no prisoners. Ali meanwhile, is influenced
by Lawrence and grows to pity the Turks he's killing, eventually preferring
his natural skills as a politician rather than as a warrior.
Concern
as it relates to Conceiving:
Lawrence
devises a plan to make the Arabs great again by crossing the Nefud desert
and invading Akaba:
ALI
It cannot be approached from the landward side!
LAWRENCE
Certainly the Turks do not dream of it. [...] Akaba's
over there Ali. It's only a matter of going.
ALI
(with horror and unwilling respect)
You are mad!"
(Bolt
and Wilson, pp. 55-56)
When
Lawrence gets the idea to go back into the desert for Gasim, Ali refuses:
ALI
What for, to die with Gasim? In two minutes,
comes the sun. [...] In God's name understand!
We-can-not-go-back!
LAWRENCE
I can.
(Bolt
& Wilson, p. 70)
Urged
by Khitan and Auda to take revenge for the Turks' massacre, Lawrence responds
to Ali's alternate idea:
ALI
Aurens, not this, Go round. Damascus.
Damascus, Aurens, go round, go round.
--with:
LAWRENCE
No prisoners!! No prisoners!!
(Bolt
and Wilson, pp. II-92-93)
Range
as it relates to Deficiency:
Motivated
by Feisal's need for a miracle to unite the Arabs, Lawrence presents Ali
with the idea to take Akaba; driven by a lack of unity among the Arabs,
Lawrence acts as their leader; Ali warns Lawrence of the danger of losing
too many men because of not enough successful sorties; Lawrence explains
to Ali his deep-seated feelings of inadequacy over being illegitimate
and not inheriting title; Ali suggests bringing in the British as the
answer to the lack of engineers; etc.
Counterpoint
as it relates to Permission:
Ali
believes Lawrence incapable of crossing the Nefud -- the sun's anvil --
because it's never been done; Ali has no problem killing Lawrence's guide
and friend Tafas because he took water without permission; even though
the Arab factions are incapable, Lawrence won't allow British engineers
to take over Damascus as they'll take over government too; Ali tries to
restrain Lawrence from going back for Gasim, as he's incapable of surviving
the sun -- or so God has written.
Thematic
Conflict as it relates to Deficiency vs. Permission:
The
defiant Lawrence is not about to listen to what Ali thinks he's capable
of, and goes ahead and does what he thinks needed regardless. As the story
progresses, Lawrence will admit no limitations on his godlike leadership,
even when it jeopardizes his mission, because as Ali notes:
ALI: Truly, for some men nothing is written unless they write it.
Problem
as it relates to Possibility:
Lawrence
is excited about approaching Akaba from the landward side, across the
Nefud desert, but Ali insists that the reason the Turks won't be expecting
it is that it's not possible; Lawrence's going back to rescue Gasim in
the midday sun provokes Ali to predict his death and failure to reach
Akaba; etc.
Solution
as it relates to Probability:
Lawrence
ignores Ali's assessment of the likelihood of the departing Bedu looters
returning:
LAWRENCE
They'll come back.
BRIGHTON
He says they'll come back. Will they?
ALI
Not this year, Aurens.
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. II-19)
If
he had listened to Ali, Lawrence would not end up with only 20 men, making
a risky reconnoitre into Deraa, and falling into the Bey's clutches--and
would solve the problem between them.
Focus
as it relates to Reevaluation:
Ali
changes his negative opinion about Lawrence after he rescues Gasim, and
makes him an honorary Arab with leader's robes; after getting thrashed
by the Bey, the humbled Lawrence reassesses his desire to pass for an
Arab:
LAWRENCE
I'm not the Arab Revolt, Ali. I'm not even an Arab.
ALI
"A man can be whatever he wants." You said.
LAWRENCE
I'm sorry. I thought it was true.
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. II-53)
Direction
as it relates to Evaluation:
Putting
together all the experiences he's had with Lawrence leading to Damascus,
Ali finds he's had enough of being a ruthless warrior:
LAWRENCE
What about you, Ali?
ALI
No, I shall stay here. And learn politics.
LAWRENCE
That's a very low occupation.
ALI
I had not thought of it when I met you.
