“Taxi Driver” and “The Metal Children” are both highly compelling and deeply disturbing. The intriguing plot and interesting protagonist of both kept my attention from start to finish. Travis and Tobin, though very different in occupation and personality type, begin in similar situations. The two characters show early signs of unhealthy mental states. For Travis, this is indicated by insomnia, for Tobin it is his irresponsible behavior, namely unprotected sex and drug use. Both men are plagued by loneliness due to unsuccessful love lives- Travis fails with Betsy, Tobin is dealing with his wife’s leaving him- and some sort of lack of satisfaction with life. Travis is dissatisfied with the “scum” which inhabits his city. Tobin is dissatisfied with his inability to write novels which achieve the commercial success he desires.
The two characters, however, take on very different courses of action. Tobin takes on a nothing matters sort of attitude in response to his difficulties. He partakes in irresponsible behaviors like the ones mentioned above and stops being productive. He no longer keeps his apartment clean, stops paying attention to his health, and does not keep up with his writing. He becomes pathetic. When the controversy in the Midlothia school begins Tobin is given a chance to be proactive. However, if not for a significant push from Bruno he would have chosen to ignore it. Once in Midlothia he continues his passive behavior. Vera tells him of the irresponsible behavior she and the other young women are engaging in in response to his novel. Instead of using his influence to guide her in a more productive and responsible direction, he lets it happen. He even perpetuates and shows support for the activity by impregnating Vera.
Tobin gives his greatest display of apathy at the board meeting itself. After three people give passionate speeches about the implications and messages of his novel, Tobin gets up and essentially says his novel is meaningless. Though this appeals to my personal feelings about art, I feel that he should have used the opportunity to defend the novel. He could have played off the point of view of social commentary. He could have pointed out to those assembled that the life of one of the young women who gets pregnant ends in tragedy. Instead he gets up and tells a pathetic story filled with self pity.
For Travis, on the other hand, everything in life takes on more meaning. As he becomes more frustrated with the state of affairs in his city, he decides to take action. He diets and exercises to become healthier and stronger- a sharp contrast to Tobin’s unhealthy coping methods. He buys weapons to enable himself to fight against those who ruin the city. However, he begins his attempts to improve the city in a nonviolent way. He goes to see Iris, the prostitute looking for a way out. Instead of sleeping with her as expected, he tries to get her to leave her pimp. Though she initially refuses, Travis continues to try to persuade Iris when he takes her out for pie.
Travis’s active attempts to change the city culminate when he shoots the pimp and his partner. There isn’t much more active than risking your own life to kill another. Nothing can stop him, not the risk of being killed or even actually being shot. In contrast to Tobin’s lack of motivation, Travis is determined to achieve his goal no matter what.
