Wow. It is really amazing to think about how far I have come in the past year. This is usually the part that I hate so much about lit classes: when the teacher makes you reflect on your progress over the semester/year and write down goals. I don't know exactly why, but I have always found it to be so boring. Maybe it's the amazing class mascot that erupted from my mind in ambient speech, or our seemingly ridiculous obsession with predatory portmanteaus, but this course has shown me a lot of new ideas. Everything from the terms, the independence of our class discussions, the interesting literature that we have read, and so many more things that I am too tired to write about now, has simply redefined the way that I look at literature. I am most certainly glad that I signed up for this class, even if I was an idiot and missed the first meeting. But that was innocent baby junior Abhijit that had no idea what a paraprosdokian is; this is senioritis/nostalgia-stricken Abhijit who is freaking about that AP Exam in 2 WEEKS!!!! In short, thank you Holmes!
Anywho, what have we done in the past four weeks?
For one thing, we finished reading Ceremony! Now I can see that Holmes was 100% right when she told us that this was the most complex selection of the year. This is quite the overstatement, but it makes Hamlet feel like a Magic Tree House book (no offense to Shakespeare, of course). In our discussions, we have found so many new points of interpretation, particularly the colors and animals. This made the theme statement all the harder, of course, and I thought that each hour had its own interpretation of the same message, which is cool. Honestly, I would put meeting Silko on my bucket list because I still have so many questions to ask her about this book. In our discussions, we also read a series of articles, splitting them up across the entire class, which I found interesting because we were using our classmates as our own filter to pick up on the important info, with only un petit peu of Holmes' guidance. We have also started reading Fifth Business on our own, and I am really waiting for those in-class discussions because I have yet to make up my mind on this text. Then again, I also have yet to finish it.
With regards to test-prep, well we've just been diving head first. Poems, essays, selections, the whole nine yards. The blitzkrieg was definitely an interesting way to go through analyses, and I really like how we're focusing in on the thesis element of our essays. It has become very clear to me that the thesis is nearly always the hardest thing to put together, and in the context of 40 minutes, it is quite a gargantuan task to come up with a well-composed set of ideas, but I do find that it is becoming easier each time. I also thought it was very helpful to see the 2013 test. Not only was it pretty cool to see the test from just last year, but seeing the format and getting a skeletal feel (but that's better than nothing) has alleviated at least a bit of my anxiety.
Well, that's all folks! It's been quite the journey, and we're nearly through!!!
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Open Prompts, Grand Finale!
For this post, I chose the 2006 prompt: Many writers use a country setting to establish values within a work of literature. For example, the country may be a place of virtue and peace or one of primitivism and ignorance. Choose a novel or play in which such a setting plays a significant role. Then write an essay in which you analyze how the country setting functions in the work as a whole.
In Leslie Marmon Silko's Ceremony, the story is set in the isolated location of a Laguna reservation, which is much more natural and isolated from the influences of modern culture. This setting is particularly important due to the importance of natural balance in the Laguna belief system, and the setting has a strong influence on the main character, Tayo. The setting works to reinforce the idea that classifications, positive or negative, are actually meaningless as all things exhibit good and evil qualities in their own way.
The primary setting of the story, the Laguna Pueblo reservation, changes along with the action of the plot in ways that highlight Tayo's transformation throughout the novel. In the beginning of the story, Tayo's prayer for no rain, resulting from his wartime experience in a muggy forest, is repeatedly mentioned with regards to his belief that his prayer has caused the drought on the reservation. Additionally, the mood comes off as depressing and torturous as a result of the arid conditions. However, as Tayo finds his place within the community and gets back in touch with the Laguna values, the setting also begins to change and show hopeful signs of life. In particular, when Tayo prays in the cave, where Tsi'tsi'inako's presence is implied, it rains afterward, which shows how the setting is tied with the characters due to their values, as well as how Tayo's journey transcends his individual experience and has ramifications for his people. Thus, the setting finds a balance just as Tayo does, urging the reader to better understand the world around them.
Tayo is also deeply influenced by the setting, which aids him on his quest to complete the ceremony. Many of the animals in the setting, such as the mountain lion and the cows, connect with the cultural values that guide Tayo on his journey. The transition from drought into rain reinforces the progress that Tayo makes, connecting him to the values that he seemed to have lost from his experience in the war, which introduced him to the values of the "civilized" Western world, which deeply contrast to the free, isolated setting of the Laguna reservation. In addition, the setting exemplifies the balance that Silko continually recommends for the reader. Many of the elements of the setting have good and bad attributes that allow the reader to connect, via Silko's heavy use of sensory imagery, to Tayo's experience in acquiring his lost balance.
In Silko's Ceremony, the primary setting of the novel, a Laguna pueblo reservation, assists in reinforcing the idea of balance in its unique natural attributes. The blend of good and bad attributes, which Tayo comes to embrace and eventually embody, serve as Silko's means to urge the reader to embrace a balance in their own life and do away with distinctions.
In Leslie Marmon Silko's Ceremony, the story is set in the isolated location of a Laguna reservation, which is much more natural and isolated from the influences of modern culture. This setting is particularly important due to the importance of natural balance in the Laguna belief system, and the setting has a strong influence on the main character, Tayo. The setting works to reinforce the idea that classifications, positive or negative, are actually meaningless as all things exhibit good and evil qualities in their own way.
The primary setting of the story, the Laguna Pueblo reservation, changes along with the action of the plot in ways that highlight Tayo's transformation throughout the novel. In the beginning of the story, Tayo's prayer for no rain, resulting from his wartime experience in a muggy forest, is repeatedly mentioned with regards to his belief that his prayer has caused the drought on the reservation. Additionally, the mood comes off as depressing and torturous as a result of the arid conditions. However, as Tayo finds his place within the community and gets back in touch with the Laguna values, the setting also begins to change and show hopeful signs of life. In particular, when Tayo prays in the cave, where Tsi'tsi'inako's presence is implied, it rains afterward, which shows how the setting is tied with the characters due to their values, as well as how Tayo's journey transcends his individual experience and has ramifications for his people. Thus, the setting finds a balance just as Tayo does, urging the reader to better understand the world around them.
Tayo is also deeply influenced by the setting, which aids him on his quest to complete the ceremony. Many of the animals in the setting, such as the mountain lion and the cows, connect with the cultural values that guide Tayo on his journey. The transition from drought into rain reinforces the progress that Tayo makes, connecting him to the values that he seemed to have lost from his experience in the war, which introduced him to the values of the "civilized" Western world, which deeply contrast to the free, isolated setting of the Laguna reservation. In addition, the setting exemplifies the balance that Silko continually recommends for the reader. Many of the elements of the setting have good and bad attributes that allow the reader to connect, via Silko's heavy use of sensory imagery, to Tayo's experience in acquiring his lost balance.
