Total Eclipse of the Heart - Research Paper

Introduction

"Total eclipse of the heart" is a heart injuring wailing song of a confused soul, by Bonnie Tyler. It gives a detailed illustration of the terror combined with the confusion of a person who was in love for an extended period, discovers the continuous fading of her feelings. The character still wants to continue the love for her partner to continue, even though fighting the fading feeling has become unreasonably difficult. The main dilemma she is facing revolves around her desire to continue the love affair while at the same time the desire for her partner is reducing with time (Winter, 53). As such, her heart is filled with different feelings of confusion. At one point in her life, she had full light in her life and most importantly in her relationship, but now she feels like she is falling into a pit of darkness. With this effect, she has no idea what to do, due to her will to love him, while knowing that she cannot love him anymore. The situation makes the character to go mad in emotion as well as a mental collapse. Such a case exists in everyday life, among different individuals, a fact that calls for an effective explanation relating different aspects and theories. This research paper relates the "The total eclipse of the heart" with other cases and theories, as an explanation of why the class is called a total eclipse of the heart.

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Theoretical Aspect

In literary studies, a theory does not necessarily represent an account of literature, but rather, a body of thinking as well as writing that has a universal definition. As a genre, the aspect of theory began late in the nineteenth century, where a new kind narrative was established, that involved neither the evaluation of literary production merits nor intellectual history, moral philosophy as well as social prophesy. However, they all mingled together, creating a new genre that was nicknamed theory. As Culler (108) explains, arguments have effects beyond their original fields, as they succeed in changing different areas apart from those they belong. As the research adds, the main impact that theories have is the disputing of common sense as well as views relating to writing, literature as well as experience. The total eclipse of the heart involves a life story relating to a love affair, which under the Foucault on sex, as a theory genre, links sensations and biological functions, as a development of an affair (Vaughan). Moreover, theory as a genre accounts for sex and relationships as a description of human nature, which relates to the development and fading process of feelings towards each other, during different circumstances, as evinced in the "Total eclipse of the heart".

As a characteristic of theory that links to human relationships, the ability to offer striking moves gives individuals to think about other topics. Among such a move relates to the Foucault's suggestion describing an opposition between natural sexuality and the social forces. "The total eclipse of the heart" involves such a case, where the character is struggling with the opposition between her natural sexuality to her partner and the social force that cases her love affection to fade away (Winter, 55). Pervasive of power is created as a result of such opposition in a complicity relationship, where one thinks that they are resisting power by championing sex, in the real sense however they are working in the terms set by power. As such, a situation like this results to further conflicts of the heart between a person's individual feelings and the related partner in their life, a fact that provides a reason why this class is referred to as "Total eclipse of the heart."

Narrative Aspect

Literary and cultural theory have immensely claimed the cultural centrality for narratives. As individuals, we tend to make sense of things through narratives and stories, whether in thinking towards the occurrences of our lives or convincing ourselves towards different situations, like the case of "Total eclipse of the heart" (Petrusich). In the song "Total eclipse of the heart," the character's situation in the song made more sense through the description involving the conflict in her life. According to Culler (108), scientific explanation derives a sense of things through a reference of happenings as well as the relationship between the same. However, various factors in life do not follow the certain scientific logic, but rather the logic cause and effect of the story, and most importantly how one thing leads to another (Ismail, 53). This gives a definite relation to "Total eclipse of the heart," considering that the character's emotions and the fading of her feelings was a precise pass to other effects in her life and most importantly her relationship.

Identity and Identification Aspect

There is considerable debate regarding identity as well as the function of an individual in a particular case. With the modern thinking of this issue, there are two significant questions related to the same; is the self, given or made? Is it necessary to consider the self in an individual or social manner? Answering these two aspects generates different strands of modern thought which provides a complete description of the individual-self, about their behavior and characters (Culler, 108). Narrative literature defines characters with the exact choices they make, as well as the social and emotional forces that act upon them (Culler, 109). Given that stories give different answers, one can effectively derive the character of an individual from them, linking the characters to their description and most importantly the choices they make in the stories, given the circumstances that they are facing.

As such, Total eclipse of the heart provides a basis to determine the character's true self, due to the circumstance, she is struggling with, about the decision she makes about her feelings in the affair. As Zhang (148) explains, an emphasis on events and situations that individuals never choose results in enormous responsibilities and accountability for different structures. This is evident in "Total eclipse of the heart", where the character did not choose the situation she is facing in the context, but rather a natural occurrence in her emotions. As such, the situation calls her to the responsibility of having to make an active decision regarding her love affair and most importantly her happiness as an individual.

