Quentin Tarantino's film, Pulp Fiction lends itself to multiple and sometimes contradictory readings. Tarantino divides both the film and the screenplay into five parts: "The Prologue," "Vincent Vega and Marsellus Wallace's wife," "The Gold Watch," "The Bonnie situation," and "The Epilogue." One of the most outstanding features of this film is its nonlinear structure. The beginning of the prologue and the epilogue (Honeybunny and Pumpkin holding up the coffee shop) are actually two parts of the same episode. Chronologically this episode occurs in the middle of the story, but Tarantino uses it to frame the film. It is also remarkable that Vincent Vega, Marsellus Wallace's hit man, is shot to death by Butch, the fighter in the "The Gold Watch," but is resurrected for the two remaining parts of the film. Pulp Fiction's structure folds in on itself like a pretzel. The purpose for this may be to draw attention away from chronology so that the reader can focus on the deeper thematic organization of the film. This essay will explore the themes presented in each of the five parts of Pulp Fiction. We shall see that this film is an attempt to understand and represent the moral theory of "the other," in this case, the deviant criminal.
Tarantino's criminals operate in a very different world than that of mainstream culture. The inhabitants of the crime-world have a skewed set of values, but like most people, they are moral realists, believing strongly in absolute good and evil. The theme of cultural relativity is presented in the first conversation between Vincent and Jules just after the credit sequence.Jules: O.K. So tell me about the hash bars.
Vincent: What do you want to know?
Jules: Hash is legal there right?
Vincent: Yeah it's legal, but it ain't a hundred percent legal. I mean, you just can't walk into a restaurant, roll a joint, and start puffin' away. I mean, they want you to smoke in your home or in certain designated places.
Jules: Those are hash bars?
Vincent: Yeah, it breaks down like this: it's legal to buy it, it's legal to own it and, if you're the proprietor of a hash bar, it's legal to sell it. It's legal to carry it, but, but that don't matter 'cause - get a load of this alright- if the cops stop you, it's illegal for them to search you. I mean, that's a right the cops in Amsterdam don't have.
Jules: Oh man, I'm goin', that's all there is to it. I'm fuckin' goin'.
Vincent: I know baby, you'd dig it the most. But you know what the funniest thing about Europe is?
Jules: What?
Vincent: It's the little differences. I mean, they got the same shit over there that we got here, but it's just, just, there it's a little different.
Jules: Example?
Vincent: Well, you can walk into a movie theater and buy a beer. And I don't mean just, like, in no paper cup. I'm talking about a glass of beer. And in Paris, you can buy a beer at McDonald's...This conversation is very significant because it sets the tone for the rest of the film, which focuses on the differences between mainstream and deviant culture. The existence of different customs in Europe, i.e. being able to legally smoke hash or buy a beer in McDonald's, is the result of the fact that Europeans have different moral beliefs about the appropriate use of intoxicating substances. In Holland personal privacy is more valued than society's right to police wrong-doers, whereas this is certainly not the case in the United States. To some extent the culture we live in comes down to a question of taste. This point is made when Vincent describes how the Dutch eat French fries.
Vincent: You know what they put on French fries in Holland instead of ketchup?
Jules: What?
Vincent: Mayonnaise.
Jules: Goddamn!!
Vincent: I seen 'em do it man. They fuckin' drown 'em in that shit.
Jules: Yuck!For Tarantino, cultural diversity is a function of different values and tastes. This is the unifying theme of Pulp Fiction. The "laws" that govern the lives of Tarantino's deviant criminals are substantially different from those that govern mainstream American culture. Nevertheless, as we shall see, Tarantino's criminals subscribe to a fairly rigid moral code.
"The Prologue" and "The Epilogue"
Ethics are constantly the topic of conversation in this film. Before the credit sequence, Honeybunny and Pumpkin make up their minds to quit holding up liquor stores (and to start holding up coffee shops) because of the risk of having to murder their victims..
Young Man/Pumpkin: Yeah, no more liquor stores. Besides, it ain't the giggle it usta be. Too many foreigners own liquor stores. Vietnamese, Koreans, they fuckin' don't even speak English. You tell 'em 'Empty out the register.' They don't even know what the fuck you're talkin' about. They make it too personal. We keep on, one of those gook motherfuckers's gonna make us kill 'em.
Young Woman/Honey Bunny: I'm not gonna kill anybody.
Young Man: I don't wanna kill anybody either. But they'll probably put us in a situation where it's us or them...Oddly enough, the decision to begin holding up coffee shops instead of liquor stores is informed not only by Honey Bunny's assessment of the risks to himself and his partner, but also by moral considerations. Honey Bunny and Pumpkin sincerely do not want to be put in a position where they might have to kill someone. They have no qualms about relieving strangers of their property, but they are morally opposed to murder. This position is contrasted with the moral views of the gangsters in the film, namely Jules, Vincent, and Marsellus. The moral perspective of this group is based on the sanctity of personal property and clan loyalty, whereas in their world, human life is expendable. In fact, if a transgression is made against Marsellus' property, or if disloyalty is shown, the violator loses any right he had to his life. Whenever Jules is about to kill someone on behalf of Marsellus, he recites a passage, which he claims is from the Bible in Ezekiel 25:17. Actually, only the last sentence of Jules' speech resembles the biblical passage Ez. 25:17.