In Silko's Ceremony, the primary setting of the novel, a Laguna pueblo reservation, assists in reinforcing the idea of balance in its unique natural attributes. The blend of good and bad attributes, which Tayo comes to embrace and eventually embody, serve as Silko's means to urge the reader to embrace a balance in their own life and do away with distinctions.
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Ceremony: Summary and Analysis
OH MY GOSH THIS IS THE LAST SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS!!!!
De basics:
- Night Swan/Ts'eh/Incarnations of the Woman: she is Tayo's counterpart. As Night Swan, she was Josiah's lover, who ends up doing it with Tayo (to be blunt) and then shows him how they are alike in that she is also a half-breed. As Ts'eh, she is a married young woman who Tayo really loves, and she comes to represent the overall female aspect that is very prevalent in the Laguna mythos
- Emo: the main antagonist. He is actually a full-blood Laguna, but completely disrespects the values of the people and spreads the influence of the evil, destructive culture that he embraced through fighting in WWII. He is stabbed by Tayo. He corresponds to the Gambler in the overarching myth of the story
- Betonie: a Navajo medicine man, who helps Tayo achieve the balance that he lost by participating in the war. He is also mixed-race and very old.
- Josiah: Tayo's primary father figure. He always supports Tayo and introduces him to the Indian culture that he ends up adopting later on
Symbols:
Voice/style:
"It semms like I already heard these stories before...only things is, the names sound different."
This quote reinforces the ideat that Ceremony and Tayo are deeply representative of the Laguna culture, and that the story of this novel has a profound significance that transcends cultural boundaries.
"The mountain outdistanced their destruction, just as love had outdistanced death." (there's a lot more that I liked on this page, 204)
This portrays the hope that Tayo finally embraces in the novel. He realizes that evil and good will both always be a part of his world, but that does not change the fact that he is a good person, and his values are his strength. He has nothing to atone for in being mixed race, but this gives him a deeper cultural insight that imbues him with a special balance and power.
THEME!:
In Ceremony, Silko suggests that good and evil exist in everything, and distinctions are misunderstandings of the universal balance; in realizing this, one is able to achieve a true understanding of the unity binding nature and people together.
De basics:
- Author: Leslie Marmon Silko; a half-Laguna author raised at Laguna Pueblo - a lot of Tayo's and other characters' experiences reflect on her own childhood as a mixed-race Indian
- Setting: The story takes place in the post WWII era on/around the Laguna Pueblo reservation in New Mexico; some flashbacks take place on the Bataan Death March in Japan during WWII
- Major Characters!
- Night Swan/Ts'eh/Incarnations of the Woman: she is Tayo's counterpart. As Night Swan, she was Josiah's lover, who ends up doing it with Tayo (to be blunt) and then shows him how they are alike in that she is also a half-breed. As Ts'eh, she is a married young woman who Tayo really loves, and she comes to represent the overall female aspect that is very prevalent in the Laguna mythos
- Emo: the main antagonist. He is actually a full-blood Laguna, but completely disrespects the values of the people and spreads the influence of the evil, destructive culture that he embraced through fighting in WWII. He is stabbed by Tayo. He corresponds to the Gambler in the overarching myth of the story
- Betonie: a Navajo medicine man, who helps Tayo achieve the balance that he lost by participating in the war. He is also mixed-race and very old.
- Josiah: Tayo's primary father figure. He always supports Tayo and introduces him to the Indian culture that he ends up adopting later on
- Plot!
Symbols:
- Laguna deities - many of the deities referenced in the poem have ties to the characters and important roles in the Laguna culture
- Mountain lion - an important animal in the Laguna mythos, and a connection to Tayo's role as Sun-father in the story
- Pollen - nature's creative power, which Tayo encounters throughout
- Water - the power that nature, and the Laguna deities hold over the land; when Tayo reconciles with this power and overcomes the aversion he developed during the war, prosperity returns in the form of rain
Voice/style:
- Silko's style reflects a deep knowledge of the Laguna culture as well as the white culture. She draws from her own experiences as mixed race in her portrayal of Tayo in the novel. She makes heavy use of structure throughout the novel, with converging episodes that lead into a continuous plot in the end to represent Tayo's mind as well as the overarching poem that represents the plot of the novel in the form of a traditional, Laguna story.
"It semms like I already heard these stories before...only things is, the names sound different."
This quote reinforces the ideat that Ceremony and Tayo are deeply representative of the Laguna culture, and that the story of this novel has a profound significance that transcends cultural boundaries.
"The mountain outdistanced their destruction, just as love had outdistanced death." (there's a lot more that I liked on this page, 204)
This portrays the hope that Tayo finally embraces in the novel. He realizes that evil and good will both always be a part of his world, but that does not change the fact that he is a good person, and his values are his strength. He has nothing to atone for in being mixed race, but this gives him a deeper cultural insight that imbues him with a special balance and power.
THEME!:
In Ceremony, Silko suggests that good and evil exist in everything, and distinctions are misunderstandings of the universal balance; in realizing this, one is able to achieve a true understanding of the unity binding nature and people together.
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Response to Course Materials
So this last month, we did a lot! We finally finished Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, engaged in a lot of AP practice, and then started Ceremony!
With regards to Ros and Guil, I felt like our discussions were just about as circular as the play itself, an I found myself at times feeling like I had figured something out and then losing my train of thought the next moment. I must say that a work of literature has never left me feeling so divided because I feel like there are two sides that Stoppard takes with this play: on one hand, you could just take it to mean that art is art and has no further meaning because it cannot replicate life, but then it just as easily could mean that we are above the ridiculous fantasy of art, which can only dream of being like life (but then you have meaning!). Really, though. Even with the other Shakespeare that I have experienced, like Hamlet or Macbeth, nothing has really left me as inconclusive as this play. It's almost as if each time I try to lean towards one theory, I feel like the other theory could just as easily come into play. Either way, I guess Stoppard's goal was to get people thinking - it's just what they're intended to think about that gets me! But the postmodern reading of the play did provide me with some further insights with how it fits into the trend and what specific techniques have arisen with the style. Nonetheless, I definitely plan to return to Ros and Guil and see if I can finally make up mind.
