Symbolism is one of the most important parts of artwork, as it allows the reader or viewer to come to their conclusions through the imagery. Symbols can have different meanings depending on the context in which they are placed, and even the smallest details change their essence. An example of such a situation is the film and novel Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Truman Capote’s published his novel in 1958 and presented the world of Holiday (Holly) Golightly through the view of an unnamed narrator who was a writer, neighbor and became a friend of the woman. The novel is filled with many different characters that tell the story of the characters. In 1961, the book was adapted into a film that won popularity with thousands of viewers. One of the most striking symbols appearing in the story is a cage, which is vital for creating images of protagonists and their relationships. However, although in Breakfast at Tiffany’s film and novel the cage carries the same central meaning, nuances of plot and images also reveal other sides of this symbol, demonstrating the importance of context.
The reader can see the cage throughout the story, but in different ways in the movie and novel. In the novel, one can find this symbol in Holly’s grudge against zoos, in her Christmas gift to the friend, and even in the fact that Holly herself goes to prison (Capote 42, 46, 66). In the movie, this cage is visible only a few times in the frame, but its meaning is fully revealed in the taxi scene. For both the film and the book cage is a symbol of imprisonment, the opposite of freedom, which Holliday so desperately seeks.
Many readers and viewers may think that this is the primary purpose of this cage is to emphasize the main character’s wild and freedom-loving nature.
It is possible to notice that both protagonists of the story built their cages, since they feel out of place, in isolation. The first time Holly lost her freedom was at a young age, since at 14 she married Doc Golightly, and became a wife, mother, and sister before trying a life (Capote 51). Probably, the prospect of being locked in this “cage” forever frightened the young girl, and now she did not want to be locked again. Even though the cage and everything that it symbolizes worries, Holly, throughout the story, seeks to find a rich husband and become domestic at a specific price (Cusack 173). Thus, the readers can think that Holly is superficial as her pursuit of money deprives all her conviction of meaning and makes her hypocritical. However, the different finale of the stories of the film and the novel will also give a different sense to this idea.
The film’s ending is a romantic and beautiful love story representing one of the meanings of the cage symbol. Paul fiercely tells Holly that she builds a cage around herself, preventing their relationship and her feelings, which makes Holly realize her mistake and stay with Paul (Edwards). Although this scene is absent from the book, this exact interpretation of the cage image is also described by the author, which, according to Scott, makes adding this symbol to the story and ” close reading” useless (133). This statement is reasonable in the book, but in the film, even this vivid scene leaves room for thought.
Probably, for Holly, lack of freedom is not family, husband, and marriage, but love for the person and dependence on this feeling, so she builds a cage to protect herself. Her close relationship with her brother made her responsible and dependent on him and leaving her husband was necessary but painful since she loved him and took care of him (Edwards). Consequently, Holly’s desire to become the wife of a rich man is not a “cage of feelings” for her, but only an opportunity for a comfortable life and not hypocrisy. At the same time, her choice to stay with Paul demonstrates that she broke her cage and become free from the fear of losing her freedom. Audrey Hepburn’s acting and her reputation as a wife and mother in real life also helped create this romantic story, which, according to Wasson, helped make the image of the frivolous Holly more responsible and sane (Nayar 175). Thus, in this case, the context not only of the film but of the culture and conditions in which it was created influenced the meaning of the symbol.
Nevertheless, the ending of the novel revealed that Holly escaped the cage and fulfilled her wishes. The narrator says that Holly went to South America and a few years later sent a postcard where she talked about her travels and marriage to a rich man. There is a certain amount of hypocrisy in marriage since Holly’s fear of losing her freedom is not comparable to traditional marriage. However, Holly always said she wanted to find a place “where I and things belong together,” and perhaps this marriage was its embodiment (Capote 33). Consequently, the cage symbol is revealed in a different way in the novel as it emphasizes Holly’s eternal yearning for the freedom that she has eventually received.
Another significant difference between the film and the book, which influenced the representation of symbolism, is the depiction of the cage. The item appears numerous times in the book, and in Scott’s opinion, it has an obvious meaning. For example, Holly’s protest against zoos with animals locked in them, or a scene when she presents the cage to the narrator but takes a promise from him do not to put a living creature there (Capote 42). Indeed, the author’s language in these scenes clearly highlights Holly’s detachment and love of freedom.
Another obvious fact is that the cage symbolizes the closeness and affection of the narrator and Holly. Holly gives an expensive cage as a sign of sympathy, and as a reminder of herself, after their fight, the narrator puts this gift near the girl’s door “to put Holly Golightly absolutely out of my life” (Capote 49). However, he did return the cage after seeing it on the street, and although he did not admit his defeat, this gesture symbolizes that he cares for Holly. In addition, the narrator’s strong desire to have this cage and Holly’s dislike for it demonstrate their attitude to relationships and marriage. Therefore, although these descriptions make the meaning of the cage symbol apparent, they are necessary to reveal the characters’ relationship.
At the same time, all these moments are absent in the film, and the cage appears in the frame only a few times. In one case, the cage with a parrot could be seen at Holly’s party, and while this contradicts the idea of the book, in the film, this moment can symbolize the cage that Holly is building around herself. However, except for the final scene in the taxi, the cage symbol is poorly revealed and is almost invisible. Nevertheless, the idea of the connection between Holly and the narrator is still present in it. Miyao notes the operators’ work in the scene of Paul and Holly’s first meeting since the girl peeping out of the door resembles a caged animal (16). Paul also captured the same as his face is covered by the handrails of the stair that look like bars. According to Miyao, this portrayal of the characters demonstrates their mutual understanding and connection established at first sight (17). However, it is difficult for the viewer to notice such details, which shows the insufficient depiction of the symbol in the film.
In conclusion, the symbol of the cage has tremendous value for creating characters of Breakfast at Tiffany’s characters; however, the peculiarities of the film and the novel revealed it differently. The shared meaning of this symbol is Holly’s desire for freedom and hatred of things that can hold her back. Nevertheless, the stories’ different finales focused on practically opposite qualities of the protagonist and revealed her character in entirely different ways. In addition, the symbol itself was depicted in different images in the film and the novel, which also changed its essence. Therefore, this example demonstrates the importance of context and depiction of symbols in literature and cinema for filling them with meaning.
Works Cited
Capote, Truman. Breakfast at Tiffany’s. 2nd ed., Vintage Books, 2012.
Edwards, Blake, director. Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Paramount Pictures, 1961.
Miyao, Daisuke. Cinema Is a Cat: a Cat Lover’s Introduction to Film Studies. University of Hawaiʻi Press, 2019.
Nayar, Kavita I. “Sam Wasson: Fifth Avenue, 5 am: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and the Dawn of the Modern Woman.” Basingstoke, vol. 71, no.2, 2011, pp.174-178.
Scott, Bede. “On Superficiality: Truman Capote and the Ceremony of Style.” JML: Journal of Modern Literature, vol. 34, no. 3, 2011, pp. 128-148.