The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon you.This speech is interesting because it combines elements of Old Testament and New Testament thinking. Clearly this is not an authentic passage from Ezekiel, because God refers to his subjects as "brothers," a term only Jesus would use. Here Jules addresses the enemies of his "brothers." Jules is the righteous man and the henchman for God. His victims are those who attempt "to poison and destroy" his brothers. Jules understands himself to be the vehicle of God's (i.e.Marsellus') furious anger. He believes that the people he kills have sinned most grievously against the Lord and deserve the "terrible vengeance" they receive.
On the one hand, this speech is intended as cruel irony for the benefit of his victims; but on another level Jules uses it to convince himself that his actions are morally sanctioned by God. Jules represents Judaism in Pulp Fiction. Not only does he cite Ezekiel and deliver "Old Testament" punishment to wrong-doers, he also makes a point of refusing to eat pork in the cafe. He is the spiritual force in this film and the witness to the "miracle" that Vince refuses to acknowledge, namely their survival without so much as a scratch when a man hidden in the bathroom at their last job showers them with bullets. In the epilogue, Jules understands that, for whatever reason, he is God's chosen one and pledges to give up the "life" and wander in the desert. The following is a conversation between Jules and Vince in the cafe in the epilogue.
Jules: I just been sittin' here thinkin'.
Vincent: About what?
Jules: The miracle we witnessed.
Vincent: The miracle you witnessed. I witnessed a freak occurrence.
Jules: Do you know what a miracle is?
Vincent: An act of God.
Jules: What's an act of God?
Vincent: I guess it's when God makes the impossible possible. And I'm sorry Jules, but I don't think what happened this morning qualifies.
Jules: Don't you see Vince, that shit don't matter. You're judging this the wrong way. It's not about what. It could be God stopped the bullets, he changed Coke into Pepsi, he found my fuckin' car keys. You don't judge this shit based on merit. Whether or not what we experienced was an according-to Hoyle miracle is insignificant. What is significant is I felt God's touch. God got involved.
Vincent: So you're serious, you're really gonna quit?...
Jules: The life, most definitely.
Vincent: So if you're quitting the life, what'll you do?
Jules: That's what I've been sitting here contemplating. First, I'm gonna deliver this case to Marsellus. Then, basically, I'm gonna walk the earth.
Vincent: What do you mean, walk the earth?
Jules: You know, like Caine in 'Kung Fu'. Just walk from town to town, meet people, get in adventures.It is significant that Tarantino associates Jules with Caine (Cain), who is a protagonist in both 'Kung Fu,' and Genesis. The Genesis story is very odd because rather than punishing Cain with death for killing Abel, God marks him, making him invulnerable to the attacks of his enemies. As a result Cain, like Jules is invincible and obliged to wander the earth.
Vincent Vega and Marsellus Wallace's Wife
The second part of the film is entitled "Vincent Vega and Marsellus Wallace's Wife," which is appropriate because the moral theme of this section is the sanctity of private property. Significantly, the title expresses the union of Vincent with Marsellus Wallace's property. It is no coincidence that Mrs. Wallace's first name is "Mia," the Italian first person possessive pronoun meaning "my" or "mine." Mia is an extremely valuable piece of property; and she does not function as much more than that in this film. Vincent is profoundly aware of this and has immense respect for the sanctity of marriage, which in his world is equivalent to possession.
This section chronologically begins after "the Bonnie Situation" and after "the Epilogue." Vincent and Jules are wearing shorts and T-shirts that they borrowed from Jimmie after the big clean-up from the "Bonnie Situation." They are delivering the case and its mysterious contents to Marsellus at his topless bar named Sally Le Roy's. Even the name of the bar connotes possession. "Le Roy" means "the king" in French. This bar belongs to the king, Marsellus Wallace.
Possession is an overriding theme in Pulp Fiction as a whole and in this episode in particular. The following conversation between Vincent and Jules about Mia underlines this.
Jules: You remember Antwan Rochamora? Half black half Samoan, usta call him Tony Rocky Horror.
Vincent: Yeah, maybe, fat, right?
Jules: I wouldn't go so far as to call the brother fat. He's got a weight problem. What's the nigger gonna do, he' s Somoan.
Vincent: I think I know who you mean, what about him?
Jules: Well, Marsellus fucked his ass up good. And word around the campfire is, it was on account of Marsellus Wallace's wife
Vincent: So what'd he do? Fuck her?
Jules: No no no no nothing that bad.
Vincent: Well what then?
Jules: He gave her a foot message.
Vincent: A foot message?- That's it? What did Marsellus do?
