Lecture Notes: The White Swan vs. The Black Swan

Introduction

• The story of Swan Lake: A virginal girl trapped as a swan desires freedom; true love can break the spell but is thwarted by her lustful twin, the Black Swan. The White Swan finds freedom in death.
• Thomas Leroy's production: Calls for one dancer to play both White Swan and Black Swan, embodying both purity and seduction.
• Archetypes: White Swan (Madonna, innocence) vs. Black Swan (whore, seduction).
• Reflects Freud's theory of Madonna and mistress, showcasing societal views on women.

Nina's Roles

• Nina is the perfect ingenue, embodying youth, innocence, naivety.
• Lily and Odile (ballet counterpart) are the seductresses, characterized by cunning and allure.
• Nina struggles to embody the Black Swan's seductiveness due to her ingenue nature.

Cultural Representations

• Media examples: The Little Mermaid, Kim Possible, etc., depict both ingenue and seductress roles.
• The duality of womanhood: Societal pressures on women to embody both archetypes.

Societal Expectations

• Women must balance between being the Madonna and the whore to maintain societal acceptance.
• Mirrors in the story symbolize self-reflection and societal pressures on women.

Nina vs. her Mother

• Dynamic: Nina's mother is overbearing, keeping Nina in girlhood, hindering her womanhood.
• Mother's control over Nina’s life and body symbolizes societal control over women's autonomy.
• Mother's actions reflect the wish to keep Nina as the "White Swan."

Nina vs. Lily

• Lily as Temptress: Represents the Black Swan, encouraging Nina's womanhood and deviance.
• Madonna-Whore Dichotomy: Nina and Lily embody these roles culturally and in the ballet.
• Disillusionment: Nina projects her insecurities onto Lily, leading to paranoia.

Nina vs. Beth

• Beth as Mirror: Represents Nina's possible future, the inevitability of aging and replacement.
• Beth's decline parallels the White Swan's fate in the ballet.
• Reflects societal views on women's value tied to youth.

Nina vs. Herself

• Inner Conflict: Nina’s struggle with perfection and embracing her dual nature.
• Symbolism of Mirrors: Reflects societal pressure and Nina's internal struggle.
• Metamorphosis: Represents Nina’s transformation into womanhood/Black Swan.

Conclusion

• Ballet as an allegory for womanhood: beauty and pain intertwined, performance expected.
• Nina’s death symbolizes release from the pressure of perfection.

Final Thoughts

• The lecture explores deep themes of societal expectations, the duality of womanhood, and personal struggle with identity.

This lecture highlighted how the film "Black Swan" explores the complex dynamics and pressures women face through the lens of a ballet performance. The archetypes of the White and Black Swan provide a narrative framework to discuss broader societal issues about femininity and identity.