why did he accept that harmonica from Tracy when he knew he was going to dump her? He should have said, I can't possibly accept this.
Or he should have at least OFFERED to give it back. She probably would have told him to keep it, but I feel like an offer should have been made.
Am I wrong?
I don't see the harm in accepting the harmonica, they don't cost that much
sharei guess i am just thinking about the time frame. If someone handed me a gift, any gift right before i knew i was about to dump them, I would give it back to to them, or at least make an offer, just to be courteous.
I just know if i thought of someone enough to get them something and they took me out specifically to dump me, I'd be bitter if they kept what i gave them without even offering if i wanted it back.
I think in the end the harmonica in itself is of little significance compared to the actual break-up.
Doesn't make much of a difference to either one of them whether he kept the harmonica or not. Stepping outside the restaurant, the only thing they would be thinking would be "we're through".
Now had it been a more expensive/significane gift, it might have been different. Except if the harmonica had been in the family for 10 generations :)
But in any case, Woody's character is pretty self absorbed so I wouldn't expect him to think about her feelings too much.
"He Said I Look Like Boris Karloff..."
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Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.
Poorly Lived and Poorly Died, Poorly Buried and No One Criedshare
Well, the scene ends (as a good scene should) to maximize its emotional impact -- with her crying and him trying to comfort her and the two of them still sitting there. No doubt somebody had to pay the check and call a cab and any number of other mundane, meaningless tasks we perform in the real world but which would diminish the scene.
Who knows, he might have offered the harmonica back, but since it's a necessary prop later, whether or not he offered to give it back, he still has it, looks at it, thinks of her, half-heartedly fiddles with it, puts it away. The process by which he still has it is really beside the point.
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I could see where it would seem like insult to injury to not accept the gift or even suggest they take it back. (No, you or your gift are not good enough for me.)
"Sorry. If I've not responded to you either it wasn't necessary or I've set you to Ignore."
He's not thinking about the harmonica. She gives it to him, watch him fumble around with it because he's thinking that he's about to drop this bomb. So when he starts telling her, he's just not thinking about a little harmonica.
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