Jules: Sent a couple of guys over to his place. They took him out on his patio, threw his ass over the balcony. Nigger fell four stories. ...Since then, he's kinda developed a speech impediment.
Vincent: That's a damn shame.- Still I hafta say, play with matches, ya get burned.
Jules: Whaddya mean?
Vincent: You don't be givin' Marsellus Wallace's new bride a foot message.
Jules: You don't think he overreacted?
Vincent: Well Antwan probably didn't expect Marsellus to react like he did, but he had to expect a reaction.
Jules: It was a foot message, a foot message is nothing. I give my mother a foot message.
Vincent: No it's laying hands on Marsellus Wallace's new wife in a familiar way. Is it as bad as eating her pussy out- no, but you're in the same fuckin' ballpark.
Jules: Whoa....whoa...whoa... stop right there. Eatin' a bitch out, and givin' a bitch a foot message , ain't even the same fuckin' thing.
Vincent: Not the same thing- the same ball park.
Jules: It ain't no ballpark either. Now look, maybe your method of foot message differs from mine, but touchin' his lady's feet, and stickin' his tongue into her holiest of holies, ain't the same ball park, ain't the same league, ain't even the same fuckin' sport. Foot messages don't mean shit.
Vincent: Have you ever given a foot message?
Jules: Don't be tellin' me about foot messages. I'm the fuckin' foot message master.
Vincent: Given 'em a lot?
Jules: Shit yeah. I got my technique down man, I don't tickle or nothin'.
Vincent: Have you ever given a guy a foot message?
Jules: Fuck you.....Look, just because I wouldn't give no man a foot message, don't make it right for Marsellus to throw Antwan off a building into a glass motherfuckin' house, fuckin' up the way the nigger talks. That shit ain't right man. Motherfucker do that shit to me, he better paralyze my ass, ' cause I'd kill the motherfucker, you know what I'm saying?
Vincent: I'm not sayin' he was right, but you're sayin' a foot message don't mean nothin', and I'm sayin' it does. I've given a million ladies a million foot messages and they all meant somethin'. Now, we act like they don't, but they do. That's what's so fuckin' cool about 'em. There's a sensual thing goin' on that nobody's talkin' about, but you know it and she knows it, fuckin' Marsellus knew it, and Antwan shoulda known fuckin' better. That's his fuckin' wife, man. He ain't gonna have a sense of humor about that shit. You know what I'm saying?
Jules: That's an interesting point, but let's get into character.It is extremely ironic that Vince and Jules are having this moral dispute just as they are preparing to enter an apartment and kill everybody inside it. Clearly, neither one is in an ethical quandary about doing his job, a profoundly immoral livelihood by mainstream standards, yet both are moral realists; i.e. they both have very developed ideas about what is absolutely right and wrong. Vince represents the motivist ethical perspective, whereas Jules position is deontological. The motivist claims that actions are right or wrong depending on the reasons that motivate them, whereas the deontologist argues that the worth of an action is determined by its conformity to a binding rule. Jules, the deontologist, argues that laying hands on a woman's foot and "sticking his tongue in the holiest of holies" are fundamentally different actions, regardless of the fact that lust may motivate either deed. He argues that Mia's foot is Mia's property, whereas her vagina belongs to Marsellus. Sexual ownership is sacrosanct; the vagina is " the holiest of holies." The wife's reproductive organs are the husband's inviolable property and his sacred ground. Vincent, the motivist, argues that the same feelings of lust motivate "eating a bitch out" and giving her a foot message in spite of the fact that neither party verbally acknowledges this fact. As Terry Murray points out in her essay, "Tarantino: Sadist or Sage," this idea harkens back to the gospels. She writes:
Matthew's gospel presents Jesus as the instigator of a revolutionary transition from Pharisaic Jewish codes of conduct to a new Jewish ethic of interior transformation, which does not necessarily translate into normative "rules" of behavior. This is most explicit in the antitheses, where Jesus is reported to have said, "You have heard 'You shall not commit adultery' but I say unto you that every man who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Matt. 5:27-28)Vince represents the early Christian code of purity whereas, once again, Jules' perspective is decidedly Jewish. Both men have very developed ideas about what is absolutely right and wrong. It is tempting to point out the inconsistencies of their world view, given that they are preparing to commit a triple homicide. The commandment "thou shalt not kill" is not something that neither man takes very seriously. Nevertheless, from their frame of reference, their actions are perfectly moral because their morality is based on the sanctity of possession. The three kids who have stolen Marsellus's case have violated Marsellus's property. This violation is considered comparable to rape, a theme that recurs several times in this film. The following is from the apartment where Vince and Jules are preparing to kill three young men.
Jules: Now describe what Marsellus Wallace looks like.....
Brett: Well...he's black....
Jules: go on
Brett: and he's....he's bald.
Jules: Does he look like a bitch?
Brett: What?
Jules: Does- he-look-like- a- bitch?
Brett: No.
Jules: Then why did you try to fuck him like a bitch?
