on the waterfront

On The Waterfront
Terry Malloy as a “Hero???”
When Terry Malloy was first introduced, he did not make any indications
that he would strive for the respect that he gained throughout the story.
His tough-guy behavior and compassionate attitude has made him what
he is: a hero. He never revealed what he was truly made of or what he
was capable of. He always had low self-esteem about himself
—repeatedly calling himself a “bum.” Despite his stubbornness to
change and his ignorance to others, Malloy proves himself by doing what
he knows is right to be a true hero. Throughout the whole film, Malloy
displayed himself as a bum. He rarely works, and he is a has-been boxer.
Others occasionally criticize him about his boxing career; explaining to
him that he was no good. Because a lot of the criticism got to Terry’s
head, he was unable to associate with others. This proves so with the
relationship he has with Edie Doyle. He is barely able to hold the
relationship with Edie, even though she is the one whom Terry loves so
much. Up to this point, Malloy does not display himself as a hero, or
even close to being one.
When Malloy put himself to the test, he rarely came out successful. This
all changed when he saw the death of his brother, Charlie the Gent.
Malloy decided to stand up for what he knew was right and went to
speak with Johnny Friendly face to face. As the scene unfolded, the
depiction of Malloy being a hero was relevant. He stood up for his
brother, and his girlfriend. He knew what the outcome would be if he
confronted the “hoods,” yet he did what he had to do for the people on
the dock, and above all, for the people he cared about the most; and for
this, he gained the respect and loyalty that he deserved.
As the film progressed, Malloy’s character seemed to have changed. He
became more sensitive towards Edie, and he stuck with his wits and
testified against his own former friends, “the hoods.” But with every
good thing, there must be something bad that comes out of it. When

Malloy lost the respect of his co-workers and friends by testifying against
the hoods, he became a target for blame that the people of the town
needed to show that they were still behind the hoods. Yet when Malloy
went on the dock and professed what he truly thought of Friendly and the
others, the people of the town realized that what Terry was saying is
correct, and they eventually regained there respect for Terry. What he did
in that last scene proves him to be a hero. He was the only one that stood
up against the hoods and he was willing to accept the consequence of his
actions. All the people needed was someone they could look up to,
someone to lead them one their way; that is the definition of a hero, and
Terry Malloy expressed himself as one.