On a similar note, I recently had the opportunity to visit an art museum, and found myself caught within two realms. On one hand, there is the pre-1900s art, which exhibits beauty and more aesthetic values, but then comes modern art, which finds meaning in seemingly random collections of strokes. No offense to any connoisseurs out there, but I have never been able to wrap my brain around the concept, which came out to haunt me with the toilet piece in Holmes' critical lens presentation. I can see where one might get ideas about the absurdity of the modern condition from a toilet, but I would much rather spend my days analyzing a painting for meaning instead. I guess I'm sort of an aestheticist at the end of the day.
But, in a total change of gears, we have started reading Ceremony, and Ms. Homes' description of the circular narrative tied together three years of literature classes within one diagram. Having had both Am and Brit Lit, I have read through plenty of packets on archetypes, but seeing the continuum that we drew in class allowed me to understand the concept in a very new light. I'd always sort of seen each genre as distinct and separate, but that showed me how they can easily lead into one another. In addition, we read through a series of articles in preparation for our reading of Ceremony, which I found really interesting since I found a lot of connections to the very short introduction to Native American Lit that I had had in Am Lit. The three "R"s that I learned about in Mrs. Sauer's class even made a semi-cameo in Holmes' presentation! But alongside the insight into the mythos and the cultural values of the Laguna, I have found a lot of connections to the values that I have been able to experience in my own religion and culture. Of course, diversity and acceptance have made it a lot easier, but being Hindu and Indian in a deeply Western and Christian (sorry to generalize, but let's face it) culture has shown me two very different perspectives on the world. So as I have been reading Ceremony, where the hero is placed between these two worlds, I have found a lot of connections between his Laguna culture and my own Indian culture. One example being the use of deep myths that connect to nature, which I constantly learned growing up. This also happens to be our very first novel, which I actually enjoy because I feel like a novel is even easier to visualize as the story lacks the confinements of a stage (and the pre-Ceremony activities helped cultivate my ideas of the setting). As an added bonus, I feel like novels connect even more deeply to the author. Even though Ceremony is in third person, I feel like Silko's writing resonates much more than Stoppard's or Miller's simply because I do not see the distance between playwright and play.
Anyways, there's my two cents, and jeez the AP exam's in two months!!!
With regards to Ros and Guil, I felt like our discussions were just about as circular as the play itself, an I found myself at times feeling like I had figured something out and then losing my train of thought the next moment. I must say that a work of literature has never left me feeling so divided because I feel like there are two sides that Stoppard takes with this play: on one hand, you could just take it to mean that art is art and has no further meaning because it cannot replicate life, but then it just as easily could mean that we are above the ridiculous fantasy of art, which can only dream of being like life (but then you have meaning!). Really, though. Even with the other Shakespeare that I have experienced, like Hamlet or Macbeth, nothing has really left me as inconclusive as this play. It's almost as if each time I try to lean towards one theory, I feel like the other theory could just as easily come into play. Either way, I guess Stoppard's goal was to get people thinking - it's just what they're intended to think about that gets me! But the postmodern reading of the play did provide me with some further insights with how it fits into the trend and what specific techniques have arisen with the style. Nonetheless, I definitely plan to return to Ros and Guil and see if I can finally make up mind.
On a similar note, I recently had the opportunity to visit an art museum, and found myself caught within two realms. On one hand, there is the pre-1900s art, which exhibits beauty and more aesthetic values, but then comes modern art, which finds meaning in seemingly random collections of strokes. No offense to any connoisseurs out there, but I have never been able to wrap my brain around the concept, which came out to haunt me with the toilet piece in Holmes' critical lens presentation. I can see where one might get ideas about the absurdity of the modern condition from a toilet, but I would much rather spend my days analyzing a painting for meaning instead. I guess I'm sort of an aestheticist at the end of the day.
But, in a total change of gears, we have started reading Ceremony, and Ms. Homes' description of the circular narrative tied together three years of literature classes within one diagram. Having had both Am and Brit Lit, I have read through plenty of packets on archetypes, but seeing the continuum that we drew in class allowed me to understand the concept in a very new light. I'd always sort of seen each genre as distinct and separate, but that showed me how they can easily lead into one another. In addition, we read through a series of articles in preparation for our reading of Ceremony, which I found really interesting since I found a lot of connections to the very short introduction to Native American Lit that I had had in Am Lit. The three "R"s that I learned about in Mrs. Sauer's class even made a semi-cameo in Holmes' presentation! But alongside the insight into the mythos and the cultural values of the Laguna, I have found a lot of connections to the values that I have been able to experience in my own religion and culture. Of course, diversity and acceptance have made it a lot easier, but being Hindu and Indian in a deeply Western and Christian (sorry to generalize, but let's face it) culture has shown me two very different perspectives on the world. So as I have been reading Ceremony, where the hero is placed between these two worlds, I have found a lot of connections between his Laguna culture and my own Indian culture. One example being the use of deep myths that connect to nature, which I constantly learned growing up. This also happens to be our very first novel, which I actually enjoy because I feel like a novel is even easier to visualize as the story lacks the confinements of a stage (and the pre-Ceremony activities helped cultivate my ideas of the setting). As an added bonus, I feel like novels connect even more deeply to the author. Even though Ceremony is in third person, I feel like Silko's writing resonates much more than Stoppard's or Miller's simply because I do not see the distance between playwright and play.
Anyways, there's my two cents, and jeez the AP exam's in two months!!!
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Open Prompts Partie Deux
For this post, I chose the 2008 prompt:
In a literary work, a minor character, often known as a foil, possesses traits that emphasize, by contrast or comparison, the distinctive characteristics and qualities of the main character. For example, the ideas or behavior of a minor character might be used to highlight the weaknesses or strengths of the main character. Choose a novel or play in which a minor character serves as a foil for the main character. Then write an essay in which you analyze how the relation between the minor character and the major character illuminates the meaning of the work.
In Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, Charley serves as a foil to the protagonist, Willy Loman. Charley's business and parental successes contrast with Willy's shortcomings in life, yet his ultimate respect for Willy serves to highlight Miller's ultimate message of the inestimable price of one's own values.
One of the most prominent similarities between Charley and Willy is their parenthood; both of them are fathers, and they have sons of the same age, Bernard and Biff, respectively. This trait provides for a deep contrast, however, as their parenting styles and their sons' outcomes differ vastly. Willy takes a deep interest in Biff and is continually trying to mold him into the perfect child. Charley, on the other hand, leaves Bernard alone and lets him become the person he chooses to be. Ironically, by investing himself so deeply in Biff, Willy generates a dependence in Biff that leads to his downfall, whereas Bernard is able to pursue a successful career as a lawyer with his father's minimal involvement. Through this contrast, Miller shows how Willy's attempt to force his own ideas of success upon Biff traps his son into a confused idolatry, which prevents him from going forward in life. It is only when Willy dies, providing the ultimate detachment from his son, that Biff is finally able to move beyond the values of his father and try and find his own values. In this way, Miller tries to convince the reader that one should always strive to find their own path, as opposed to living in the images of society or someone else's value of success.