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. II-113)
Stipulation
as it relates to Becoming:
After
Lawrence succeeds in rescuing Gasim, the impressed Ali burns his British
clothes and gives him Sherif's robes-- making him a leader--and the Arab
name "Aurens"; by ruthlessly executing Gasim, Lawrence becomes
more like the "cruel, barbarous" Ali; after taking Akaba, Lawrence
receives:
ALI
Garlands for the conqueror. Tribute for the
Prince. Flowers for the man...
(B
and W, pp. 101-102)
Ali
sees Lawrence's transformation as complete after his ruthless slaughter
of the Turks at Talaal's village:
ALI
Surely you know the Arabs are a barbarous
people!... Barbarous and cruel? Who but they----?
Who but they----?
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. II-99)
Catalyst
as it relates to Permission:
Ali's
shooting of Tafas for drinking from his well without permission kicks
off the conflict between Lawrence and Ali:
ALI
He is dead.
LAWRENCE
Yes. Why?
ALI
This is my well.
LAWRENCE
I have drunk from it.
ALI
(politely)
You are welcome.
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. 31)
Honored
by Ali with a tribal leader's robes that moves their relationship to a
higher level, Lawrence wonders if he's able to respond to the Salaams
he receives:
LAWRENCE
(to Ali)
Is it permitted?
ALI
Surely.
ELDER HARITH
He for whom nothing is written may write
himself a clan. Salaam.
LAWRENCE
Salaam.
(Bolt
and Wilson, pp. 80-81)
Lawrence
seeks approval to settle a dispute between Auda and Ali's tribes by killing
a killer as a real Arab would, not realizing his victim's the man he's
rescued:
LAWRENCE
Sherif Ali! If none of Lord Auda's men harms
any of yours, will that content the Harith?
ALI
Yes!
LAWRENCE
Then I will execute the Law! I have no tribe
and No-one is offended!
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. 97)
Inhibitor
as it relates to Preconditions:
Lawrence
ignores the disgusted Ali's warning against taking along the unnecessary
Daud and Farraj:
ALI
Be warned. They are not suitable.
LAWRENCE
They sound very suitable... You can ride with the baggage.
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. 61)
Later,
after Farraj dies in quicksand and Lawrence finishes off the injured Daud,
Ali warns Lawrence his unreasonable demands are alienating the Arabs:
ALI
So they say they love you. The more reason to be
thrifty with them. Give them something to do that
can be done! But you... no, no, they must move
mountains, for you, they must walk on water!
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. II-40)
Lawrence's
insistence on passing for an Arab in Deraa leads to his capture and torture--after
which he almost leaves Ali to return to England.
T.E.
Lawrence's THROUGHLINE:
Role:
El
Aurens, broker of Arab unity
Description:
Although
it was widely believed that Lawrence was a homosexual, a multimillion-dollar
epic filmed in 1962 could not possibly be frank about that. And yet
Lean and his writer, Robert Bolt, didn't simply cave in and rewrite
Lawrence into a routine action hero.
Using O'Toole's peculiar speech and manner as their instrument, they
created a character who combined charisma and craziness, who was so
different from conventional military heroes that he could inspire the
Arabs to follow him in that mad march across the desert. There is a
moment in the movie when O'Toole, dressed in flowing white robes of
a desert sheik, does a victory dance on top of a captured Turkish train,
and almost seems to be posing for fashion photos. This is a curious
scene because it seems to flaunt gay stereotypes, and yet none of the
other characters in the movie seem to notice--nor do they take much
notice of the two young desert urchins that Lawrence takes under his
protection.
What
Lean, Bolt, and O'Toole create is a sexually and socially unconventional
man who is simply presented as what he is, without labels or comment.
(Roger
Ebert, in Cinemania)
Throughline
Synopsis:
Possessing
superior knowledge of Arab culture and character, Lawrence sets out
to discover Prince Feisal's political intentions. Once in the desert,
he gets the idea to unite the Arab tribes in a revolt against the Turks.
Succeeding, he starts to assimilate into their culture, donning their
dress and becoming a charismatic, almost godlike leader. Soon adopting
the violent methods inherent in such a harsh environment--and strangely
enjoying them--Lawrence experiences personal pain and degradation at
the hands of the Turks. Dispirited, he's persuaded to continue by the
flattery of the British and his unrealistic hopes of uniting the Arab
tribes permanently in post-war self-determination. He viciously leads
the Arabs in taking Damascus from the Turks, but it becomes a hollow
victory when the Arab alliance splits apart and the British take over.
