Proof - Who do you pity?

Celia, Martin and Andy all deserve our pity at sometime in the film. Martin is a blind man who is isolated from the world. Andy is a naпve young man who trusts too easily and is often used by other people. However, the one who retains out pity at the end is Celia, as she remains unchanged, locked in her obsession.

Martin certainly deserves out pity. He is a blind man who is isolated from the world, he is isolated not only because that he’s physically blind but also because of his metaphorical blindness. Martin has been physically blind since he was born; he lives his life through touching and feeling things. Martin doesn’t trust anyone, he is too obsessed with the truth with what he thinks is the truth. This is Martin’s metaphorical blindness. His metaphorical blindness destroys any possibility of any relationship between him and his mother, and between him and the rest of the world. His mother used to tell him about an old man raking up leaves in the garden, but Martin never believed his mother. He took a photo and keeps it, he want to keep it as a proof, proof that his mother was lying. It really is a pitiful thing that one can’t simply trust someone who gave him life. Martin’s photos do not mean anything; he relies on other people to describe the photos for him. In addition, the description is only in 10 words, it is simply impossible to know the complexities of what’s on the photo and what does it mean in 10 words. Another reason that we pity him is he keeps Celia on despite the fact that he hates her. However, at the end, Martin moves on. He fires Celia and reunites with Andy, more importantly, he learned to trust. Therefore, we feel that he does not need out pity anymore.

Andy also deserves out pity. He is a naпve young man who does not seems to have a future and is often used by other people. Martin uses him to describe the photos to him, and uses him as a tool to get involved in the world. Celia uses Andy as a way to obtain Martin’s trust. Because if Andy is there for Martin, Martin will never trust Celia. She tries to break up their friendship. Celia pretends to love Andy, but she’s only doing it to make Martin mad at Andy. It is pitiful that Andy can’t see that he’s being used. Andy is caught in one of Martin’s photos, a photo of Celia holding Bill – Martin’s dog. Andy lies to Martin about the photo because he tries to protect Celia, but he does not know he is being used. Martin blames Andy for what he has done, and their friendship breaks up. Only then, Andy realized from the photos in Celia’s flat that Celia loves Martin instead of himself, but it is too late. However Andy also moves on, he learns to trust less, to be more discerning and Andy resurrects his friendship with Martin. Therefore, we do not pity him too much.

Celia, however, deserves more of our pity. She lives a more pitiful life, locked in her obsession. Celia is obsessed with Martin, who hates her, who thinks she’s a heartless woman. She stays at Martin’s house despite the way he treats her coldly and despite his hate of her, because she is too obsessed by Martin. In trying to get him to notice her and to rely on her, Celia plays power games. She deliberately makes life harder for Martin by putting obstacles in his way, so that Martin will need her. In order to make Martin go out with her, she even takes a photo of Martin on the toilet and threatens him with it. By her behaviors, we could see that she has never grown up, she retains her childish mind. Martin rejects her, making her more obsessed and more childish. In the end when Martin fires her, she remains locked up in her obsession. We can pity her obsession because she has a whole wall of pictures of Martin, yet Martin does not pity her at all. Celia throws the key into the sink, reminds Martin to think of her when Bill is missing and puts the hat stand straight infront of the door. All show her obsession and childishness. Celia retains our pity because she does not move on. She remains locked in her obsession and remains being childish.

Celia, Martin and Andy all deserve our pity. However, it is Celia, her obsession and her childishness that retains our pity at the end. Celia remains unchanged, locked in her obsession and childishness.