Core Concepts (12/13/10-1/10/11)
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead
Information from “Lecture on Stoppard, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead”:
l Traditional drama has action goes through conflicts as characters try to solve this problem and in the end, conflictions resolved in the end. It also has this idea of “horizon of significance” which is a
l Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead, however, is completely different than the traditional play. It has conflicts that are not resolved in the conclusion; does not have “horizon of significance”, and it is mostly dominant from the confusions that are created throughout the play.
l Theatre of the Absurd:
-Does not have any horizon significance
-Does not have logic nor confidence about memory and space and time. Sometimes, even characters are not sure of their own identities.
-Characters cannot understand the world.
-Characters trying to deal with this world are also absurd.
-Often, the emphasis on verbal humor is one of the major attractions of Absurdist Theatre.
-Another example of this is “The love song of J. Alfred Prufock” by Eliot. The speaker in this poem is confused about the romance
Connection: Simpson episode often include verbal humor that is funny; homer and Margie are great example of it. They often don’t understand each other, Margie being the one who is intelligent and Homer the one who seems to be confused about everything.
Death of a Salesman:
In class, we have discussed several things about this play. Few of the things that we have discussed were…
l The difference between “being loved” and “being well-liked”
l Willy being a kid even though he is old enough to be a grandfather.
Connections: Peter Griffin, one of the main characters in the TV show called “Family Guy”, often acts like a kid even though he is a father of three kids. For example, he acts immature around his daughter by pulling pranks and joking about her new boyfriend.
l Is Linda actually a “parent” model for Willy rather than a wife?
l Relationship between father and son
Connections: Hamlet and Oedipus Rex, plays that we have read doing the class, also stresses the relationship between father and son; the passing of knowledge or power to sons.
l Willy and his American Dream: Willy wanted to be a successful salesman even though he was good with hands such as planting a garden and fixing house. His unachievable American Dream may have caused his downfall.
Connections: Last year, in American Literature class, I learned the Romanticism, which stresses nature over city, urban areas, human. Since Willy was good with hands and that he kept complaining about his apartment being small, big tree being gone, and not being able to see the sky because of huge apartments suggest the aspect of Romanticism.
Assignments:
l Annotate and finish reading the Death of a Salesman due Jan 3rd.
l Core Concepts and Outside Reading
l Comment 3 times on “Father” forum due Jan 10th.
l Comment 3 times on “Tragedy” forum
l “Lecture on Stoppard” reading due on December 14th.
Pass! :)
답글삭제You have very good connections, especially because they come not just from things you've read, but things you experience in everyday life. You might want to include a bit more on the Death of Salesman discussion, but overall, very nice job. :)
Pass.
답글삭제Great connections (and lots of them) make up for small inconsistencies in punctuation. Please complete this sentence, "It also has this idea of “horizon of significance” which is a," as I was having the time of my life review AP Lit. notes until that tripped me up.
Pass!
답글삭제That was an excellent set of notes! I loved all of your connections! Your notes also were also very neat and organized. Keep up the good work!
Your connection to Family Guy cracked me up =)
답글삭제