American Gothic is a diverse genre that often follows themes of terror, oppression, and danger. A popular film, The Joker, follows many common characteristics of this genre by portraying a subject that demonstrates the severity of numerous mental illnesses that individuals fight every day in our society. The production follows Arthur, a standup comedian and clown, who has numerous medical conditions that make him feel like an outlier in his city. His conditions make him appear heartless, extremely irritable, and essentially fearless. The Joker captivates the thoughts and actions of Arthur by taking the audience into his mind to show his day-to-day struggles, confusion, and insecurities as he tries to be “normal”.
It is clear that Arthur makes an effort to hold a job and take his medication to make himself better and a functional societal member. He attempts to control his rapid impulses and overpowering emotions, but once his social services center shuts down, he no longer receives his much-needed therapy, medicine and treatment. He becomes mentally insane, hostile, and eventually murders people who ridicule him for his condition or have previously mocked his differences. After Arthur kills three rich men on a subway because they mocked his behavior, many people in the city support and condone his erratic behavior. Average citizens take part in killing the rich by assaulting cops, robbing businesses, and nearly burning the entire city down. The poor not only want better lives, but they want revenge. Ultimately, they want to inflict pain and kill the wealthy people to have them experience the life of an average citizen in their destructive city.
Literature of the American Gothic genre often includes excessive extremes, horrific pain, and social anxieties. Arthur’s impulsiveness, sense of humor, and motives demonstrate many of the common themes of the genre. His irrationality and evil acts of self-defense demonstrate the extreme measures he was willing to take to protect himself and his mother. As mentioned above, he led riots and hate crimes to get revenge for the neglect and harassment he received as a child. The movie makes it clear that Arthur is psychotic suffers from delusions through his relationship and encounters with woman at the end of his apartment. At the end of the film, it is revealed that the entire relationship was a fantasy made up in his head. All Arthur wanted was to feel accepted by his peers and coworkers; however, his persistent anxiety, overwhelming depression, and underlying schizophrenia left him feeling alone and helpless while battling the tormenting horrors in his head.
Literacy tropes, including sounds and places, are common distinguishing agents in American Gothic literature. Sound plays an important role as it keeps the viewers engaged and interested in the story. In the film, Arthur has a distinct and memorable evil laugh that draws attention to his insanity. The displacement and crudeness of his humor traces his madness and makes the audience question his sanity. His poor, rundown, and neglected home is an example of the vivid setting in which the story takes place. He has few furnishings, minimal lighting, and questionable artifacts in his home that keep the viewers in suspicion of what might happen next. The setting and effects of the production are clear examples of common conventions in American Gothic literature.
Arthur is seen as a rebel to ordinary people in his city because he is not afraid to stand up for what he believes, even if it means risking the lives of other innocent people. He believed that the world was “out to get him”, thus justifying the fights and battles he got into with others. American Gothic is an interesting topic to many people because it includes situations that are somewhat personal and relatable. Viewers can imagine the horrific thoughts, nightmares, and pain that Arthur suffered on a daily basis. They can apply Arthur’s story to our society and picture what could happen if people didn’t receive proper care. His story demonstrates the dire necessity to dedicate more effort and resources to support those in need of medical and psychological treatment. The conventions, themes, and traits of The Joker make the movie a memorable and relatable production that captivates many of the premises of the American Gothic genre.