Charley and Willy are also involved in business in some fashion. However, Charley leads a rich, financially secure life, whereas Willy continues to struggle to earn money to support his family. Despite Willy's lower income, Charley still carries a great admiration for Willy and his inability to give up hope. Even after his ultimate act of desperation, his suicide, Charley maintains that Willy's unending hope of a successful Biff and happy home life were what truly defined him. Even if he was a salesman, Willy's spirit could easily match that of his successful brother. Through their economic and moral differences, Miller points out that a person's true value lies in their character. Even if Charley is wealthier and has a more successful son, it is Willy who truly stands out as a result of his inability to ever give up on his dreams or values, even when Biff loses faith.
Within Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, Charley serves as a foil to the character of Willy Loman with special regards to his parenting and wealth. Through their contrasting relationship, Miller highlights the ultimate value of a person's own self-esteem as opposed to societal measures of success and wealth.
In a literary work, a minor character, often known as a foil, possesses traits that emphasize, by contrast or comparison, the distinctive characteristics and qualities of the main character. For example, the ideas or behavior of a minor character might be used to highlight the weaknesses or strengths of the main character. Choose a novel or play in which a minor character serves as a foil for the main character. Then write an essay in which you analyze how the relation between the minor character and the major character illuminates the meaning of the work.
In Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, Charley serves as a foil to the protagonist, Willy Loman. Charley's business and parental successes contrast with Willy's shortcomings in life, yet his ultimate respect for Willy serves to highlight Miller's ultimate message of the inestimable price of one's own values.
One of the most prominent similarities between Charley and Willy is their parenthood; both of them are fathers, and they have sons of the same age, Bernard and Biff, respectively. This trait provides for a deep contrast, however, as their parenting styles and their sons' outcomes differ vastly. Willy takes a deep interest in Biff and is continually trying to mold him into the perfect child. Charley, on the other hand, leaves Bernard alone and lets him become the person he chooses to be. Ironically, by investing himself so deeply in Biff, Willy generates a dependence in Biff that leads to his downfall, whereas Bernard is able to pursue a successful career as a lawyer with his father's minimal involvement. Through this contrast, Miller shows how Willy's attempt to force his own ideas of success upon Biff traps his son into a confused idolatry, which prevents him from going forward in life. It is only when Willy dies, providing the ultimate detachment from his son, that Biff is finally able to move beyond the values of his father and try and find his own values. In this way, Miller tries to convince the reader that one should always strive to find their own path, as opposed to living in the images of society or someone else's value of success.
Charley and Willy are also involved in business in some fashion. However, Charley leads a rich, financially secure life, whereas Willy continues to struggle to earn money to support his family. Despite Willy's lower income, Charley still carries a great admiration for Willy and his inability to give up hope. Even after his ultimate act of desperation, his suicide, Charley maintains that Willy's unending hope of a successful Biff and happy home life were what truly defined him. Even if he was a salesman, Willy's spirit could easily match that of his successful brother. Through their economic and moral differences, Miller points out that a person's true value lies in their character. Even if Charley is wealthier and has a more successful son, it is Willy who truly stands out as a result of his inability to ever give up on his dreams or values, even when Biff loses faith.
Within Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, Charley serves as a foil to the character of Willy Loman with special regards to his parenting and wealth. Through their contrasting relationship, Miller highlights the ultimate value of a person's own self-esteem as opposed to societal measures of success and wealth.
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Summary and Analysis of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard
Author:
Tom Stoppard was born in Czechoslovakia and moved a lot as a child due to World War II. He lost his birth father to the war and eventually ended up in England. The recurring theme of identity within Rosencrantz and Guildenstern might stem from his displaced roots as a child. In addition, his experience with World War II might contribute to his use of Absurdism and Postmodernist elements.
Setting:
Supposedly within the story of Hamlet, but it's left almost entirely ambiguous. The playwright himself took advantage of this in the film adaptation.
Plot:
The play opens with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern on their way to the court of Elsinore. They have a purpose and direction, yet cannot remember why they are headed that way. The entire time, they are engaged in a game of heads or tails. They encounter some players and place a wager with the troupe's leader, which ends up in their favor. The Player is forced to hold a performance for them, but R & G leave in the middle, reaching Elsinore. Their misadventures continue at the palace, but it is at this point that their role in Shakespeare's play begins, and so the first structured dialogue occurs with their meeting with Gertrude and Claudius. Then, with no lines, they return to the non-structured confusing narrative. Then, they meet Hamlet.
R & G are spending time with Hamlet to fulfill the King's demand that they find out what's wrong with him. Eventually, the troupe of players comes to Elsinore as well, and the Player is mad at R&G for bailing on their performance. Hamlet devises his plan to figure out his uncle's guilt, and the players act out The Murder of Gonzago, which freaks out Claudius. Then, they end up having to leave and end up on the boat.
R & G open the letter Claudius gave them and figure out what Hamlet's fate is (unbeknownst to them, Hamlet is listening the entire time). While they sleep, he slips in and switches the letter. Then, pirates attack the ship, and R & G and Hamlet end up in barrels. When it all settles, R & G emerge but Hamlet is gone. Then the players somehow emerge from a third barrel. R & G open the letter and find that they are ordered to be hanged instead of Hamlet. Then G has an outburst of rage as the player jokes about death. The play ends with the scene where they are hanged.
Characters:
-Rosencrantz: The more happy-go-lucky of the pair. He has moments of brilliance but is ultimately seen as a nuisance by Guildenstern. He remembers nothing.
-Guildenstern: The more pensive of the two. He often tries to break free from the confines of the stage and questions the role of the circular narrative.
-Player: The one character in the play who understands the true nature of his place within the literature. He knows the cyclical immortality and embraces it. He is often the voice of reason.
Stoppard's voice:
This play is unique in that it has so narration within the stage directions. In a way, Stoppard takes on a witty persona within his narrations, where he uses interesting, colorful diction.
STYLE:
PoV - Stoppard's point-of-view is from the third person as he narrates the play. He takes on an interesting angle with a blend of existentialist and absurdist elements.
