On the Waterfront Themes
Criminality
The bad boys in On the Waterfront aren't Robin Hoods—they're not cartoon foxes that rob from the rich to give to the poor and win the hand of an alluring girl fox. Far from it. They rob from the...
Principles
Terry originally has a bunch of cynical principles that aren't really principles. You know—rules like, "Do it to him before he does it to you," and "Always look out for number one." He sounds lik...
Justice and Judgment
True facts: no one doles out justice like Batman. But if Batman's not at hand, you can always turn to the, uh, Waterfront Crime Commission. That's what Terry does eventually in On The Waterfront. B...
Guilt and Blame
Terry feels two kinds of guilt in On The Waterfront: he's guilty for playing a role in Joey Doyle's murder, but he also feels guilty about turning against Johnny and thinking about becoming a stool...
Family
None of the main characters in On The Waterfront seem to have a giant extended family with big, happy Thanksgiving dinners. Terry and Charley are orphans, and Edie's mother and brother are both dea...