MovieChat Forums > Newsies (1992) Discussion > 'A porcelain tub with boiling water'?

'A porcelain tub with boiling water'?

posted 15 years ago by kcvck
8 replies | jump to latest

Am I just really slow, or does Spot's dream not make a whole lot of sense?

If someone could enlighten me, I would appreciate it.

[–] rae_111 15 years ago

Well, it would just be a sign of wealth and financial stability. To have running water and an actual tub may be something small and insignificant to you or me or maybe many middle to upper class New Yorkers of 1899, to someone who probably rarely gets a bath, that's something that is so rare and significant and huge that it's worth dreaming about. I guess its sort of like having a roof over your head or something.

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[–] data_girl_3 15 years ago

Plus, if you pay attention in the beginning, you see one of the Newsies bathing in this wooden barrel basin thing, so the Newsies probably never had a good hot bath in a long time, if they ever had one at all.

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[–] kcvck 15 years ago

Huh. Never thought about it that way before. Thank you both for your responses.

[–] uruseiranma 15 years ago

Yes, the idea of a warm bath in a nice tub does seem far from people's minds these days.

Also, the idea of having a comfortable bed was most likely only reserved for the wealthy.

"Ridiculous, Lucky Captain Rabbit King. Lucky Captain Rabbit King nuggets are for the youth!"

[–] princessmatchie 15 years ago

I always thought that was extremely telling for the character. Of all the things in the world he wanted, the thing he wanted the very most was a bath.

[–] HelenaHermione 15 years ago

And that was why he was named Spot...

Of course, he did get to go off with Teddy Roosevelt, maybe he did eventually get that bath he wanted.

Notice: in the beginning, he staked a claim on the riverside dock, just to have a nice spot for all his boys to bathe and swim.

As long as there is space, I'm going to stare off into it.

[–] maiira 14 years ago

That's what I thought too. Most the other boys wanted to have some manner of wild wacky fun...he just wanted to relax in a tub.

It's actually rather sweet, I think. And even a little bit sad. Makes you wonder just what sort of stress he had going on in his life. (Becoming the most intimidating newsie in New York probably wasn't easy!)

Ahh, kamisama! watashi no atama ni ono ga arimasu!

[–] pyotr-3 12 years ago

A porcelain tub with hot water was a great luxury then. When they got to bathe, which was not often, they had to use uncomfortable tubs made of metal or wood, and hot water was rare. Even when I was a kid on a farm in NC in the 50's we had to "bathe" in a small tub with only cold water taken from a well. It was not fun. In 1899 most people bathed quite seldom. If you have ever had to go days & days without bathing all your life, you'd be dreaming about a porcelain tub with boiling water, too.