Imagery - The play's imagery is more emotional than sensory. Stoppard's idea is to make the audience uncomfortable with some of his imagination. For example, his frequent breaking of the fourth wall where R & G point into the audience and especially the prostitution analogy.
Symbolism
- the Boat: life/fate and the fact that we are at the whims of Nature
- Coins: the ultimate role of chance in life, and how most coincidences really are coincidence even if they seem to hold significance
QUOTES
"But why? Was it all for this? Who are we that so much should converge on our little deaths?... Who are we?" - Guil
This really emphasizes the existentialist element of Stoppard's play. This occurs towards the end and Guildenstern has finally come to question his role within the play.
"Uncertainty is the normal state. You're nobody special." - Player
I think that this quote is significant because it blurs the line between the play and life, where the advice given to R & G can be applied to real life within the scope of Absurdist ideas.
THEME
In Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Tom Stoppard encourages the reader to embrace the ambiguities of life and take advantage of their power of choice in making decisions on their path; he also comments on the limited nature of art in its non-reality, and yet as art is interpreted in a unique fashion, it can be incorporated within the unique conscious, decisions that people make, generating a sense of life within art.
Author:
Tom Stoppard was born in Czechoslovakia and moved a lot as a child due to World War II. He lost his birth father to the war and eventually ended up in England. The recurring theme of identity within Rosencrantz and Guildenstern might stem from his displaced roots as a child. In addition, his experience with World War II might contribute to his use of Absurdism and Postmodernist elements.
Setting:
Supposedly within the story of Hamlet, but it's left almost entirely ambiguous. The playwright himself took advantage of this in the film adaptation.
Plot:
The play opens with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern on their way to the court of Elsinore. They have a purpose and direction, yet cannot remember why they are headed that way. The entire time, they are engaged in a game of heads or tails. They encounter some players and place a wager with the troupe's leader, which ends up in their favor. The Player is forced to hold a performance for them, but R & G leave in the middle, reaching Elsinore. Their misadventures continue at the palace, but it is at this point that their role in Shakespeare's play begins, and so the first structured dialogue occurs with their meeting with Gertrude and Claudius. Then, with no lines, they return to the non-structured confusing narrative. Then, they meet Hamlet.
R & G are spending time with Hamlet to fulfill the King's demand that they find out what's wrong with him. Eventually, the troupe of players comes to Elsinore as well, and the Player is mad at R&G for bailing on their performance. Hamlet devises his plan to figure out his uncle's guilt, and the players act out The Murder of Gonzago, which freaks out Claudius. Then, they end up having to leave and end up on the boat.
R & G open the letter Claudius gave them and figure out what Hamlet's fate is (unbeknownst to them, Hamlet is listening the entire time). While they sleep, he slips in and switches the letter. Then, pirates attack the ship, and R & G and Hamlet end up in barrels. When it all settles, R & G emerge but Hamlet is gone. Then the players somehow emerge from a third barrel. R & G open the letter and find that they are ordered to be hanged instead of Hamlet. Then G has an outburst of rage as the player jokes about death. The play ends with the scene where they are hanged.
Characters:
-Rosencrantz: The more happy-go-lucky of the pair. He has moments of brilliance but is ultimately seen as a nuisance by Guildenstern. He remembers nothing.
-Guildenstern: The more pensive of the two. He often tries to break free from the confines of the stage and questions the role of the circular narrative.
-Player: The one character in the play who understands the true nature of his place within the literature. He knows the cyclical immortality and embraces it. He is often the voice of reason.
Stoppard's voice:
This play is unique in that it has so narration within the stage directions. In a way, Stoppard takes on a witty persona within his narrations, where he uses interesting, colorful diction.
STYLE:
PoV - Stoppard's point-of-view is from the third person as he narrates the play. He takes on an interesting angle with a blend of existentialist and absurdist elements.
Imagery - The play's imagery is more emotional than sensory. Stoppard's idea is to make the audience uncomfortable with some of his imagination. For example, his frequent breaking of the fourth wall where R & G point into the audience and especially the prostitution analogy.
Symbolism
- the Boat: life/fate and the fact that we are at the whims of Nature
- Coins: the ultimate role of chance in life, and how most coincidences really are coincidence even if they seem to hold significance
QUOTES
"But why? Was it all for this? Who are we that so much should converge on our little deaths?... Who are we?" - Guil
This really emphasizes the existentialist element of Stoppard's play. This occurs towards the end and Guildenstern has finally come to question his role within the play.
"Uncertainty is the normal state. You're nobody special." - Player
I think that this quote is significant because it blurs the line between the play and life, where the advice given to R & G can be applied to real life within the scope of Absurdist ideas.
THEME
In Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Tom Stoppard encourages the reader to embrace the ambiguities of life and take advantage of their power of choice in making decisions on their path; he also comments on the limited nature of art in its non-reality, and yet as art is interpreted in a unique fashion, it can be incorporated within the unique conscious, decisions that people make, generating a sense of life within art.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Response to Course Material
First of all, these response periods are getting really short, which kind of cuts down on the stuff to reflect upon, but oh well...
The elephant in the room these past few weeks has definitely been Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, which I have to say is probably my favorite book that we have read all year. Especially after reading and annotating it, the issue of the role of art in life has become apparent and leads into the other issue that has dominated our class discussion: where does reality end and art begin? One of things that I have noticed in my class's discussions is the need to separate the play and reality, but every time we try to do so, I begin to doubt whether that is the idea of the play; it's almost like the circular nature of Absurdism has entered my brain... Anyways, this play really amazes me because it is so short and yet it calls the entire realm of art into question. It reminded me of Oscar Wilde and the aestheticist movement (I read The Picture of Dorian Gray last year), but as opposed to proposing a firm answer to that question of art's role, it simply adds more weight to the question itself.
The Stoppard lecture was also really interesting to read because it touched on a lot of the ideas that we had already proposed. Even more so than with other works, I think outside perspectives are really helpful in my analysis of R & G because the work itself is a little difficult to work with because of Stoppard's clever, but definitely confusing style.
And then there was that Open Prompt practice! I actually liked it because I haven't had that strong, pressurized environment to work in, which is pretty important since that is basically what the AP Exam is. I was able to finish the work (no doubt because of the preparatory tips from previous hours' frustration). With the essays in this class in particular, I am always a bit nervous in putting down my ideas because I feel like my thesis needs to be even more insightful than anything I have ever written. With previous APs, you could get away with restating the prompt, but not so much in APE lit, but I really liked Holmes' structure for a thesis because I like having some sort of format to go off of.
Well, that's all I can think of, so yeah. Bye. Stop reading. If you're still reading, you're probably my peer reviewer. Enjoy!
