ASND: all questions that will be used in connection with the text

The complete exploration palette :

A Streetcar Named Desire

Tennessee Williams

SCENE ONE

1. Explain the symbolic importance of the instructions Blanche followed to arrive at Stella’s home in New Orleans:  “They told me to take a streetcar named Desire; and then transfer to one called Cemeteries and ride six blocks and get off at – Elysian Fields!”
2. What social hierarchy is established in this scene?  Why is this in the play?
3. Why is Blanche resentful toward Stella?  Explain.  How does Stella react to this?
4. What details does Williams provide on the particulars of Blanche’s past?
5. Parallel the Dubois world as opposed to the Kowalski world.
6. What is Belle Reve?  What does the name symbolize?

SCENE TWO

1. Explain the symbolism involved in the action of Blanche’s bathing.
2. What is the Napoleonic code and why is Stanley so concerned about it?  How does this reinforce the animal-like image of Stanley that Williams is attempting to establish?
3. Three times in this scene Stanley says, “I have an acquaintance who…” (just happens to work in the very field they are discussing at that time).  What insight is given into the character of Stanley from these lines?
4. What kind of woman does Stanley find attractive?
5. How was Belle Reve truly lost?

SCENE THREE

1. How is Mitch different from the other men at the poker game?
2. What seems to be Blanche’s routine of flirtation?  What does it suggest about Blanche that she has this routine completely memorized?
3. Why is it so necessary to Blanche that the light be covered with a paper lantern?
4. In your opinion, do you think this violent scene between Stella and Stanley would have occurred if Blanche were not visiting?  Explain.
5. What is the basis of Stella and Stanley’s relationship?  How do we know this?

SCENE FOUR

1. What does the character of Shep Huntleigh symbolize for Blanche?
2. Why is it so imperative to Blanche to aid Stella in leaving “this place”?  What, in Blanche’s mind, makes “this place” so horrific?  Explain.
3. Stella says to Blanche, “There are things that happen between a man and a woman .. that sort of make everything else seem – unimportant” to which Blanche responds, “What you are talking about is brutal desire – just – Desire! – the name of that rattle-trap streetcar that bangs through the Quarter…”  Stella then asks her, “Haven’t you ever ridden on that streetcar?”  Explain the meaning Stella is striving toward.  Has Blanche ever ridden on that streetcar?
4. Blanche believes that Stanley is an obvious product of Selective Darwinism.  Explain that theory and how it relates to the character of Stanley Kowalski.

SCENE FIVE

1. What significance does the fight between Eunice and Steve have on the play as a whole?
2. What is the symbolism of the astrological signs of Blanche and Stanley?
3. Discuss the symbolism of the spilled coke.
4. What does Blanche want from Mitch?
5. What do we learn about Blanche from the encounter with the young man delivering the newspapers?

SCENE SIX

1. What does this scene illuminate about the intellectual abilities of Blanche and Mitch?
2. What type of image does Blanche present to Mitch?
3. Reiterate Blanche’s past as she tells it to Mitch.

SCENE SEVEN

1. In this scene, Stanley tells Stella the truth of Blanche’s time in Laurel.  What does he say?
2. As Blanche bathes, she sings, “Say it’s only a paper moon, sailing over a cardboard sea – But it wouldn’t be make-believe if you believed in me!  It’s a Barnum and Bailey world, just as phony as it can be – but it wouldn’t be make-believe if you believed in me!”  Why is it poignant that Tennessee Williams would have chosen this particular song and these lyrics?  How do they relate to Blanche?
3. What does Stanley tell Mitch about Blanche’s past?
4. What is particularly cruel about Stanley’s choice of birthday gift for Blanche?

SCENE EIGHT

1. Consider the amusing story that Blanche tells after dinner in an attempt to alleviate the tension in the room (the story of the parrot who swears a blue streak).  How does it relate to Blanche and her circumstances?
2. What does Stella say about her sister in attempt to have Stanley understand the reason she behaves as she does?
3. When Stella demands an answer from Stanley explaining why he has been so cruel to Blanche, how does he respond?

SCENE NINE

1. Some critics hate this particular scene.  They say Williams uses sensationalism, feeling that Blanche’s past need not be so lurid.  Those who like it argue that it actually aids in the understanding of the protagonist’s character.  Explain the argument they may have used.
2. What is symbolic of Mitch’s action of ripping down the paper lantern?
3. “I don’t tell the truth,” says Blanche.  “I tell what ought to be truth.”  Using examples from the whole play, cite where this is evident.
4. When Blanche says, “I didn’t lie in my heart,” what does it reveal about Blanche’s true self?
5. Do you think that Mitch hears the old Mexican woman selling flowers or is this, too, like the gunshots and the Varasouviana music, simply a figment of Blanche’s diseased mind?  What purpose would Williams have had when he chose to include this minor character?