Brett: I didn't.
Jules: Yes you did, Brett. You tried to fuck him and Marsellus Wallace don't like to be fucked by anyone except Missus Wallace. You ever read the Bible Brett?Once again the subject of Marsellus Wallace's property is brought to the fore. Brett and his friends clearly made some attempt to deprive Marsellus of his property, a case whose contents are never disclosed. This attempt to steal from Marsellus is framed in the language of sex. To steal from Marsellus is to fuck him, or more, precisely, to rape him- to invade that sacred space- the holiest of holies. It is significant that the actual contents of the case are never disclosed. The case is opened on occasion: all that is visible is a golden light emitting from it. We are told that the contents are beautiful, but nothing else is said about them. This is because the actual contents are irrelevant. Like the Holy Grail, its beauty is a fucntion of who it belongs to, not of what it actually is. What is beautiful is the act of possession, loyalty, and the respect that Marsellus's men have for his property, which is the keystone of gangster morality.
When Vince prepares to take Mia out at Marsellus' s request he is profoundly aware of the fact that Mia belongs to Marsellus. He respects this fact. Jules and English Dave predict that Vince will be attracted to her, but to Vince this seems irrelevant:
Vincent: Look- I'm not an idiot. She's the big man's fuckin' wife. I'm gonna sit across the table, chew with my mouth closed, and laugh at her jokes and that's all I'm gonna do.On the date, after taking her back to her house, he finds himself very attracted to Mia, so he gives himself a pep talk in the bathroom
Vincent: It's a moral test of yourself, whether or not you can maintain loyalty. Because when people are loyal to each other, that's very meaningful....So you're gonna go out there, drink your drink, say "Good night, I've had a very lovely evening," go home and jack off. And that's all you're gonna do.Significantly, Vince sees himself in a moral dilemma, not a practical one, in spite of the fact that if he were to succumb to temptation, Marsellus would deal with him without mercy. As it turns out, Vince's loyalty is never tested because when he rejoins Mia, he finds her on the floor, unconscious from an overdose of heroin. Nevertheless, from Vince's perspective, private property is absolutely sacred. This point is reiterated when Vince goes to Lance's house to purchase heroin just before his date with Mia.
Lance: Still got your Malibu?
Vincent: You know what some fucker did to it the other day?
Lance: What?
Vincent: Fuckin' keyed it.
Lance: Oh man, that's fucked up.
Vincent: Tell me about it. I had the goddamn thing in storage for three years. It's been out five fuckin' days, five days, and some dickless piece of shit fucks with it.
Lance: They should be fuckin' killed. No trial, no jury, straight to execution.
Vincent: I just wish I caught 'em doin' it, ya know? Oh man, I'd give anything to catch 'em doin' it. It'd be worth him doin' it if I coulda just caught 'em, you knwo what I mean?
Lance: What a fucker.
Vincent: It's chicken shit. You don't fuck with another man's vehicle.
Lance: YOU JUST DON'T DO IT.
Vincent: It's just against the rules.Of course if Vince had caught the offenders, it goes without saying that he would have executed them on the spot. From Vince's perspective, a violation against his car is no different than a violation against his person; it is an offense that warrants capital punishment. Once again this idea is framed in the language of sex. "You just don't fuck with another man's vehicle." In the same way, you just don't fuck another man's wife, for no other reason than it's against the rules. This sort of thinking is decidedly deontological. In spite of the fact that Vince is a hit man, he views himself as an upholder of justice.
The Gold Watch
Chronologically, the majority of this episode occurs long before and just after the rest of the film. In this episode, Vince loses his life. The protagonist is Butch Coolidge, a boxer. Marsellus has arranged to fix a fight between Butch and Floyd Willis in which it is agreed that Butch's "ass goes down" in the fifth round. Butch agrees to this, but as we find out, he does not keep his word. At the fight, not only does Butch fail to go down in the fifth, he accidentally kills his opponent. It is also clear that Butch has set up his win with at least eight bookies in order to make the greatest possible profit from the fight. He is quite aware that by depriving Marsellus of his money, he has begun a deadly war.
After the fight, Butch takes a taxi to a cheap hotel where his girlfriend, Fabienne, is waiting for him with their luggage. They plan to take a train to Tennessee and later retire in style somewhere exotic. The significance of Butch's watch is central to this episode. Butch discovers that Fabienne has forgotten to pack the watch with the rest of his belongings and becomes quite menacing toward her because it means so much to him. Fabienne, unaware of the watch's significance, can only whimper and apologize. Butch realizes that in order to regain the watch, he will have to return to his apartment, where he is likely to find Marsellus' goons waiting for him. He quickly decides that the watch is worth the risk.