Dismayed at letting himself be tricked by the British into using the
Arabs, he returns to England a disillusioned man.
Backstory:
T.E.
Lawrence was born in Tremadoc, North Wales, on August 16, 1888. His
father, a minor Anglo-Irish baronet named Thomas Chapman, had adopted
the surname Lawrence after deserting his wife to live with his former
housekeeper. Thomas Edward was the second son of this illicit but in
nearly every other way unremarkable, conventionally bourgeois union.
Indeed, so unremarkable was his family life that he probably did not
discover his illegitimacy until well into his teens. Thomas's boyhood
was marked by frequent moves--Scotland, Jersey, France, the New Forest--dictated
by the senior Lawrence's restless nature. The family finally settled
in Oxford where he attended the local high school and, in due time,
the university. From an early age, Thomas exhibited a precociousness
and intellectual curiosity that set him off from his peers. He became
interested in the Middle Ages and traveled by bicycle and foot over
parts of Europe and throughout the Near East, researching what would
become his senior thesis, Crusader Castles. After taking a "first"
in the Honors School of History, Lawrence went to the site of the ancient
Hittite city of Carchemish, on the banks of Euphrates, as a member of
an archaeological expedition. While there he immersed himself in Middle
Eastern culture and learned (well or poorly, depending on your source)
Middle Eastern languages. The myth would have it that Lawrence spent
more time spying on the Turks and the Germans than he did digging up
artifacts. Certain proof for this is lacking, but we needn't doubt that
any true-blue Englishman of Lawrence's generation, finding himself in
a foreign and potentially hostile part of the world (in this case, the
Ottoman Empire), would have instinctively kept eyes and ears open.
Soon after the outbreak of World War I, Lawrence, logically enough given
his background and studies, was offered a minor position with British
Intelligence in Cairo....
(Michael
Anderegg, in Morris & Raskin, p. 5-6)
Domain
as it relates to Universe:
The
blue-eyed blond Lawrence confuses pain with pleasure, and wants to prove
himself more capable of physical endurance than even the Bedu. But as
Feisal observes:
FEISAL
I think you are another of these desert-loving
Englishmen -- Doughty, Stanhope, Gordon of
Khartoum. No Arab loves the desert. We love
water and green trees. There is nothing in the
desert. And no man needs nothing.
(Bolt
and Wilson, pp. 50-51)
Lawrence
defies fate, intending to write history himself; acknowledging he is no
ordinary man, he lets himself be worshipped like a god, at one point asking:
LAWRENCE
My friends, who will walk on water with me?
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. II-41)
Concern
as it relates to The Present:
While
working as a mapmaker, Lawrence is more interested in the day-to-day events
of the Turk-Arab conflict; he's troubled by the current disunity among
the Arabs:
LAWRENCE
Sherif Ali! So long as the Arabs fight tribe
against tribe, so long will they be a little people.
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. 32)
After
crossing the Sinai with Farraj, Lawrence's first priority, before telling
Allenby about Akaba, is to get two glasses of lemonade to slake their
thirst; at the Arab Council meeting, Lawrence tries to focus on the business
at hand -- saving Damascus from ruin -- rather than the petitioners who
rush in:
LAWRENCE
We will hear petitions this afternoon! This afternoon...
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. II-109)
Range
as it relates to Attraction:
Lawrence
has a fascination for pain, as he shows with his match-snuffing trick:
LAWRENCE
The trick, William Potter, is not minding if it hurts.
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. 8)
Arabia
is an unexplained lure for him, as he comments while looking out to sea
at Akaba:
LAWRENCE
My god I love this country.
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. 102)
Lawrence
finds himself drawn to the homeless parentless urchins, Daud and Farraj,
even though Ali denigrates them; after killing Daud and Gasim, he confesses
to enjoying something about killing; he revels in " taking no prisoners"
among the Turks he leads bloody vengeance on; etc.
