The 1996 film Fargo directed by Joel and Ethan Coen is an in-depth and intelligent look at how functionism and symbolic-interaction operates in society.

Set in the cold snow scape of Minnesota, Fargo explores how this community operates and how the violent and often absurdist events in the story come to escalate.

My main sources of reverence will be the works of Emile Durkheim and Erving Goffman. Durkheim being the founder of functionism: the study of what requires society to function. Of particular interest how “organic” (modern) society requires labour to be specialized and in turn more cut off from one another; individualism being valued over altruism. Goffman concerned with the study of social ritual that precedes communication (symbolic interaction.)

For this analysis I will be looking at the three main characters and discussing their thematic stake in the film.

Emile Derkheim

Erving Goffman

Jerry Lundegaard: social alienation

Given, as the Coen’s have depicted it, Minnesota is often an image of social cohesion, Jerry Lundegaard stands out as someone who is particularly alienated: in his workplace, his home and seemingly with the community at large.

One of the first things you notice about Jerry is how he hides behind a facade. Weather dealing with his wife or criminals, Jerry has a signature contrived friendliness and plastered on smile that often renders him something akin to an oily salesman. This is what Erving Goffman would call a front stage performance: a persona orientated towards the social eye. While everyone has a social persona, with Jerry it is masqueraded perpetually and often to hide a seething anger.

This anger and facade have different roots, but it can first be seen in his workplace. We are introduced to Jerry here by an almost comedically posed photo – our first sign he has cultivated an image for himself. We then quickly see that his front stage face isn’t one that holds much integrity, when an angry customer defaces his oily tactics and calls him a “bald faced liar.” His job at the car-dealership is the first sign of his alienation from his community; it requires him to lie to gain a better deal, in other words to forfeit ethical standards. This was one of Emile Durkheim’s biggest fears for modern society – that some practices would become so specialized, and in turn, alienated from the rest of a society, that they would fail to adopt ethical principles. He calls the lack of social or ethical standards ‘Anomie.’ This is clearly a profession with a high state of moral deviancy, calling him to lie, which in turn he takes abuse for.

We continue to see this detachment in his home. His family, rather than a source of “backstage” life, is further a source of anomie and alienation. Jerry’s son disregards his parent’s rules and rituals in favor of his own. His wife seems of little importance – especially poignant when played in comparison to Marge and Norm who are often seen doing selfless acts for each other – Jerry’s wife seems to be more background furniture. The most revealing factor here though, comes with Wade Gustason: Jerry’s stepfather. Wade belittles and clearly disregards Jerry as a member of the family, but most importantly, Wade acts as an unreachable symbol of success. As sociologists have noted, from Durkheim, to Robert k Merton and onwards – social deviancy often comes when there is a large gap between what a society expects of an individual and the means they have to achieve it. This is of course relative and for Jerry he feels he lives in Wade’s shadow, eventually leading Jerry to trying to climb the social hierarchy, which ultimately leads to his downfall.

It is through Jerry’s moral deprivation, apathy for his family and insistent drive towards power that acts as the catalyst for the film.

Carl Showalter and Gaear Grimsrud: social deviancy

These two characters through there impulsive behavior and disregard for common order, drive most of the conflict and violence of the film and show the effect extreme anomie can have.

It is this complete state of anomie that is the main difference between Showalter, Grimsrud and Brainerd’s residents. Without structure and without restraints, they are completely guided by their impulses. To quote Frank Herbert: “Seek freedom and become captive of your desires. Seek discipline and find your liberty.” They seek freedom. In his book on suicide Durkheim notes that this type of lifestyle leads one trying to fulfill impulses one more extravagant then the last, being led to continued unfulfillment and neurosis. The desires they often do seek are also quick fixes, for example they have sex with a couple of Truckstop hookers; only to be quickly and indifferently watching cable TV. The extractives in life being lived for: nothing is satisfying, and any irritations or long-term commitments become intolerable. The two characters deal with this excess of energy in different ways: Grimsrud represses it, which leaves him as unthinking, unfeeling and ego dead. Showater on the other had externalizes it, which leads to his angry outbursts and impulsive swearing and ranting.

Tensions are only heightened, as in the film Showater and Grimsrud, act as two of only a few outsiders to Brainerd. Continuing the exploration of the limits of language proposed by Wittgenstein, the Coen’s here look at the discord in dialect between the mild mannered Minnestonians and the outspoken outlanders. Where the locals, use a friendly “you bet ya,” Showalter and Grimsrud, are repetitively heard saying an impatient “common” and insistent “you know.” As Durkheim notes: different societies hold different principles and problems can arise when different societies and in turn different principles clash. This is shown most clearly in the scene when a policeman pulls the two men over. Thinking they’re talking the same language, Showater tries to bribe him: surprised when customs seem to differ, and it backfires.

Like Jerry, it is through the situation, but most importantly their lifestyles that is the catalyst for trouble.

Marge Gunderson: the collective consciousness

As the Lumberjack statue standing at the edge of the city represents: Brainerd is a place that values day to day labouring. Marge represents someone imbedded within this collective view: what Durkheim would call the collective consciousness. Through both a meaningful career and family life: she is happy, content and unlike the other characters isn’t plagued by existential dilemmas.

Marge is often played in opposition to the characters above. We see the differences in workplace for example: while Jerry sits in a solitary office, his back behind a motorway underlying the insignificance of what he’s doing: Marge walks into the office knowing everyone by name, doing something that keeps society functioning. The collective consciousness is strong; protocall and social ritual being respected: there is a sense of community and order.

The Coen’s don’t idealize though, even showing some of the similarities between Marge and the other characters. Like Showater and Grimsrud she is no stranger to the mundane: long drives to and from places, sometimes to follow leads that are irrelevant are commonplace. But as Durkheim notes: it is repeating the same task indefinably that makes them intolerable, while Marge’s day is broken up. This is shown with the montage of her driving and making stops for food, work etc. Her life also divided between work and her family life and to further the point her husband’s time also split with his painting hobby. This is also important for identity reasons, as Goffman notes: Professional life allows you to be something (have a title) while personal life lets you have a backstage, relaxed persona. Where for Jerry these states are jumbled; for Marge they are firmly established.

Nearing the end of the film Marge makes it evident that she doesn’t understand the greediness and bloodshed. So, integrated into the collective consciousness she doesn’t know what would drive someone to such heinous crimes. We are led to believe that she might be coming to some existential crisis, but then it revealed she isn’t effected. Having foundation to draw on, prevents her falling into the abyss. Being a valued contributor to society and leading a moral life, the Coen’s know these are principles to value.

In conclusion, as well as being a masterful comedy, thriller and character study: Fargo also acts as a study of functionism and how social deviancy arises in even the most idealistic societies.

There is much more to be said about Fargo: how it parodies “true story” films, the often-minimalist filmmaking approach etc. Though hopefully this short essay has given you some insight into how the Coen’s used Fargo to explore sociological themes.