Just before the episode, the watch's significance is explained in a dream sequence- flash back to 1972, where a young Butch accepts the watch from Captain Koons. The Captain explains:
This watch I got here was first purchased by your great-grandaddy. It was bought during the first world war in a little general store in Knoxville, Tennessee. It was bought for Private Doughboy Ernie Coolidge the day he set sail for Paris. It was your great granddaddy's war watch, made by the first company ever to make wrist watches. You see, up until then, people just carried pocket watches. Your great-granddaddy wore that watch every day he was in that war. Then when he had done his duty, he went home to your great-grandmother, took the watch off his wrist and put it in an old coffee can. And in that can it stayed 'til your grandfather Dane Coolidge was called upon by his country to fight the Germans once again. This time they called it World War II. Your great granddaddy gave it to your granddad for good luck. Unfortunately, Dane's luck wasn't as good as his old man's. Your granddad was a Marine and he was killed with all the other Marines at the Battle of Wake Island. None of the boys had any illusions about ever leavin' that island alive. So three days before the Japanese took the island, your twenty-two year old grandfather asked an Air Force transport named Winocki, a man he had never met before in his life, to deliver to his infant son, whom he had never seen in the flesh, his gold watch. Three days later your grandfather was dead. But Winocki kept his word. After the war was over he paid a visit to your grandmother, delivering to your infant father his Dad's gold watch. This watch. This watch was on your Daddy's wrist when he was shot down over Hanoi. He was captured and put in a Vietnamese prison camp. Now he knew if the gooks ever saw the watch, it'd be confiscated. The way your Daddy looked at it, that watch was your birthright. And he'd be damned if any slopeheads were gonna put their greasy yella hands on his boy's birthright. So he hid it in the one place he knew he could hide something, his ass. For five long years he wore his watch up his ass. When he died of dysentery, he gave me the watch. I hid this uncomfortable piece of metal up my ass for two years. Then, after seven years, I was sent home to my family. And now little man, I give the watch to you.Although this story is humorous, it is at the same time deeply serious. For Butch, his father, his grandfather, and his great-grandfather, the watch represents something very sacred. At the same time it symbolizes the bond between father and son and the sacrifice of the father for his son and country. It is not a lucky charm, for half the owners of the watch died in battle. It is clear from the fact that Butch is a double crosser and a killer that he is not a very ethical human being by mainstream standards. Nevertheless, the watch embodies Butch's values of fatherhood and sacrifice, and as a result, it is a sacred object for which he is quite literally prepared to die. In the original screen play, Butch talks himself into going back for the watch by positing that the situation between he and Marsellus as another war.
This is my war. You see Butch, what you're forgettin' is this watch isn't just a device that enables you to keep track of time. This watch is a symbol. It's a symbol of how your father, and his father, and his father before him distinguished themselves in war. This is my World War Two. That apartment in North Hollywood, that's my Wake Island. In fact, if you look at it that way, it's almost kismet that Fabienne left it behind. And using that perspective, going back for it isn't stupid. It may be dangerous, but it isn't stupid. Because there are certain things in this world worth going back for.Butch is the quintessential warrior. He is a fighter by trade, and thinks nothing of the fact that he killed his opponent in the ring. When Esmeralda, the taxi driver, asks what it feels like to kill a man, Butch replies: "I don't feel the least bit bad." In the unedited screen play, he goes on to say: "You wanna know why Esmeralda? 'Cause I'm a boxer. And after you've said that, you've said pretty much all there is to say about me." Like his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather before him, Butch is a fighter and a warrior. He sees himself as a member of what Barbara Ehrenreich calls, "the warrior elite," coming from a long line of warriors before him. In spite of the fact that by mainstream standards he is little more than a double-crossing thug, like most warriors Butch is not below making his war a holy one. Barbara Ehrenreich writes in Blood Rites:
Yet warrior elites, for all their lapses into thuggery, have long sought to make war into something sacred and worthy of general respect. Encouraged, often by the religious authorities themselves, warrior elites have borrowed all that they could from established religions, ransacking them, as it were, for glorious rationales and colorful fragments of ceremony. Even wars undertaken for no other purpose than loot, or the initiation of a fresh cohort of warriors, achieve a mystic status when fought in the name of the true cross, the Ark of the Covenant, a relic of the Prophet, or the honor of the fatherland. To the true member of the warrior elite, every war can be a holy one.Butch's war, too, is holy, although he undertook it only to enrich himself. When he goes back for the watch, he ceases to be a double-crossing thug, and becomes a noble knight and a defender of sacred values. Butch transforms his apartment into his personal Wake Island and thereby relives the glorious exploits of his ancestors.
When Butch arrives at the apartment, he finds his watch along with a subautomatic machine gun lying on the kitchen counter. A toilet flushes and Vince walks out of the bathroom to meet his doom. This time, he is not a witness to a miracle. Butch is delighted by his luck. He eats a couple of pop tarts, gets into his girlfriend's Honda, and runs into Marsellus Wallace. He attempts to run Marsellus down, but only succeeds in disabling his car and wounding his adversary. When Marsellus takes a shot at him, Butch makes a run for it, diving into the Mason and Dixon gun shop, the fateful place where Butch and Marsellus become allies against a common foe. Before the civil war, the Mason and Dixon line was seen as dividing the slave states from the free states; upon crossing this symbolic line, Butch and Marsellus both become slaves. Marsellus becomes the sex slave of the sadistic brothers, Maynard and Zed. Throughout this film there are many references to Marsellus getting "fucked" by his enemies, but the figurative language used by Vince and Jules to describe Marsellus being deprived of his rightful property becomes literal in this ultra-violent scene.
