Sopranos fans are no strangers to imagery and metaphor on their favorite HBO Sunday night mafia drama. David Chase has pushed the envelope on symbology in a tv drama. From overt metaphorical dreams to brilliantly shot introspective sequences, viewers have gained insight into spiritual depravity of mafia life.
Last week’s Kennedy and Heidi episode was no different. This time Chase used a poem by William Wordsworth to draw attention to the choices Tony Soprano has made and compare the to the choices AJ Soprano will be forced to make.
The World Is Too Much with Us
The world is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;
Little we see in Nature that is ours;
We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!
This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon,
The winds that will be howling at all hours,
And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers,
For this, for everything, we are out of tune;
It moves us not.–Great God! I’d rather be
A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;
So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,
Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;
Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;
Or hear old Triton blow his wreathed horn.
In Wordsworth’s poem “The World Is Too Much with Us,” Wordsworth says: ‘Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers.’ In so doing, he calls into question our own spiritual poverty. It’s religious significance is reminiscent of the “Parable of the Three Servants,” where the servant buries God’s gifts. Wordsworth hints that while we lust after trying to “make it” in our day-to-day lives, we succumb to the world of materialism and eventually a soulless death.
Through Tony’s character, we experience this first hand. He’s made choices that distance himself from the beauty of Nature. While everyone else suffers, and regrets the choices they make, Tony remains detached. In effect, his soul is dead. AJ, his son, is at the crossroads in his life. Before the end of the season, he will be forced to choose between following in his father’s footsteps or become his own person. Most likely, the Sopranos creative team will either leave this question open-ended, or kill off AJ just as he is about to make the choice.
With only a few episodes left, a war with New York is definately on the horizon, and can come as soon as May 20. Ironically, a doped up Chris was the voice of reason in this episode. He advised Tony to just give in to Phil’s 25% demand. But, unfortunately Chris’ advice was tainted by his character’s drug affliction. And what of Carmella? Her character is as much a protagonist as is Tony’s. As viewers we see Tony through Carmella’s eyes, and share in her love-hate relationship.
What do you think will happen before the end of the season? Leave a message and let us know your thoughts.
