(extra credit)week 5 ：Analyzing Casablanca Through Goffman’s Dramaturgical Theory --LAOXINYI

 1) Frontstage vs. Backstage in Casablanca

   - Frontstage in Casablanca

Rick Blaine is a great example of someone who plays a role on the frontstage. At Rick’s Cafe Americain, he is the detached, cynical club owner who doesn’t get involved in the politics of World War II. His persona is one of emotional distance, which keeps him safe from the chaos and emotional turmoil around him. He hides his feelings and past relationship with Ilsa in order to protect his public image. The role he plays is strategic – one that keeps others at arm's length while allowing him to operate in a morally ambiguous, war-torn world.

    - Backstage in Casablanca

The backstage is where things get interesting. In private moments, especially when he’s alone or with close friends like Sam, Rick’s true feelings begin to surface. When Ilsa reappears in his life, the cold, aloof exterior cracks, revealing a man still deeply affected by their past and the love he never truly got over. The backstory that Rick keeps hidden in public – his deep emotional conflict and unresolved feelings for Ilsa – is only revealed when he’s in a private space, away from the watchful eyes of his club’s patrons or the political players in Casablanca.

Similarly, Ilsa’s private moments show a different side of her as well. To the world, she’s the supportive wife of Victor Laszlo, dedicated to the resistance cause. But in her moments with Rick, she’s torn between the man she once loved and the duty she feels toward her husband. The private struggles they both face, away from the public gaze, are key to understanding their true selves and motivations.

2) Impression Management: Playing the Role

At Rick’s Cafe, he plays the role of the disinterested observer. He doesn’t get emotionally involved with the war or the people around him, particularly Ilsa. This is part of his strategy to maintain control over his life and to avoid facing the painful emotions that come with the war and his past. However, as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that Rick’s carefully managed persona is breaking down. His decision to help Victor Laszlo escape and his final gesture to send Ilsa away with him show a shift in his public image. Rick is no longer just the cold, indifferent man; he becomes someone who sacrifices his own happiness for a greater cause.

Ilsa, too, engages in impression management. She’s the dutiful wife of Victor, but her private moments with Rick expose her inner conflict. She plays the role of the supportive wife in public, but in private, she’s struggling with her feelings for Rick and the duties she owes to her husband. This duality is part of her ongoing effort to manage the impressions others have of her, while also dealing with her own emotional turmoil.

3) Role Performance: The Masks We Wear

In Goffman’s view, we all play roles in our daily lives, influenced by social expectations and the situations we find ourselves in. In Casablanca, Rick and Ilsa are constantly performing different roles depending on the circumstances.

For Rick, his role as a neutral observer in the Casablanca setting is his way of maintaining control. He doesn't want to get involved in the personal dramas around him, especially with Ilsa. But when he is forced to confront his past and his feelings, he shifts roles. He moves from the role of the detached businessman to someone who is willing to take action for a greater cause. This change in role is significant because it shows how Rick’s persona is a performance that adapts as he faces new realities.

Ilsa’s role performance is similarly complex. In public, she plays the role of the loving wife who is fully supportive of her husband’s mission. But behind closed doors, she’s torn by her feelings for Rick and the choices she has to make for the sake of the larger political struggle. These performances are shaped by the social context she finds herself in, just as Rick’s are.

The concepts mentioned above come from Goffman's book The Presentation of the Self in Everyday Life.