Butch is tied up and put under the watchful eye of "the gimp," a man clad totally in leather with a zipper over his mouth, whom the brothers keep tied up in their dungeon like a dog. Meanwhile, Marsellus is being raped in the other room. Without too much difficulty Butch escapes from his bondage and pummels his captor. As Butch prepares to leave the scene, he finds himself unable to abandon his enemy to such a foul fate. In a dramatic display of heroism, he chooses a Samurai sword from the array of weapons available at the Mason-Dixon, and prepares to rescue Marsellus from his plight. It is remarkable that Butch, who moments ago was ready to kill Marsellus, now comes to his aid in his hour of need. For Butch, it is one thing to be killed in a war by a worthy opponent, but quite another to be raped by hillbilly scum. Butch cannot allow a fellow warrior, even an adversary, to die such a shameful death. The choice of a Samurai sword is significant because it symbolizes knighthood and chivalry, fighting for a noble and worthy cause against a despicable and heinous enemy. Ehrenreich writes:
Nothing more clearly illustrates the power of war as a culture-shaping force than the eerie parallels between feudal Japan and feudal Europe.... If, through some magical transposition, a medieval knight and a samurai had met on the same road, they would have recognized each other as kin. Both wore helmets and armor, fought on horseback, rallied to flags emblazoned with dynastic symbols or totems, invested their swords with mystic powers, and subscribed to a special warrior ethic- chivalry in Europe, bushido in Japan- which codified, for its adherents, a kind of religion of war.The notion of a "chivalrous thug" may sound contradictory, but in fact, Butch, like the samurai and knights of the middle ages, embodies these qualities, which identifies him as a member of the warrior elite. Like all members of the warrior elite, he has a willingness to help the weak and a tendency to invest objects (like his watch) with qualities that they don't have (except in his mind). Nevertheless, he lacks honor, which is why he and Marsellus are at odds in the first place. His act of chivalry is rewarded by Marsellus' subsequent forgiveness. Although Butch "loses his L.A. privileges," he is "cool" with Marsellus. He is free to leave town without fear of further retribution from Marsellus and his henchmen.
If Butch represents a member of the warrior elite, Marsellus symbolizes the landed aristocracy. There is no doubt that Marsellus is king of his domain; Vincent and Jules are the knights in his service. It is significant that the name "Vincent Vega" and "Winnfield" (Jules' surname) mean the same thing. Vincent from the Italian "vincere" means "to win," and Vega means "plain" or "field" in Spanish. Both Vincent and Jules win the field for Marsellus. They are his justice-dispensing knights.
This episode represents the values of honor and courage held dear by members of the crime-world, who are often thought to be bereft of such lofty ideals. Like Jules and Vincent, Marsellus and Butch are moral realists with strong opinions about what is absolutely right and wrong. There conflict is not just about money, but about honor and loyalty. Butch understands that he deserves what Marsellus has to dish out based on his disloyalty to him. Likewise, Marsellus recognizes that Butch has repaid his debt by his act of chivalry. The two criminals share a common moral code. In the next episode, another aspect of morality is explored, that of etiquette.
The Bonnie Situation
The "Bonnie Situation" is one of the most humorous in the film. Chronologically, it occurs after the triple homicide in the apartment and before Vince and Jules go out to breakfast in the epilogue. After they leave the apartment with Jules' friend Marvin, who, for reasons that are never disclosed has been spared (up to this point), the three men get into a car. Jules and Vince discuss the "miracle," and Vince turns to ask Marvin whether he thinks God came down from heaven and stopped the bullets. Holding his 45 nonchalantly as he turns toward Marvin, it suddenly goes off, hitting Marvin in the face and splattering blood everywhere. Clearly God has not intervened on behalf of Marvin. At this point Jules and Vince are faced with an immediate need to get their car off the road. Jules calls his only friend in the area, Jimmie, who agrees to give them a safe haven with the stipulation that they be out of his house within an hour and a half, at which time his wife, Bonnie, is expected to arrive. It is this time constraint that creates "The Bonnie Situation."
The most striking feature of this episode is its insistence on etiquette. Vince is particularly concerned about not being forced to "take any shit," although he acknowledges his responsibility for the situation in which he and Jules now find themselves. Jules, on the other hand, is very worried about offending Jimmie and being forced to take care of business without his friend's blessing. The following is from a conversation between Jules and Vince as they clean up in Jimmie's bathroom.
Jules: We gotta be real fuckin' delicate with this Jimmie situation. He's one remark away from kickin' our asses out the door.
Vincent: If he kicks us out, whadda we do?