SCENE TEN

1. The figure of Shep Huntleigh seems to embody the ideal man and relationship for Blanche.  Describe what seems to be Blanche’s ideal.
2. What, according to Blanche, is the one thing that is unforgivable?  Has she committed this unpardonable sin?
3. Why does Williams include the scene with the prostitute, the drunk and the Negro woman?
4. What does Blanche’s rape symbolize?

SCENE ELEVEN

1. What are the similarities and differences between the poker game in this scene and the one earlier in the play?
2. How has Blanche changed since the beginning of the play?
3. What does Stella say to Eunice to justify sending Blanche to an institution?  What does this suggest about Stella?
4. How does Stanley perpetuate his cruelty toward Blanche in this scene?
5. Why does Blanche react so differently to the Matron and the Doctor?
6. Briefly summarize Stanley’s actions at the end of the play.  What do his actions suggest?

 also look up :http://mrhoyesibwebsite.com/ and look under Drama: marvellous amount of resources:)

A Streetcar Named Desire

Questions that need to be answered here by 15 January 2013. Allot only 30 mins to answering questions in scene 1 ,  40 mins for scene 2 and 30 mins for scene 3.

SCENE ONE

1. Explain the symbolic importance of the instructions Blanche followed to arrive at Stella’s home in New Orleans:  “They told me to take a streetcar named Desire; and then transfer to one called Cemeteries and ride six blocks and get off at – Elysian Fields!”
2. What social hierarchy is established in this scene?  Why is this in the play?
3. Why is Blanche resentful toward Stella?  Explain.  How does Stella react to this?
4. What details does Williams provide on the particulars of Blanche’s past?
5. Parallel the Dubois world as opposed to the Kowalski world.
6. What is Belle Reve?  What does the name symbolize?

SCENE TWO

1. Explain the symbolism involved in the action of Blanche’s bathing.
2. What is the Napoleonic code and why is Stanley so concerned about it?  How does this reinforce the animal-like image of Stanley that Williams is attempting to establish?
3. Three times in this scene Stanley says, “I have an acquaintance who…” (just happens to work in the very field they are discussing at that time).  What insight is given into the character of Stanley from these lines?
4. What kind of woman does Stanley find attractive?
5. How was Belle Reve truly lost?

SCENE THREE

1. How is Mitch different from the other men at the poker game?
2. What seems to be Blanche’s routine of flirtation?  What does it suggest about Blanche that she has this routine completely memorized?
3. Why is it so necessary to Blanche that the light be covered with a paper lantern?
4. In your opinion, do you think this violent scene between Stella and Stanley would have occurred if Blanche were not visiting?  Explain.
5. What is the basis of Stella and Stanley’s relationship?  How do we know this?

Realism and Modernism: Let the confusion spread:) and pray for clarity

From Grusha:

I've read a little about realism and modernism, and this is what I understand.

Realism attempts to depict life as it is. To make us believe in the realism of the world they depict, realists fill their literature with facts to bolster the reader's feeling that, yes, this place I'm reading about is just like the everyday world I live in. This is what makes Dolls house a realist literature. It is filled with facts about how women are regarded in the society and their lifestyle. Kite Runner is also a realist work because of the facts about the conditions of Afghanistan. Moreover in realism, the character is more important than the plot. This is evident in both the works. So neither Importance of Being Earnest or Pygmalion are realist works because they exaggerated reality. They did not portray life as it was.

Modernism is very similar to realism with one main difference: Realism portrays life as it is. Modernism questions life while portraying it realistically. This makes Death of a Salesman and Blood Wedding modernist works. DOAS questions the American Dream, which was the reality of the time. Blood Wedding questions the concept of "a good husband" and a "good wife" which was "real" for the society then, and explores whether people can be happier by following their hearts. So modernism also looks at "reality" of the time, and explore whether it should be changed and whether it is desirable.

 However what I am not completely sure about is why does modernism reject structured plots? Is it because it leaves the questioning open to the audience? So does modernism portray the world objectively but leaves the questioning to subjectivity?  Or is it just an attempt to give something "new" which was another aim of modernists?

Here is another aspect that I did not quite understand. I read that realism believed in objectivism, a single truth, while modernism emhpasized the subjectivity of reality. I do not see how this fits in with everything else. I think I am missing some link there.

Could you post this on the blog so it is open to discussion?? Oh and could you also provide your insights, in the form of comments or further questions, to help understand the hazy parts more clearly??

