The Cruelty of Human Nature

In the first paper I wrote for the class, I discussed the relationship that is present between trust and deception in the film, and how the characters’ desire for money was the fuel for this relationship. In the revision process, I plan to take this discussion of trust and deception further by incorporating how it is in human nature to deceive. By acknowledging that it is part of human nature to take advantage of one another’s trust – in the pursuit of one’s own self interest – a new perspective can be seen in the Coen Brother’s film, The Big Lebowski. When the role that human nature is playing in the characters’ actions throughout the film is kept in mind, the movie appears to be an even bigger representation of the cruel society we live in today. We live in a world where people are quick to take advantage of the mishaps of those around them and sometimes it feels almost as though the harder we try to succeed, the more everything seems to fall apart. Most of the characters in the film displayed moments of deceit, where the sole purpose of their actions was to take advantage of another character; Mr. Lebowski and the Dude, the nihilists and Mr. Lebowski, Walter and Mr. Lebowski. In all these cases the former attempted to deceive the latter. What is ironic though, is that the Dude on his own, never really tried to deceive anybody; it was never his idea to steal the entire million. All the Dude ever wanted was his fucking rug back.