Jules: Well, we ain't leavin' 'til we made a coupla phone calls. But I never want it to reach that pitch. Jimmie's my friend and you don't bust in your friend's house and start tellin' 'im what's what.
Jules rises and dries his hands. Vincent takes his place at the sink.
Vincent: Tell him not to be abusive. He kinda freaked out back there when he saw Marvin.
Jules: Well, put yourself in his position. It's eight o'clock in the morning. He just woke up. He wasn't prepared for this shit. Don't forget who's doin' who a favor.
Vincent finishes, then dries his hands on a white towel.
Vincent: If the price of that favor is I gotta take shit, he can stick his favor straight up his ass.
When Vincent is finished drying his hands, the towel is stained red.
Jules: What the fuck did you do with this towel?
Vincent: I was dryin' my hands.
Jules: You're supposed to wash 'em first.
Vincent: You watched me wash 'em.
Jules: I watched you get 'em wet.
Vincent: I washed 'em. Blood's real hard to get off. Maybe if he had some Lava, I coulda done a better job.
Jules: I used the same soap you did and when I dried my hands, the towel didn't look like a fuckin' Maxie pad. Look, fuck it, alright. Who cares? But it's shit like this that's gonna bring this situation to a boil. If he were to come in here and see that towel like that...I'm tellin' you Vincent, you best be cool. 'Cause if I gotta get into it with Jimmie on account of you... Look, I ain't threatenin' you, I respect you an' all, but just don't put me in that position.
Vincent: Jules, you ask me nice like that, no problem. He's your friend, you handle him.
This passage beautifully illustrates the concerns over etiquette of these two protagonists. Vince, unwilling to see things from Jimmie's perspective, is very defensive about the possibility of taking abuse. Throughout this episode he is obsessed with being treated with respect. Jules understands Vince's need to be treated respectfully, and reassures him that he is not threatening. Nevertheless, he is very sensitive to Jimmie and does not want to be put in a position where their friendship might be jeopardized. Although there is little doubt that if push came to shove he would "take care of business," his goal is to keep push and shove as far apart as possible. Once again, we see that Jules, like Vince, values friendship and loyalty over anything else, including human life. This seems rather strange, given the fact that neither Jules nor Vince think anything of committing a triple homicide and accidentally shooting someone in the face. If Bonnie were to come home, or if Jimmie were "to kick their asses out the door," Jules and Vince could easily resolve the problem by simply forcing their hosts to accept the situation. Nevertheless, this is not a serious option for Jules, because it would violate a sacred code of etiquette: "You don't just bust into your friend's house and start tellin' 'im what's what." The possibility of having to do this is clearly more disturbing to Jules than the fact that Vince just accidentally murdered one of his friends. The following is an excerpt from the phone conversation between Jules and Marsellus.
Marsellus: Well, say she comes home. Whaddya think she'll do?...
No fuckin' shit she'll freak. That ain't no kinda answer. You know 'er, I don't. How bad, a lot or a little?
Jules: You got to appreciate what an explosive element this Bonnie situation is. If she comes home from a hard day's work and finds a bunch of gangsters doin' a bunch of gangsta shit in her kitchen, ain't no tellin' what she's apt to do.
Marsellus: I've grasped that Jules. All I'm doin' is contemplatin' the ifs.
Jules: I don't want to hear about no motherfuckin' ifs. What I want to hear from your ass is: 'You ain't got no problems Jules. I'm on the motherfucker. Go back in there, chill them niggers out and wait for the cavalry, which should be comin' directly.'
Marsellus: You ain't got no problems Jules. I'm on the motherfucker. Go back in there, chill them niggers out and wait for the Wolf, who should be comin' directly.
Jules: You sendin' the Wolf?
Marsellus: Feel better?
Jules: Shit negro, that's all you had to say.It is interesting that Jules demands the "cavalry," a war term for troops mounted on horseback. Jules sees himself as a prisoner of war in need of rescue. He is utterly incapable of taking control of the situation himself because he is so sensitive to the "Bonnie situation." At the same time he is unwilling to delegate responsibility to Vince because he is so insensitive. To solve this problem, Marsellus sends his best man for the job, the Wolf. Wolf's name brings to mind the old adage "a wolf in sheep's clothing," which in fact describes Wolf's character very well. He is a smooth-talking, fast-driving, and well-dressed man, who is as cold-blooded and ruthless as any of Marsellus' henchmen. Jules has nothing but respect for the Wolf, and is overcome with gratitude for being rescued by him. Vince, on the other hand, is more worried about being treated respectfully than getting out of Jimmie's house before the Bonnie situation explodes.
Wolf: ....If a cop stops us and starts stickin' his big snout in the car, the subterfuge won't last. But at a glance, the car will appear to be normal. Jimmie- lead the way, boys- get to work.
Vincent: A "please" would be nice.
Wolf: Come again?
Vincent: I said a "please" would be nice.
