When I first saw the cover of The Metal Children, I have to say it didn’t really draw me in. And then, after watching the trailer for Taxi Driver I didn’t even really want to watch it. Two assignments I had to complete but thought that I would dread. I was dead wrong. Although I didn’t fall completely in love with the play and the movie, I did enjoy them.I believe that Tobin and Travis shared more differences than similarities and to tell you the truth I really liked Travis and kind of hated Tobin.
Both protagonists are lonely characters who seem to be searching for a purpose or meaning to their life. Tobin is so devastated over his wife leaving him that he starts to sort of self destruct in his messy apartment. Thankfully his editor and friend, Bruno, is there to help him pick up the pieces. I believe that when Tobin was first told to go to Midlothia he was just sort of going there to please Bruno but as he learned about the controversy his book started and then also learned that the girls were forming a pregnancy pact he started to become more interested. I have to admit that I was so disgusted when Tobin slept with Vera. I couldn’t believe it and that is also when I started to hate Tobin’s character. I think because Tobin was desperately looking for a purpose to his life he, like Travis, went to the extremist side and decided to sleep with Vera knowing that that might lead to him fathering a child with a minor. Where Tobin differs with Travis is that I don’t think he really is reacting much to the established authority, which in this case would be everyone against his book. To me he seems a little nonchalant about the whole thing. Travis on the other hand stands up against the established authority and takes matters into his own hands.
Like Tobin, Travis also felt extremely alone and simply wanted to feel alive and find someone to spend the rest of his life with. I love Travi’s character because he is so naive. Even though he took Betsy to a pornographic movie, I felt so bad for him when he was apologizing to her and sending flowers and she coldheartedly turned him down. Another reason why I like Travis more than Tobin, is that when he is confronted in a room with a young girl trying to make moves on him, just like Tobin and Vera, Travis is actually disgusted by it and turns her down multiple times. He understands why it’s wrong on so many levels, and vows to help her escape from all of this. He is not afraid to take matters into his own hands and stand up against the authoritative figures. Even though he did murder the Pimp I think that in these situations the ends justify the means. In the NYC that Travis lived in, the cops were not much help so if Travis had not taken matters into his own hands there really wasn’t anyone who could have saved Iris.
A common theme that I noticed between these two pieces is loneliness. As we see in the end both protagonists are left alone even though Vera and Betsy both go to see them. Although both women had their own selfish reasons for going. Vera needed money and Betsy only started liking Travis again because of his fame. Where was she when he was calling her and sending her flowers?
“… I’m waiting for the sun to shine.”-Travis Bickle
