I decided to take another look at Jaws through Girard by ChatGPT. The first time out, in 3 Quarks Daily, I was careful and systematic, prompting ChatGPT separately about Jaws and about Girard before asking it to use Girard as a vehicle for interpreting Jaws – BTW, and FWIW, I hate the “interpretive lens” trope. This time I decided to go straight at it, asking ChatGPT to interpret Jaws through Girard in my first prompt.
Stephen Spielberg is an important film-maker. Jaws is one of his most important films because it is generally considered to be the first blockbuster. Rene Girard remains an important thinker. Can you use Girard’s ideas mimetic desire and sacrifice to analyze Jaws?
Rene Girard's concept of mimetic desire refers to the way in which human desires are often modeled on the desires of others. According to Girard, this process of imitation leads to conflict and competition as people strive to attain the same objects or status as those they desire.
Girard's concept of sacrifice, on the other hand, refers to the way in which societies use ritualized forms of violence to deflect conflict and restore social harmony. In many societies, this takes the form of animal or human sacrifice, in which a scapegoat is chosen to bear the blame for social tensions and is then punished or killed in order to expiate the guilt of the community.
In the film Jaws, the character of the shark could potentially be seen as a scapegoat, as it becomes the focus of the community's fear and anger, and ultimately must be destroyed in order to restore a sense of safety and security to the community. In this way, the film could be seen as exploring themes of mimetic desire and sacrifice in the context of a small beach community threatened by a perceived external threat.
The first two paragraphs, on Girard, are OK. But the application to Jaws is thin, saying nothing specific about mimetic desire. I asked for another response to the prompt:
Yes, it is possible to analyze the film "Jaws" using Rene Girard's concepts of mimetic desire and sacrifice.
Mimetic desire refers to the idea that we often desire things because we see others wanting them. In the case of "Jaws," the townspeople's desire to go to the beach and swim is influenced by the desire of others to do the same. This mimetic desire creates a sense of competition and rivalry, as people try to outdo each other in their enjoyment of the beach.
Girard's concept of sacrifice, on the other hand, refers to the idea that violence and conflict can be resolved through the ritual sacrifice of a scapegoat. In "Jaws," the townspeople's fear of the shark leads them to scapegoat the animal, and they come together to hunt and kill it as a way of restoring peace and order to the community. The shark becomes the sacrificial victim that allows the townspeople to resolve their conflicts and move on.
Overall, Girard's ideas of mimetic desire and sacrifice can be used to analyze the themes of competition, desire, and violence in "Jaws."
This is much better. And notice how ChatGPT organizes its response. First we have Girard on mimetic desire along with an application to the film. Then we get sacrifice followed immediately by an application to the film. This is different from its first response.
Let’s spin the wheel again:
Certainly! Rene Girard's ideas of mimetic desire and sacrifice can be used to analyze the film Jaws in a number of ways.
Mimetic desire, as described by Girard, refers to the way in which human desire is often shaped and influenced by the desires of others. In Jaws, this idea is evident in the way that the characters of Chief Martin Brody and Matt Hooper initially resist the idea of a killer shark, but eventually become fixated on the idea and begin to pursue it with a sense of competitive desire. This mimetic desire is further exacerbated by the presence of Quint, a professional shark hunter who serves as a model for the other characters' desire to catch the shark.
The idea of sacrifice is also central to Girard's thought and can also be seen in the film Jaws. In the film, the character of Quint ultimately sacrifices himself in order to save the others and kill the shark. This act of sacrifice serves to restore order to the community and bring an end to the chaos caused by the shark.
Overall, Girard's ideas of mimetic desire and sacrifice can help to shed light on the underlying themes and conflicts in the film Jaws and provide a deeper understanding of the motivations and actions of the characters.
Roughly the same structure as the previous response but different applications. For mimetic desire we have Brody, Cooper, and Quint, in contrast to the townspeople previously. On sacrifice we have Quint sacrificing himself vs. the townspeople killing the shark.
One last time:
Yes, it is possible to use the ideas of mimetic desire and sacrifice as developed by Rene Girard to analyze the film Jaws. Mimetic desire refers to the way in which human desire is often influenced and shaped by the desire of others. In other words, we often desire things not because of some inherent value or qualities they possess, but because we see others desiring them. This can lead to conflicts and rivalries as individuals compete for the same object of desire.
In Jaws, the central object of desire is the shark, which is seen as a threat to the beach-goers and the local community. The desire to kill the shark becomes a shared desire among the main characters, Chief Martin Brody, oceanographer Matt Hooper, and shark hunter Quint. This shared desire creates a bond among the men and drives the action of the film.
Sacrifice, as understood by Girard, refers to the way in which societies often deal with conflicts and tensions by identifying a victim or scapegoat upon which to blame and punish. In Jaws, the shark serves as a scapegoat for the tensions and conflicts within the community. The shark becomes the focus of their fear and anger, and its death becomes a necessary sacrifice in order to restore order and harmony to the community.
Overall, Girard’s ideas of mimetic desire and sacrifice can be used to analyze the way in which the shark serves as a catalyst for the conflicts and tensions within the community in Jaws, and how its death serves as a means of resolution and restoration of order.
In this last case the shark itself seems to be the object of a rather perverse desire. ChatGPT transforms that into a desire to kill the shark which creates a bond between Brody, Hooper, and Quint. And then we have the standard line on sacrificing the shark.
More later. I’ve got Marxist, psychoanalytic, and feminist interpretations ready to go. The feminist interpretation gets lost in Quint’s song about swimmin’ with bow-legged women.
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