Counterpoint
as it relates to Repulsion:
To
become more of an Arab, Lawrence overcomes his repulsion to share the
mutton fat offered by Tafas:
LAWRENCE
thrusts out his hand and takes a piece and puts it in his mouth, watched
anxiously by TAFAS. There is no comedy, and from the steely concentration
of his face we see that the flesh is indeed mortified.
LAWRENCE
Good.
TAFAS
(very pleased, thrusts out the fat)
More?
LAWRENCE
gravely takes some more.
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. 26)
When
Ali kills Tafas, Lawrence is disgusted by the unforgiving nature of the
Bedu warrior; the repulsive Bey offers an unsavory fascination for Lawrence,
who smiles at his punishment; finally, Lawrence hates himself for the
suffering he's wrought on the Turkish hospital prisoners.
Thematic
Conflict as it relates to Attraction vs. Repulsion:
Attracted
to Arabia but initially repulsed by its "cruel, greedy, and barbarous
people," Lawrence gradually becomes inured to its violence. He grows
as a charismatic leader by self-sacrifice and the sacrifice of others,
to the point where he enjoys killing and revenge, until he realize what
he's become and leaves the country, disillusioned.
Problem
as it relates to Nonacceptance:
Lawrence
refuses to accept the cruel fate awaiting Arabia, the Sykes-Picot treaty
to split the region between the British and France, once the Turks are
disposed of. Instead, he fights to unite the warring tribes and give Arabia
to the Arabs.
Solution
as it relates to Acceptance:
If
Lawrence accepted the reality of the situation -- why are the British
helping the Arabs? Why are the Arabs unable to unite? -- he might realize
earlier that the future of Arabia is written and Damascus is the most
he can give the Arabs. As Dryden cuttingly tells him:
DRYDEN
You many not have known, but you certainly
had suspicions. If we've told lies you've told
half-lies... And a man who tells lies --- like
me --- merely hides the truth. But a man who
tells half-lies... has forgotten where he put it.
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. II-64)
Focus
as it relates to Reaction:
Lawrence
is amused at the Corporal's reaction to his match-snuffing feat:
The
CORPORAL is preoccupied with a burning match which he proceeds to extinguish
between his fingers.
CORPORAL
Ow! That damn well 'urts!
LAWRENCE
Certainly it hurts.
CORPORAL
Well what's the trick then?
LAWRENCE
The trick, William Potter, is not minding if it hurts.
(Bolt
and Wilson, pp. 7-8)
Deciding
to go back for Gasim, Lawrence delights in the troubled reaction he gets
from Ali:
ALI
Go back, blasphemer, but you will not
be at Akaba!
This
absolute loss of control yelled into LAWRENCE's face affords him the most
exquisite satisfaction --- it is victory. To drive the point home, he
turns his most amused, most donnish expression upon his hated friend and
says pleasantly:
LAWRENCE
I shall be at Akaba. That is written. In here.
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. 71)
Direction
as it relates to Proaction:
Seeing
how his endurance of pain impresses people, Lawrence uses it to achieve
the impossible -- crossing the Nefud desert, going back into the sun to
rescue Gasim, executing his rescued friend, etc. -- and convince the Arabs
he is worthy to lead them against the Turks and gain freedom.
Stipulation
as it relates to The Future:
Lawrence
becomes more and more concerned with the future of Arabia and its people:
LAWRENCE
Sherif Ali! So long as the Arabs fight tribe
against tribe, so long will they be a little people.
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. 32)
He
agrees with Feisal that:
FEISAL
The English have a great hunger for desolate
places, Lieutenant I fear they hunger for Arabia.
LAWRENCE
Then you must deny it to them.
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. 50)
He
accepts the lie he drags out of Allenby:
LAWRENCE
I want to know sir, if I can tell them in your
name, we have no ambitions in Arabia.
ALLENBY
Certainly.
(Bolt
& Wilson, p.138)
He
reassures Bentley regarding the Arabs:
LAWRENCE
They hope to gain their freedom. Freedom.
BENTLEY
...they hope to gain their freedom... There's one born
every minute.
LAWRENCE
They're going to get it, Mr. Bentley. I'm going to
give it to them.
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. II-23)
Unique
Ability as it relates to Work:
Because
he believes himself no ordinary mortal, Lawrence approaches tasks considered
impossible by others as infinitely do-able -- and does them. Chosen by
Dryden because of his knowledge of Arabian affairs, Lawrence is confident:
LAWRENCE
Of course I'm the man for the job. What is
the job, by the way?
