True Happiness In Alfred Hitchcock's Theory Of Happiness

What truly is happiness? When will one become completely and utterly satisfied with the life he or she presently lives? Alfred Hitchcock’s definition of happiness is, a clear horizon. By this, he meant that to truly obtain happiness one must live with no worries or not allowing negativity surrounding them to gain control of them. He explains that one cruel word said by someone can affect his mood and optimism immensely after it is said. Hitchcock doesn’t stand alone regarding his theory of happiness either. British Philosopher, Alan Watts and author, Don Miguel Ruiz have both expressed their own ideas on how obtaining true happiness can become a reality and they are in most ways, congruent with Hitchcock’s. Hitchcock’s 1943 film, Shadow of

The film starts in Uncle Charlie’s house in New Jersey with a close up on Uncle Charlie lying face-up in bed staring blankly at the ceiling motionless. This way of hopeless minded state is imitated by Young Charlie several minutes later when the setting changes to her home in Santa Rosa. She as well is lying in bed motionless and depressed-like staring up at her bedroom ceiling. However, unlike the scene with Uncle Charlie, we get validation of our assumption that to Young Charlie is dealing with the feeling of hopelessness and sadness. During the conversation with her father while she’s lying in bed she says that she has simply given up and ceases to expect anything, but stagnate sadness going forward. Charlie directs this sadness towards the fact that her and her family seem to just go through the motions day in and day out. By both Charlie’s letting their negative surroundings affect their current state of minds they prove Hitchcock’s theory upon happiness to be true. To elaborate on why young Charlie is stuck in this rut due to the negativity surrounding her we can look at what Alan Watts says about accomplishing happiness or self-fulfillment. Watts explains that humans must have assurance of their future in order to sustain happiness for a lengthy period of time and because of this need for assurance, it is impossible to obtain happiness. Watt’s

He describes them as pigs and explains that all they care about is their money and what they buy with that money which in in this case, is jewelry. At the end of his speech, young Charlie boasts the statement, “But they’re alive, they’re human beings”! This is the beginning of the ultimate end of young Charlie’s self-control relative to her depressing mind state. A few seconds later young Charlie’s father’s friend, Herbert enters the room and strolls over to him with a napkin wrapping something. Herbert and Joe, Charlie’s father begin to discuss the act of killing someone and how to get away with it. A few seconds into this conversation little Charlie jumps out of her seat because she cannot handle her compulsive thinking and worrying anymore and exclaims, “What’s the matter with you two? Do you always have to talk about killing people?”. This is when we, the audience are able to see what has ultimately happened to her in result of the negativity surrounding her and the mass amount of worrying she had been the victim of. After jumping out of her dinner seat and yelling, young Charlie storms away. Her uncle chases after her to speak with her and after approximately five minutes they end up sitting across from one another in a bar. At this point, little Charlie has calmed down some, but now it is Uncle Charlie’s turn to reach his