The elephant in the room these past few weeks has definitely been Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, which I have to say is probably my favorite book that we have read all year. Especially after reading and annotating it, the issue of the role of art in life has become apparent and leads into the other issue that has dominated our class discussion: where does reality end and art begin? One of things that I have noticed in my class's discussions is the need to separate the play and reality, but every time we try to do so, I begin to doubt whether that is the idea of the play; it's almost like the circular nature of Absurdism has entered my brain... Anyways, this play really amazes me because it is so short and yet it calls the entire realm of art into question. It reminded me of Oscar Wilde and the aestheticist movement (I read The Picture of Dorian Gray last year), but as opposed to proposing a firm answer to that question of art's role, it simply adds more weight to the question itself.
The Stoppard lecture was also really interesting to read because it touched on a lot of the ideas that we had already proposed. Even more so than with other works, I think outside perspectives are really helpful in my analysis of R & G because the work itself is a little difficult to work with because of Stoppard's clever, but definitely confusing style.
And then there was that Open Prompt practice! I actually liked it because I haven't had that strong, pressurized environment to work in, which is pretty important since that is basically what the AP Exam is. I was able to finish the work (no doubt because of the preparatory tips from previous hours' frustration). With the essays in this class in particular, I am always a bit nervous in putting down my ideas because I feel like my thesis needs to be even more insightful than anything I have ever written. With previous APs, you could get away with restating the prompt, but not so much in APE lit, but I really liked Holmes' structure for a thesis because I like having some sort of format to go off of.
Well, that's all I can think of, so yeah. Bye. Stop reading. If you're still reading, you're probably my peer reviewer. Enjoy!
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Open Prompt, Part II
I chose the 2009 prompt about symbols:
In Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, the narrator, Chief Bromden, continually refers to "the Combine" as a central symbol throughout his experience in the mental asylum. This metaphor extends beyond the institution to effectively portray society as a cold machine willing to toss aside anything that does not fill its requirements. This also serves to deepen the characterization of Bromden, as he reveals his despair in the face of the unstoppable machine.
One of Kesey's main themes is the destruction of individuality in the face of society's strong standards, which have taken hold of almost all people. The combine in the novel serves to symbolize this trend, as a machine which discards that which does not fulfill the farmer's purpose. It characterizes societal ideals as mechanical and devoid of true personality, while criticizing the hypocrisy inherent in the search for perfect conformity. This is exemplified in Bromden's characterization of Nurse Ratched and the mental institution, which he describes in mechanical terms. These people, who are actually supposed to be allowing the patients to recover, are in fact hindering their progress by reining them into a strict, uniform state, where they lack the ability to think for themselves. Furthermore, the cold, mechanical nature of Ratched and her colleagues leads Billy Bibbit to commit suicide. Thus, the combine furthers the plot as the continuous suppression that it attempts to force upon the patients generates the central conflict of the story upon the arrival McMurphy, the protagonist.
This symbol is also highly relevant to the development of Chief Bromden throughout the story, alongside his symbolism of the oppressed or tossed-aside individuals of any society. Bromden is Native American, wherein the symbol of the combine reveals his sense of loss that stems from the loss of his culture and lands to the white men. This historical allusion allows Kesey to specify an example, which brings the reader to better understand the overall idea of oppression at the hands of mainstream society. In addition, Bromden lives in fear of the combine for most of the novel, which stems from his mistreatment at the hands of the institution staff and society as a whole. Bromden is an outlier who fails to occupy one of the normal niches in the mainstream society. Society's failure to understand him as a human being has caused him to doubt his own abilities and stripped him of any functional sanity.
The novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, reflects many of Kesey's own feelings of alienation at the hands of his seemingly rebellious involvement in the Beat movement. His novel points out the destructive habit of society to single out and quash those who do not seem to conform to its values, and this idea is reflected in the combine.
In Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, the narrator, Chief Bromden, continually refers to "the Combine" as a central symbol throughout his experience in the mental asylum. This metaphor extends beyond the institution to effectively portray society as a cold machine willing to toss aside anything that does not fill its requirements. This also serves to deepen the characterization of Bromden, as he reveals his despair in the face of the unstoppable machine.
One of Kesey's main themes is the destruction of individuality in the face of society's strong standards, which have taken hold of almost all people. The combine in the novel serves to symbolize this trend, as a machine which discards that which does not fulfill the farmer's purpose. It characterizes societal ideals as mechanical and devoid of true personality, while criticizing the hypocrisy inherent in the search for perfect conformity. This is exemplified in Bromden's characterization of Nurse Ratched and the mental institution, which he describes in mechanical terms. These people, who are actually supposed to be allowing the patients to recover, are in fact hindering their progress by reining them into a strict, uniform state, where they lack the ability to think for themselves. Furthermore, the cold, mechanical nature of Ratched and her colleagues leads Billy Bibbit to commit suicide. Thus, the combine furthers the plot as the continuous suppression that it attempts to force upon the patients generates the central conflict of the story upon the arrival McMurphy, the protagonist.
This symbol is also highly relevant to the development of Chief Bromden throughout the story, alongside his symbolism of the oppressed or tossed-aside individuals of any society. Bromden is Native American, wherein the symbol of the combine reveals his sense of loss that stems from the loss of his culture and lands to the white men. This historical allusion allows Kesey to specify an example, which brings the reader to better understand the overall idea of oppression at the hands of mainstream society. In addition, Bromden lives in fear of the combine for most of the novel, which stems from his mistreatment at the hands of the institution staff and society as a whole. Bromden is an outlier who fails to occupy one of the normal niches in the mainstream society. Society's failure to understand him as a human being has caused him to doubt his own abilities and stripped him of any functional sanity.
The novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, reflects many of Kesey's own feelings of alienation at the hands of his seemingly rebellious involvement in the Beat movement. His novel points out the destructive habit of society to single out and quash those who do not seem to conform to its values, and this idea is reflected in the combine.
Friday, January 31, 2014
Summary and Analysis: Hamlet
Hamlet
THE BASICS:
There is not much of a voice, since this is a play. If anything the voice truly comes out in the theme statement as that works to exemplify what Shakespeare is trying to say throughout the play.
STYLE
-Pov: The play takes place in the third person perspective, but it almost goes into first person as Shakespeare uses the text to really expose Hamlet's thoughts and feelings. Through introspection, Shakespeare adds a strong dimension to Hamlet and other characters like Claudius. So alongside the action, we also see into the views of many characters.