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. 19)
Critical
Flaw as it relates to Doubt:
Lawrence
first has doubts about his ability to continue in the desert while informing
Allenby about his taking Akaba:
LAWRENCE
I -- killed -- two people. [...] there was something
about it I didn't like.
ALLENBY
Well, naturally.
LAWRENCE
No. Something else.
ALLENBY
What then?
LAWRENCE
I enjoyed it.
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. 128)
After
the Bey has had his way, Lawrence expresses his intent to leave Arabia
for England:
ALI
Why?
LAWRENCE
I've come to the end of myself. I suppose.
ALI
And the end of the Arab Revolt.
LAWRENCE
I'm not the Arab Revolt. I'm not even an Arab.
ALI
"A man can be whatever he wants." You said.
LAWRENCE
I'm sorry. I thought it was true.
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. II-53)
Sherif Ali's THROUGHLINE:
Role:
Bedu
warrior, leader of the Harith tribe
Description:
"He
is a handsome young man of about LAWRENCE's age; an impressive figure
in both bearing and costume."
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. 30)
Throughline
Synopsis:
Ali
is territorial by nature, killing fellow Arabs who drink his water uninvited.
Moved by El Aurens' ability to determine his own future against impossible
odds and his self-sacrificing compassion, he also comes to envy his
winning way with words. Ali sees himself in the increasingly violent
Aurens--disliking what he sees--and starts to feel compassion for his
Turk victims. Studying the British system of government, he finds it
preferable to all-out bloodshed, and determines to learn politics.
Backstory:
As
a Bedu, Ali is mired in the caste system, having no respect or compassion
for those of enemy tribes or of lower status than himself. Wary by nature,
he's learned to shoot first and ask no questions later.
Domain
as it relates to Mind:
Ali
believes the future is written, and man is foolish to try to change the
will of God. He distrusts anyone who is not an Arab, not of his own superior
tribe, and especially the English.
Concern
as it relates to The Conscious:
Ali
considers certain things impossible -- such as crossing the Nefud desert,
rescuing Gasim, resolving the blood feud between his tribe and Auda's,
Lawrence passing for an Arab -- until Lawrence proves otherwise.
Range
as it relates to Appraisal :
By
killing Tafas, Ali gives Lawrence a first impression of Arabs as "greedy,
barbarous, and cruel"; Ali's initial reaction to Lawrence is to compare
him with Brighton:
ALI
Old fool! Why turn from him (Brighton) to
him? (Lawrence) They are master and man.
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. 48)
Ali
first believes Lawrence to be weak compared to the Bedu, and a blasphemer
for daring to tempt God by trying the impossible.
Counterpoint
as it relates to Reappraisal:
After
Lawrence returns with Gasim, Ali reassesses and finds Lawrence worthy
of an Arab leader's robes and of salaams; Ali argues Bentley's contention
that Lawrence has:
BENTLEY
Changed, hasn't he?
ALI
(loyally)
No.
BENTLEY
Oh I'd say he had. Different man, I'd say. What
did that Turkish General do to him, in Deraa?
ALI
He was the same man after Deraa... the same man
humbled! (the humbleness was an added virtue
evidently)
(Bolt
and & Wilson, p. II-79-80)
When
Lawrence arms himself with mercenaries, Ali reappraises his leadership
abilities; after Damascus' Arab government falls apart, Ali reassesses
his nature as a warrior and grows toward politics instead.
Thematic
Conflict as it relates to Appraisal vs. Reappraisal:
Over
the course of his experiences at Lawrence's side, Ali learns that his
initial impressions are not always correct. He grows from a warrior who
impulsively acts on the situation as it occurs, to a more diplomatic man
who takes the time to rethink before acting -- a politician in the making.
Problem
as it relates to Production:
Ali
is quick to close himself off to the potential in situations, having ruled
out certain options as impossible, such as with Akaba:
ALI
You are mad. To come to Akaba by land we
should have to cross the Nefud. [...] The Nefud
cannot be crossed.
--and:
ALI
There are guns at Akaba.
LAWRENCE
They face the sea Ali. And they cannot be turned
round. From the landward side there are no
guns at Akaba.