Thank you,
Grusha.

the links:
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/modernism-vs-realism.html
http://faculty.bucks.edu/docarmos/RealismNaturalism.html

List of Books recommended for us, by us and of us

Lord of the Rings (JRR Tolkein)

Great Expectations (Charles Dickens)

Perks of Being a Wallflower (Stephen Chbosky)

The Pearl (John Steinbeck)

Of Mice and Men (John Steinbeck)

The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)

Harry Potter (Rowling)

The Catcher in the Rye (JD Salinger)

The Book Thief - Markus Zusak

Franny and Zooey – J.D. Salinger

Faust – Wolfgang von Goethe

Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte

The Tell-Tale Heart – Edgar Allan Poe

To Kill A Mocking - Harper Lee

Black and White - David Macaulay

Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess

Catch 22 - Joseph Heller

Little Women - Louisa May Alcott

A Doll's House - Henrik Ibsen

Moby-Dick - Herman Melville

The Chronicles of Narnia - C.S. Lewis

Gone With the Wind - Margaret Mitchell

Pollyanna - Eleanor H. Porter

Sophie's World - Jostein Gaarder

The Great Gatsby - Scott Fitzgerald

Tao Te Ching - Lao Tzu translated by Ursula L. Guim

Three Cups of Tea -  Mortenson and Relin

The Outsiders - S. E. Hinton

Perespolis - Satrapi

Metamorphosis - Franz Kafka

Who Moved My Cheese? - Spencer Johnson

No Country For Oldman - Cormac McCarthy

The Road - Cormac McCarthy

Please add your favorite, thought-provoking, bonding-moment-giving books on comments.

 Please add your books

color purple

Read a lovely link to another blog...this is what we must do...http://carlys908.edublogs.org/2012/02/29/the-color-purple/

Great Learning site:

http://www.shmoop.com/color-purple/summary.html

Movie link: http://www.1channel.ch/watch-3541-The-Color-Purple

Work through this ppt link:http://www.slideshare.net/rlathan/the-color-purple-8768142#btnNext

For the ebook:http://ebookbrowse.com/alice-walker-the-color-purple-ppt-d177763162

An interesting point of view:http://www.tes.co.uk/ResourceDetail.aspx?storyCode=6163803

Don't limit yourself but think of these topics:

1. Trace the development of Albert's character. How does he change and why?
2. Fully explain what has caused Celie's low self-esteem in the first half of the novel?
3. How does Celie succeed in overcoming her low self-esteem?
4. Fully describe the relationship between Nettie and Celie, making sure to explain how the relationship ends in happiness.
5. What are some instances of racism in the novel?

6. Fully explain the role of sex in the novel.
7. Why is this a feminist novel?
8. Why does the plot end as a comedy?
9. Explain the character of Shug Avery. What does Celie learn from her?
10. What roles do women occupy in the novel, both black and white? What measure of freedom do women enjoy in these roles?
11. Consider the epistolary (letter) form of the novel. What benefits derive from this form for the telling of the story? What drawbacks does it have?
12. List, analyze, and evaluate the various gender crossings in the novel.
13. Explain the reunions that take place at the end of the novel. Is there anything that is not reconciled or re-united? Explain your answer.
14. The main subplot revolves around Nettie in Africa. How does this relate to and impact the main plot of Celie?

 

Dealing with paper 2

CLARIFICATION OF THE LANGUAGES A: LITERATURE PAPER 2 MARKING NOTES
MAY 2013 ONWARDS
The marking of Language A: Literature examination papers is based primarily on the assessment criteria that are applicable to all languages offered in the course. In addition, marking notes are written for subjects with large examining teams. Their purpose is to assist examiners in the application of the assessment criteria in relation to a specific task or question.
The paper 2 marking notes for the English, French and Spanish A: Literature specimen papers were produced as one document, addressing both standard and higher level. However, criterion B at higher level is different at the 4 and 5 mark range, with the additional demand for “evaluation”. In addition to making a comparison between at least two works, higher level candidates are required to show which of the writers, in their view, and based on evidence from the works, has made the most effective use of the convention(s) identified in the question. Arriving at this judgment (evaluation), candidates will demonstrate a detailed knowledge of the works and a critical appreciation of the way a particular literary convention can give further resonance to a text. Such evaluation is not required at standard level, where candidates must make “an effective comparison”.
To address this difference, from the May 2013 examination session, senior examiners will produce two separate sets of marking notes at standard and higher level, the wording of which will be the same, except for the additional mention of the evaluation requirement for higher level. This separation of marking notes will enable higher level examiners to reward appropriately the evidence of evaluation in response to the question.

HOME WORK BASED ON PAPER 2: Write at least 2 answers in the blog itself.

Points to remember:

• Remember to devote 2 hours completely for each one.
•  Each answer will extend to atleast 900 words.
•  In paper 2, you devote the only first 15 minutes for deciding and making mind map....rest must be spent in furious writing :)
•  Though the questions  will talk about " two or three plays" please confine yourself to TWO as your points will get diluted otherwise.
• Some of these options will be very vague or may not apply to your Drama options---I am expecting you to make very PERCEPTIVE and INTELLIGENT choices here!