-Tone: The tone is one of deep questioning. Throughout the play, Shakespeare calls a lot of things into question, especially societal things like morality, duty, and identity. By highlighting these issues, he takes on a very strong stance against the ideas of faking or deceit, even if they may be inherent in human nature.
-Imagery: The language in this play offers some very deep, vivid imagery, especially in relation to Hamlet. There are often times where the text just runs on and on with deep descriptions of ideas or events. One example is when the player describes the scene of Troy or when Hamlet uses his rank, rotten corpse analogy for the House of Denmark.
-Symbolism: There is a lot of Christian symbolism. The names of the characters, Hamlet and Gertrude as opposed to Claudius and Polonius, highlight the difference/tension between Catholics (Roman) and Protestants (Germanic). Hamlet himself is quite the Christ figure due to his ultimate sacrifice in the name of God as well as the fact that he is around 30, like Jesus was during the crucifixion. Elsinore seems to symbolize the insulated isolation of royalty, where a world of schemes and devious ideas is separate from the rest of the world.
QUOTES
THEME
Shakespeare's Hamlet cautions that self-doubt coupled to moral corruption can lead to the subversion of providence.
Both in direct quotations and in allusions, providence is constantly brought up in the context of Hamlet, who constantly vacillates between taking his fate into his own hands or letting God just do his work. In effect, the usurpation that occurs throughout the story is not just against other people, but really works against God's plan, so providence really emerges as a link amongst all of the devious crimes and schemes that people are constantly hatching at Elsinore.
In Hamlet's situation, his lack of a strong sense of identity lies at the root of his inability to act. But within the moral corruption that surrounds him at Elsinore, he eventually contradicts what he believes and goes along with the unnatural, unholy spirit of his father, as opposed to the moral ways of God. This moral corruption is what drives him to commit the first act of murder on Polonius, which leads to the domino effect of death, serving as God's retribution for the usurpation of his power.
THE BASICS:
- Hamlet: He is the protagonist.
- Claudies: Antagonist.
- Ophelia: Hamlet's love interest. Kills herself.
- Gertrude:Hamlet's mother. Dies as a consequence of Claudius' scheme.
- Laertes: Ophelia's brother who returns to avenge his father
- Polonius: father to Laertes and Ophelia. Murdered by Hamlet.
There is not much of a voice, since this is a play. If anything the voice truly comes out in the theme statement as that works to exemplify what Shakespeare is trying to say throughout the play.
STYLE
-Pov: The play takes place in the third person perspective, but it almost goes into first person as Shakespeare uses the text to really expose Hamlet's thoughts and feelings. Through introspection, Shakespeare adds a strong dimension to Hamlet and other characters like Claudius. So alongside the action, we also see into the views of many characters.
-Tone: The tone is one of deep questioning. Throughout the play, Shakespeare calls a lot of things into question, especially societal things like morality, duty, and identity. By highlighting these issues, he takes on a very strong stance against the ideas of faking or deceit, even if they may be inherent in human nature.
-Imagery: The language in this play offers some very deep, vivid imagery, especially in relation to Hamlet. There are often times where the text just runs on and on with deep descriptions of ideas or events. One example is when the player describes the scene of Troy or when Hamlet uses his rank, rotten corpse analogy for the House of Denmark.
-Symbolism: There is a lot of Christian symbolism. The names of the characters, Hamlet and Gertrude as opposed to Claudius and Polonius, highlight the difference/tension between Catholics (Roman) and Protestants (Germanic). Hamlet himself is quite the Christ figure due to his ultimate sacrifice in the name of God as well as the fact that he is around 30, like Jesus was during the crucifixion. Elsinore seems to symbolize the insulated isolation of royalty, where a world of schemes and devious ideas is separate from the rest of the world.
QUOTES
- "There is special providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be now, 'tis not to come; if it be not to come, it will be now; if it be not now, yet it will come—the readiness is all."
- "That I, the son of a dear father murdered,
Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell,
Must like a whore unpack my heart with words,
and fall a-cursing like a very drab"
THEME
Shakespeare's Hamlet cautions that self-doubt coupled to moral corruption can lead to the subversion of providence.
Both in direct quotations and in allusions, providence is constantly brought up in the context of Hamlet, who constantly vacillates between taking his fate into his own hands or letting God just do his work. In effect, the usurpation that occurs throughout the story is not just against other people, but really works against God's plan, so providence really emerges as a link amongst all of the devious crimes and schemes that people are constantly hatching at Elsinore.
In Hamlet's situation, his lack of a strong sense of identity lies at the root of his inability to act. But within the moral corruption that surrounds him at Elsinore, he eventually contradicts what he believes and goes along with the unnatural, unholy spirit of his father, as opposed to the moral ways of God. This moral corruption is what drives him to commit the first act of murder on Polonius, which leads to the domino effect of death, serving as God's retribution for the usurpation of his power.
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Response to Course Materials
So, there has not been an awful lot of material, but we did achieve one pretty impressive benchmark, our theme statement for Hamlet, among some others.
Going into our final discussion of Hamlet, I really felt like we could have gone on for ages listing motifs. I honestly do not know how he does it, but Shakespeare includes a patchwork quilt of patterns throughout this play. As we started to zone in towards our theme statement, I actually really liked Holmes' analogy of the sticky strings as the connections across the play with the central conflict. I find it interesting how we never really talked about the indecision in Hamlet until reading the article, which took such a simple characteristic of Hamlet and built a strong, complex theory out of it. As opposed to other issues like love or loyalty, I found this conflict of Hamlet's moral choice to satisfy my quest for the central conflict, just as it did for the class. As we zoned in on this trait, I also found Hamlet's problem much more relatable, and our discussion of the huge role of religion in his life really clarified his perspective for me. Now that we have completed our discussions, I relate Hamlet to the archetypal story of the confused Indian child that I have seen in countless Bollywood movies. It is the kid who has been raised his entire life towards being a doctor or engineer, and nothing else. He wasn't even asked what he wanted to be. Thinking back to Hamlet's identity crisis, I find this to be a strong connection (who knows, it might even be based on Hamlet's conflict) which easily fits into the play. Hamlet doesn't want to be royal just as the kid doesn't want to be a surgeon. Hamlet is stuck between his rage and morals just as the kid is stuck between his/her loyalty to family and their own life desires.
I actually missed the last two days of final exam review, but I really liked this activity because it exemplified the true team spirit of this class. Sure, I have been in lab groups and done peer reviews, but the collaborative exam review was definitely a new experience for me. Prior to this, I guess I held the independent student mindset: I'm self-sufficient. I don't need any help for this exam. But seeing the awesome work done by all of the hours, I have really come to see this class in a new light.