Wolf: Get it straight buster, I'm not here to say please. I'm here to tell you what to do. And if self preservation is an instinct you possess, you better fuckin' do it and do it quick. I'm here to help. If my help's not appreciated, lotsa luck gentlemen.
Jules: It ain't that way, Mr. Wolf. Your help is definitely appreciated.
Vincent: I don't mean any disrespect. I just don't like people barkin' orders at me.
Wolf: If I'm curt with you it's because time is a factor. I think fast, I talk fast, and I need you guys to act fast if you want to get out of this. So pretty please, with sugar on top, clean the fuckin' car.Ironically enough, this etiquette dispute takes up more valuable time than a simple "please" would have. Wolf's excuse for not saying please doesn't ring very true because, after all, he has enough time to explain how fast he thinks and talks. Clearly, the purpose of this speech is to establish his superior rank. Vince's demand for a "please" is an attempt to put himself on par with Wolf. Wolf is unwilling to give up his status, which is understandable. After all, he is doing Vince a favor, and Vince is responsible for the problem in the first place. Jules, of course, is already submissive, but Vince must be persuaded to give up his self-respect. In the end he is forced to settle for Wolf's ironic "pretty please with sugar on top."
This episode highlights the importance of etiquette in gangster life. Since Jules and Vince work together so closely, it is vital that they show each other respect. If they did not, the result could easily be fatal. In Tarantino's crime-world, etiquette is just as important as loyalty, honor, and a willingness to do what it takes to make money. All of the members of this family recognize how important it is to treat each other with the utmost decorum if the system is not to fall apart.
Conclusion
It is clear that the protagonists in this film are portrayed as dealing with an array of moral and etiquette issues. In fact, it could be argued that the film sacrifices a linear structure in order to highlight the moral themes in each episode. What is the purpose of describing the ethical beliefs and practices of these fictional gangsters? This film promotes an understanding of alternate ethical systems that incorporate violence into everyday life. It is an aid to mainstream culture, which seems unwilling or incapable of understanding deviant behavior. Pulp Fiction puts aberrant moral structures and codes into a context that allows people in the mainstream to identify and sympathize with the deviant other. Nevertheless, this film does not necessarily promote a relativist ethical philosophy, nor does it celebrate violence. On the contrary, Jules' religious experience and his subsequent renunciation of gangster life affirm the sanctity of human life and the notion that killing is absolutely wrong. In this way, the film takes a moral stand against violence. At the end of the film, Jules has every opportunity (and from his perspective every right) to murder Yolanda and Ringo (aka Pumpkin and Honeybunny). Nevertheless, he resists the temptation to do so as a result of his moral transformation.
Jules: Now this is the situation. Normally both of your asses would be dead as fuckin' fried chicken. But you happened to pull this shit while I'm in a transitional period. I don't wanna kill ya, I want to help ya.... You read the Bible?...There's a passage I got memorized. Ezekiel 25:17. 'The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness. For he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know I am the lord when I lay my vengeance upon you.' I been sayin' that shit for years. And if you ever heard it, it meant your ass. I never really questioned what it meant. I thought it was just a cold-blooded thing to say to a motherfucker 'fore you popped a cap in his ass. But I saw some shit this morning made me think twice. Now I'm thinkin', it could mean you're the evil man. And I'm the righteous man. And Mr. 45 here he's the shepherd protecting my righteous ass in the valley of darkness. Or it could be that you're the righteous man and I'm the shepherd and that it's the world that's evil and selfish. I'd like that. But that shit ain't the truth. The truth is you're weak. And I'm the tyranny of evil men. But I'm tryin'. I'm tryin' real hard to be the shepherd.Clearly, Jules believes that he has finally understood the "true" meaning of the passage from Ezekiel. Although he claims never to have given much thought to its meaning, he probably always saw himself in the role of the righteous man carrying out divine justice on those who have attempted to "poison and destroy" his brothers. Before he saw his gun as "the shepherd" protecting "his righteous ass," whereas now, he is the shepherd protecting the weak. His religious and moral transformation is represented by a reinterpretation of divine scripture and his role in the world. Jules's metamorphosis is the keystone of Pulp Fiction and explains why the prologue and the epilogue, which are part of the same episode, had to be separated by the rest of the film. The film does not make chronological progress: it makes moral progress.
Butch's change of heart when he rescues Marsellus from the rapists, echoes this spiritual transformation from the righteous man delivering vengeance to the shepherd protecting the weak. For this reason, he is allowed to escape on "Grace," the name of Zed's chopper. Butch, like Jules, is touched by the grace of God, which enables them both to make a moral transformation. It is difficult to imagine two characters less deserving of grace than Jules or Butch, yet such is the very nature of grace. The theological definition of grace is "the unmerited love and favor of God towards mankind or the divine influence acting in a person to make that person morally strong or pure." (Webster's New World Dictionary, third edition). The idea that divine grace transforms the heart is very important in this film. It is the hope that Pulp Fiction offers in the face of chaotic and seemingly nihilistic violence.