Choose any two ( This will be part of internal evaluation in MOCKS): DUE DATE 06 JANUARY, 2013

1.Comparing the opening scenes of at least two plays, discuss what audience expectations are aroused and how.

2..“Drama explains individuals, not relationships.” Paying close attention to how individuals and relationships are presented in two or three plays you have studied, say how far you find this statement to be true.

3.In what ways and to what effect have your writers focused on either the darker or lighter side of life in two or three works you have studied?

4.There are many ways of achieving a memorable ending to a work of literature. In two or three of the works you have studied, how have your chosen authors made endings memorable?

5.“A literary work is not a mere play of the imagination, but a reflection of contemporary manners and customs.” Discuss the validity of this statement in relation to two or three works you have studied.

3.“There is no literature without conflict.”
How and to what effect is conflict used in two or three works you have studied?

COPY DOWN THE QUESTION AND WRITE THE ANSWER AS A PART OF COMMENT FOLLOWING THIS POST. 

GREAT HELP:  http://mrhoyesibwebsite.com/


from Rashmika:

1.Comparing the opening scenes of at least two plays, discuss what audience expectations are aroused and how.

Opening scenes are one of the most important parts in drama. They often give us an insight about the events that will unfold in the future. The two plays, which I will compare, are both from the same genre, tragedy: Macbeth and Agamemnon. In both the plays, the opening scenes give us an introduction about the main characters of the play. Firstly, The opening scene of Macbeth and the two scenes in which Macbeth meets with the witches are of great importance to the play. Shakespeare’s genius can be identified in the way he writes his beginning scenes. This can be largely seen in act 1 scene 1 of Macbeth, which is also known, as the scene of exposition. The desert, the storm, the appearance of the witches all helps us prepare for a drama in which a human soul succumbs to the supernatural suggestions of the evil. This scene takes place at an open heath where the three witches are talking to each other. The witches immediately transport us to the presence of evil with their queer rhyming couplets and incantations. The sense of negativity instantly elicits an air of forbiddance on Macbeth’s character and the theme of disaster is promptly set. The witches are heard talking about battles, that are being fought and their victory. Shakespeare uses these three “weird sisters” to provide authenticity for the plays original audience and also stay faithful to the contemporary Elizabethan beliefs.  

Secondly in the play Agamemnon, the play takes place in a place Argos. The action begins by the capture of troy by the Greeks. But we get to know this, in the opening scene. The opening scene in the play Agamemnon is also knows as the watchmen scene. The watchmen on the roof of the Agamemnon palace sees a signal fire in a very far distance that tells him that Troy has been captured.  The importance of this opening scene is that it reminds us that we are not with Agamemnon, but still reminding us about Agamemnon who is the protagonist of the play. At the opening scene the play is set back on the home front, where things have taken a very different turn during his ten year absence, mainly because Clytemnestra is in control and on his return Agamemnon will have to confront these changes.

As we can see in both the plays the opening scenes have given us quite a lot of information about what is the current situation and what is going to happen. Also something, which one can notice while reading both, the opening scenes are that both are set in a destructive setting and are finally something related to victory.

The audiences reaction to these opening scenes in some or the other way relate to their opinion on the play as a whole. Another reason it upholds the anxiety of the audiences is because in both the plays the opening scenes arise a sense of mystery and tragedy. The opening scenes usually give the audiences small details of the further happenings that will lead to the obvious anxiousness of them wanting to watch the complete play.

For example in the opening scene of Macbeth the witches chant a verse “ fair is foul, and foul is fair, Hover through the fog and filthy air”. The couplet with which the witches take their departure is a confession of their creed. All that is good, "fair," to others is evil, "foul," to them, and vice versa. This applies to both the physical and the moral world; they revel in the "fog and filthy air," and in every sort of mischief and evil doing from killing swine to entrapping human souls.  Similarly in Agamemnon the victory of Troy in the beginning of the play that creates a positive filled environment and thus encourages the audiences to watch furthers and also make assumptions about the play. Another incident is when the three witches are talking in the opening scene the audiences will quickly relate to the bad omen and also the use of words like paddock calling. By this at that point of time the audiences are sure of the negativity which is filled in the environment and also foreshadow the bad that is going to happen further.

In both the plays the sense of anxiousness is obvious and it will thus keep the audience to watch sit and watch the play so thus arouses their senses.

The audience usually expects a very good beginning because it will give them a clear view of the whole play. If the beginning interests them, they will automatically be keen on watching the whole play. Both the plays have a extraordinary, in which all kinds of elements are present and which can make a play successful.

Therefore I would like to conclude by saying that it may be that the primary influence upon the conception and creation of a play is that of the audience. An audience allows a play to have only the emotion and meaning it chooses, or else it defends itself either by protest or by a closed mind.

So the better the beginning the better the response of the play.