Going into our final discussion of Hamlet, I really felt like we could have gone on for ages listing motifs. I honestly do not know how he does it, but Shakespeare includes a patchwork quilt of patterns throughout this play. As we started to zone in towards our theme statement, I actually really liked Holmes' analogy of the sticky strings as the connections across the play with the central conflict. I find it interesting how we never really talked about the indecision in Hamlet until reading the article, which took such a simple characteristic of Hamlet and built a strong, complex theory out of it. As opposed to other issues like love or loyalty, I found this conflict of Hamlet's moral choice to satisfy my quest for the central conflict, just as it did for the class. As we zoned in on this trait, I also found Hamlet's problem much more relatable, and our discussion of the huge role of religion in his life really clarified his perspective for me. Now that we have completed our discussions, I relate Hamlet to the archetypal story of the confused Indian child that I have seen in countless Bollywood movies. It is the kid who has been raised his entire life towards being a doctor or engineer, and nothing else. He wasn't even asked what he wanted to be. Thinking back to Hamlet's identity crisis, I find this to be a strong connection (who knows, it might even be based on Hamlet's conflict) which easily fits into the play. Hamlet doesn't want to be royal just as the kid doesn't want to be a surgeon. Hamlet is stuck between his rage and morals just as the kid is stuck between his/her loyalty to family and their own life desires.
I actually missed the last two days of final exam review, but I really liked this activity because it exemplified the true team spirit of this class. Sure, I have been in lab groups and done peer reviews, but the collaborative exam review was definitely a new experience for me. Prior to this, I guess I held the independent student mindset: I'm self-sufficient. I don't need any help for this exam. But seeing the awesome work done by all of the hours, I have really come to see this class in a new light.
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Open Prompts, Part Two
2004. Critic Roland Barthes has said, “Literature is the question minus the answer.” Choose a novel, or play, and, considering Barthes’ observation, write an essay in which you analyze a central question the work raises and the extent to which it offers answers. Explain how the author’s treatment of this question affects your understanding of the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary.
In The American Dream by Edward Albee, the plot revolves around the question of whether or not materialism is a good influence on society. Throughout the play, Albee answers this question using his characters as instruments of a metaphor to depict the answer to this question.
Throughout the play, Mommy and Daddy are depicted as two extremes on a spectrum of masculinity/femininity. Mommy has taken on the role of the alpha male in the family, dominating all discussions and attempting to control every other character's thoughts and actions. Daddy, on the other hand simply stands back and allows her to have her way. This role reversal serves to point out that the rising trend of materialism has completely shifted the gender dynamic towards women, who have power through the money they are willing and determined to spend on aesthetics. Through this continually restated motif, Albee sheds light on an answer to the question, that being yes. Alongside the reversed and often disturbing dynamic dynamic between Mommy and Daddy, Albee uses the family in the play to depict the perversion of the American family unit, which is something that he equates with the rise of materialism and the loss of older American values. The relationship between Mommy, Daddy, and Grandma is continually minimized, and almost means nothing, since none but Grandma actually value these ties. This cold and distant relationship is furthered with Mommy's anecdote about the cap because she continually places emphasis on her own pleasure and her own importance in the story as opposed to the fact that she is sharing something with her husband. By depicting his characters as mindless and heartless, Albee raises the question of the effects of the modern trend of materialism, and whether or not it is truly a progressive development in society. His answer to this question is that it is a horrible development that is destroying the heart and soul of American values as well as the American people.
Another instrument through which Albee answers this question with the new American Dream. The boy, who is linked with materialism through his extreme good looks is disembowled both physically and mentally, wherein he no longer feels anything. His tie to the "bumble" shows how Mommy and Daddy's pursuit of a family that satisfies societal expectations instead of the basic love and compassion that are essential to a normal family has destroyed any sense of the basic human ideals. Grandma's voice of reason acts to contrast with this and emphasize the destruction wrought by the pursuit of idealistic perfection, which is shown in the depressing nature of the young man. He has everything he needs to succeed, but still cannot due to his emptiness.
Materialism is the central issue of this play, and as Albee portrays its threat on traditional values, he questions whether or not it is a beneficial form of progress. His answer to this question is a strong, if not vehement no, which he portrays using his characters to demonstrate the evils of materialistic trends.
In The American Dream by Edward Albee, the plot revolves around the question of whether or not materialism is a good influence on society. Throughout the play, Albee answers this question using his characters as instruments of a metaphor to depict the answer to this question.
Throughout the play, Mommy and Daddy are depicted as two extremes on a spectrum of masculinity/femininity. Mommy has taken on the role of the alpha male in the family, dominating all discussions and attempting to control every other character's thoughts and actions. Daddy, on the other hand simply stands back and allows her to have her way. This role reversal serves to point out that the rising trend of materialism has completely shifted the gender dynamic towards women, who have power through the money they are willing and determined to spend on aesthetics. Through this continually restated motif, Albee sheds light on an answer to the question, that being yes. Alongside the reversed and often disturbing dynamic dynamic between Mommy and Daddy, Albee uses the family in the play to depict the perversion of the American family unit, which is something that he equates with the rise of materialism and the loss of older American values. The relationship between Mommy, Daddy, and Grandma is continually minimized, and almost means nothing, since none but Grandma actually value these ties. This cold and distant relationship is furthered with Mommy's anecdote about the cap because she continually places emphasis on her own pleasure and her own importance in the story as opposed to the fact that she is sharing something with her husband. By depicting his characters as mindless and heartless, Albee raises the question of the effects of the modern trend of materialism, and whether or not it is truly a progressive development in society. His answer to this question is that it is a horrible development that is destroying the heart and soul of American values as well as the American people.
Another instrument through which Albee answers this question with the new American Dream. The boy, who is linked with materialism through his extreme good looks is disembowled both physically and mentally, wherein he no longer feels anything. His tie to the "bumble" shows how Mommy and Daddy's pursuit of a family that satisfies societal expectations instead of the basic love and compassion that are essential to a normal family has destroyed any sense of the basic human ideals. Grandma's voice of reason acts to contrast with this and emphasize the destruction wrought by the pursuit of idealistic perfection, which is shown in the depressing nature of the young man. He has everything he needs to succeed, but still cannot due to his emptiness.
Materialism is the central issue of this play, and as Albee portrays its threat on traditional values, he questions whether or not it is a beneficial form of progress. His answer to this question is a strong, if not vehement no, which he portrays using his characters to demonstrate the evils of materialistic trends.
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