Pulp Fiction

Pulp Fiction

Folie:

PULP(pulp) n. 1. A soft, moist, shapeless mass of matter.

2. A magazine ar book containing lurid subject matter and being characteristically printed on rough, unfinished paper

American Heritage Dictionary: New College Edition

The main characters are:

Vincent Vega, a white criminal who has just come back from Amsterdam

Jules Winfield, a Negro, a criminal too

Marcellus Wallace, their boss, and the boss of the Califroniyn criminals

Mia Wallace, his wife

Butch Coolidge, a boxer

Fabienne, his girlfriend

Pumpkin and Honey Bunny, a couple who rob liquor stores and small shops

Maynard and Zed, two hillbillies

Folie Ende

Vincent and Jules are driving to an apartement building. Vincent talks about his being in Amsterdam. They have to fetch a suitcase which belongs to Marcellus. In the room 49 three guys are having breakfast: Brett, Roger and Marvin. They betrayed Mrcellus by taking his suitcase. Jules and Vincent find the suitcase and kill Roger.

film: Marvin situation

They arrive at Jimmie's. His wife is comming home soon and Jimmie doesn't want her to see the bloody car so Jules phones Marcellus who sends the Wolf. The Wolf is a guy who solves problems. After having cleaned the car Jules and Vincent pull off their suits and get into Bermuda shorts and T-shirts.

They decide to have breakfast together and go to a café. Jules wants to quit his job and just walk around the earth until God tells him that he has to settle down.

In the same café Pumpkin and Honeybunny are sitting. They want to rob the café. They take all the wallets of the patrons. When Pumpkin wants to take Jules' wallet Jules overpowers him. Because of his becoming

religious he gives Pumpkin all his money and let them go. Then they bring the suitcase to Marcellus.

On the same evening Vincent has to take Mia out for dinner because Marcellus has to do some work. Before he fetches Mia he buys some cocaine of high quality.

Mia and Vincent go to Jack - Rabbit - Slim's.

When they come back to Marcellu's house Mia finds the cocaine in Vincent's jacket and sniffs it. She doesn't expect this concequences. She ODs. So Vincent's only conclusion to this problem is to bring her to Lance. Mia gets an adrenalin shot and feels better.

The same evening Butch has a fight. He and Marcellus made an agreement that he will loose. But he decides to win the fight and get a lot of money by betting. After the fight Butch leaves the stadion for an apartment, where his girlfriend Fabienne is waiting for him.

The next morning Butch noticed that Fabienne forgot his watch in the other apartment. So he has to go back and fetch it.

Vincent is waiting for him there. Butch takes his watch and finds a gun in the kitchen. When Vincent comes out of the bathroom Butch shoots him.

After that he drives back. At an interesection Marcellus coincidentally crosses the road. Without thinking Butch accelertes and hits Marcellus and then crashes into another car. Both on their feet again Marcellus shoots at Butch. Butch runs into a shop where he can overpower Marcellus but before he can kill him Maynard, the owner of the shop knocks them down. Then he phones Zed. When Zed comes Butch and Marcellus are sitting in the back of the shop, tied.

film: The Zed - and - Maynard situation.

Something about the characters:

Jules is a very religious person. He quotes the Bible but he never thinks of that. When he witnessed the miracle in the apartment he first starts thinking about what he is doing. And decides for himself that he can't go on like this. Maybe the religion including th miracle makes him think about what he is doing and about the stories, loves or life of a person he has just shot. So he changes his lifestyle.

Vincent is a full time criminal. He never thinks about what he is doing. He can only stand his job by taking cocaine. So he must never think of people he kills. In the end Vincent gets killed but you don't mind because the book ends with a scene where he is playing in.

Marcellus Wallace is the head of the criminals in California. He can't stand being betrayd. He thinks he can do anthing he wants. If there is any problem he sends some of his henchmen to solve the problem. Mostly by killing somebody. He has got many friends in the higher society so he never has problems with the police. He always has to be the best in everything he does.

Mia Wallace: She isn't pleased with the life shi lives. She married another man but Marcellus. She wants to show him that he has to notice her too. Maybe he just does his business and never takes her out for dinner or something. She takes drugs - cocaine - because she wants to stand the situation. But before she got Marcellus wife she had had no life neither. She will never change her lifestyle because she has no problems because of Marcellus and if she gets one she will sniff a line of cocaine and the world is perfect.

Last but not least Butch Coolidge: He is a boxer but he privately is very sensitive. He doesn't want to kill anybody. He wants to get some fast money which he can get by betraying Marcellus. He just wants to live without any financial worries. But he has got a strong personality. He can't leave people in bad situations. You can see that at the Zed - situation in Maynard's shop. I think Butch is an honest and easy guy.

I don't think that there is any great meaning in that book.

The book shows very good that authors and producers of films can make everybody think that these criminals are 'good' ones no matter how many guys they have killed.

Quentin Tarantino always writes about criminals. The characteristical thing about him is that none of his books have a great meaning and that he never wrote a book with the intention to preach any moral.

About the violence in the book:

I think the best thing to do is to quote Quentin Tarantino:

'To me violence is a totally aesthetic subject. Saying you don't like violence in movies is saying you don't like dance sequences in movies. I do like dance sequences in movies, but if I didn't, it doesn't mean I should stop dance sequences being made.'