Jaws!

In the movie Jaws the shark not only has a physical effect on the habitants of the island, but also a psychological and economic effect. Jaws seems to be the anti-thesis of happiness and prosperity. Throughout the movie, Jaws tends to appear whenever people are joyful and peaceful. The shark first appears during a party while a girl and guy are trying to have a good time by swimming in the ocean. The second time, people are at the beach, enjoying themselves. There is laughter everywhere as children run into the water to play. A third time, the shark strikes in the middle of the night, as Martin, Quint, and Matt are telling jokes and laughing on the boat. In all three instances, as soon as Jaws appears the laughter dies out while people start panicking. Jaws therefore, acts as the destroyer of the citizens peace of mind, and his psychological influence becomes overwhelming. One can notice the psychological affect the shark has on the town by studying Martin while he is at the beach. Martin is very tense and worked up, while the rest of the people around him are enjoying themselves. He panics at even the slightest scream or unusual movement in the water. Later in the movie, even the mayor breaks down psychologically, as he finally asks Martin for help.

Jaws, however, not only affects the town physically, by killing, and psychologically, by stirring panic in the town, but he also has the ability to affect the town economically. Because the beach offers the greatest revenue to the town, due to tourism, the appearance of Jaws places the town in an economic dilemma. Amity Island is forced to shut down its beaches, signifying the economic disaster that will envelop the island if Jaws continues to live.
Jaws therefore has a profound effect on the town, far greater and more destructive than a normal shark should have. His overwhelming influence is symbolized in two scenes during the movie. One of the scenes involves Jaws’ attack on the pier, a supposed safeguard for the fishermen, and the other scene involves Jaws ability to break through Matt’s shark cage, another supposed safeguard. These two scenes symbolize that Jaws ability to hurt others is infinite leaving the town with a staggering revelation, either kill or be killed.