Immobility

The occurrences in Brian Evenson's novel Immobility presents a detailed case and situation that relates it to the song "The total eclipse of the heart", therefore resulting to this class being called the same. According to the novel, Josef Horkai the main subject of book wakes up with a complete memory disorder, as he remembers nothing but an apocalyptic event referred to as Kollaps (Evenson). He is then dispatched to solve a situation involving a missing cylinder in a post-apocalyptic landscape. As a relation to the total eclipse of the heart, this character faces a considerable dilemma within himself, as he is uncertain of who he is upon waking up. Moreover, fails to distinguish the true memories from the dreams he had, a fact that puts him in a worse position.

As the story provides, Horkai faces his physical limitations as a quest whose purpose is ambiguous and laid on him by people that he does not have close relation nor trust. The author presents the main character in the book, to be wholly paralyzed about making his own decisions regarding the events that are happening around him. When he wakes up, things are not the same way as they used to be, as there is a new set of circumstances, due to the catastrophe that had happened recently. The book, therefore, presents the looming sense of doubt, as well as the inability to compare the past and the present, a fact that gives the character a mind game (Evenson). As such, the relationship of events and circumstances that the two characters in "Total eclipse of the heart," as well as immobility, find themselves in, develops the original theme that makes the class adopt the theme.

Moreover, Immobility presents a bleak and rightfully mood, since none of the people in the new world can be out of it for a specified period. This is also evident in the song the "The total eclipse of the heart," as the character is described to be in a bleak mood due to the unsettled feeling in her heart, regarding his continuous fading of affection, while at the same time wanting to be with her partner. Also, Horkai knows nothing about his past or mission, which is the same case as to the readers (Evenson). It, therefore, becomes difficult for the external parties to intervene in the situation and offer any help whatsoever (Winter, 56). The resemblance of these personal emotions and aspects in the two cases present a unique theme that makes the class assume the name "Total eclipse of the heart." This is because in both cases, the characters are faced with a critical dilemma to make decisions, having the main force that acts on their behind.

From the Evenson's book, the land that Horkai is sent to is barren with little cause of hope. Moreover, his grip on reality is fading away smoothly putting him in a state of being hopeless. Even though he does what he has been told to, the character can figure out that some are entirely wrong, even though he does not have enough surety, a fact that is the highlight of immobility. His visual dreams also contribute a lot to his state of being uncertain. Even though Horkai has the uncertainties and dilemma, he has an inner state of mind that pushes him to complete his mission (Evenson). This aspect relates to "Eclipse of the heart," considering that the character was uncertain about the situation she was in, most importantly the fading affection to her partner, yet an inner force kept pushing her towards the love (Vaughan). As such, with a close reference to "Total eclipse of the heart," a combination of these aspects gives the class adoption of the name. Also, the dilemma cases between the two cases present a strong base for the class to build further arguments from other sources as well as cases, presenting similar perspectives.

Relatable Film and Songs

A short film; "Forever Gonna Start tonight" draws its title from "Total eclipse of the heart" and revolves around the same effects. The film possesses features and issues related to love affairs that have a close resemblance to the main theme of the class. Using a rich and hypnotic visual style, the artist manages to create naturalistic stories that seem to be light in the plot, while they probe deep into the characters' lives, involving their relationships and love affairs (Semans). The two works of art are highly related, considering that "Total song eclipse of the heart" uses the film's content in most of its lyrics. This gives a clear perspective of the two pieces, as they all reflect on the same subject and issue at hand. As such, because the song and the film have an interconnected relationship, they give the class a common theme, as well as the name. Moreover, the class adopts the name as the total eclipse of the heart since both cases involve confusion and uncertainty of feelings. Therefore, considering that both works of art include characters that are in love and love, it makes it easier for the class to assume the name, to make it accessible and relatable.

There also exists a significant relationship between the songs Jesus of Serbia by Green Day and Usher's Burn, towards "Total eclipse of the heart." The two songs are love related and express feelings that become faded at one point or the other. Jesus of Serbia begins with an expression "I'm the son of rage and love," meaning that the character is loving but expresses aspects of rage at some point (Blum). The song introduces the listeners to a specific character that represents the looks and sit...