ALI
With good reason! It cannot be approached from
the landward side!
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. 55)
Solution
as it relates to Reduction:
At
story's end, Ali, with Lawrence's help, considers the probable outcome
of his actions and acts differently:
AUDA
You insulted me --- Harith!
This last word is said as a term of abuse. ALI starts and LAWRENCE grips
his wrist.
LAWRENCE
If you answer [there'll] be bloodshed.
ALI
Do you speak to me of bloodshed?
LAWRENCE
takes this in. He releases ALI's hand which is removed. ALI raises his
voice:
ALI
I ask pardon of Auda Ibu Tayi.
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. II-106)
Focus
as it relates to Reevaluation:
When
Ali reevaluates his first impressions, he tends to swing to the opposite
conclusion. Initially thinking Lawrence weak and incapable, he goes overboard
by giving him the robes of a Sherif:
FARRAJ
AND DAUD
Salaams Sherif.
LAWRENCE
(to ALI)
It is permitted?
ALI
Surely.
ELDER HARITH
He for whom nothing is written may write
himself a clan. Salaam.
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. 80-81)
This
creates problems for Lawrence by feeding his ego and delusions of grandeur,
losing sight of who he really is and considering himself to be the Arab
Revolt:
MAJID
Aurens! Can you pass for an Arab in an Arab town?
LAWRENCE
Yes. If one of you will lend me some dirty clothes!
(Bolt
and Wilson, II-43)
Direction
as it relates to Evaluation:
Ali
repeatedly questions how Lawrence's doing, and evaluates the current situation
afresh, challenging Lawrence's assumptions. After the taking of Akaba,
Ali's concerned with _the bigger picture regarding Lawrence's mission
to Cairo:
LAWRENCE
Look Ali. If any of your Bedouin arrived in Cairo
and told them that we've taken Akaba, the Generals
would laugh!
ALI
(quietly, but with the bitterness of frustrated love)
I see. In Cairo you will put off these funny clothes;
you will wear trousers and tell stories of our
quaintness and barbarity. And then they will
believe you.
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. 104)
Evaluating
the state of the tired Bedu warriors, Ali points out to Lawrence the folly
of pushing them beyond their limits:
ALI
So they say th_ey love you. _The more reason to
be thrifty with them. Give them something to do
that can be done! But you... no, no, they must
move mountains, for you, they must walk on
water!
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. II-40)
Stipulation
as it relates to The Subconscious:
Driven
by the Bedu warrior's hatred of an enemy, Ali thinks nothing of killing
Tafas for drinking from his well; after blowing up Turkish trains, Ali
pleads for the toughened Lawrence to go easy on his men; he develops compassion
for his friend when nursing the tortured Lawrence back to health; eventually,
he feels pity even for his enemy the Turks, receiving artillery fire:
ALI
God help the men who lie under that.
Finally,
he begs Lawrence to cease the slaughtering of Turks who pillaged Talaal's
village:
ALI
Aurens! Enough! Enough! Make them stop!
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. II-97)
Unique
Ability as it relates to Investigation:
Ali
questions Lawrence's every decision and plan, based on his knowledge of
what is possible in Arabia and what God will allow. This has the effect
of spurring Lawrence to prove himself with ever more difficult tasks:
ALI
The Nefud cannot be crossed.
LAWRENCE
I'll cross it if you will.
ALI
You? It takes more than a compass, Englishman.
The Nefud is the worst place God created!
LAWRENCE
Oh I can't answer for the place. Only for myself.
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. 54)
Critical
Flaw as it relates to Attempt:
Accompanying
Lawrence on endeavors he has himself deemed impossible, Ali has to concede
that Lawrence was right when they succeed against all odds:
ALI
El Aurens... Truly, for some men nothing
is written unless they write it.
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. 78)
--and:
ALI
The miracle is accomplished. Garlands for
the conqueror.
(Bolt
and Wilson, p. 102)
ACT
PROGRESSIONS:
The
Objective Throughline Act Order:
Objective
Story Signpost #1 as it relates to Understanding:
Dryden
seconds Lawrence from General Murray to the Arab Bureau, sending him to
Arabia to get a better understanding of Feisal's long-term intentions.
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