Literary Analysis Structure

In addition to the literary terms posted, you will need to be familiar with the structural elements of the literary analysis for next Thursday's quiz. You should also be able to define the italicized words/phrases:

1. Introduction
• Name of the play and playwright
• Thematic summary that relates to your focus
• Information relevant to your thesis and necessary for your reader to understand the position you are taking
• Thesis statement
2. Body Paragraphs-- paragraphs that support and develop your thesis
• A topic sentence that ties the details of the paragraph to your thesis statement
• Explanations, summaries, paraphrases, specific details, and direct quotations needed to support and develop the more general statement you have made in your topic sentence.
3. Conclusion--
• Restates, in different words, your thesis
• Summarizes the main points of your essay

Hughes and Hurston Resources

Langston Hughes

"Hughes, who claimed Paul Lawrence Dunbar, Carl Sandburg, and Walt Whitman as his primary influences, is particularly known for his insightful, colorful portrayals of black life in America from the twenties through the sixties. He wrote novels, short stories and plays, as well as poetry, and is also known for his engagement with the world of jazz and the influence it had on his writing, as in "Montage of a Dream Deferred." His life and work were enormously important in shaping the artistic contributions of the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s. Unlike other notable black poets of the period—Claude McKay, Jean Toomer, and Countee Cullen—Hughes refused to differentiate between his personal experience and the common experience of black America. He wanted to tell the stories of his people in ways that reflected their actual culture, including both their suffering and their love of music, laughter, and language itself."-- Excerpt from poets.org

Link to Hughes' full biography-- http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/83

Link to an audio recording of Hughes reading his poem, "The Negro Speaks of Rivers"-- http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15722

Linked Poems--

"Let America be America Again"

"The Weary Blues"

"Po' Boy Blues"

"Night Funeral in Harlem"

Zora Neale Hurston

While in New York Zora became famous for her part in the Harlem Renaissance's Literati. She became well known not only for her writing, but also for her outspokenness, her distinct way of dressing and her refusal to be ashamed of her culture. Zora became close friends with Langston Hughes, another great writer. They were both funded by the same patron, Charlotte Mason, a wealthy white woman. Zora was very adept in her quest for funds and was criticized by many...Zora was a pioneer in the study of African-American folklore writings; she traveled back to Florida in 1927, to New Orleans in 1928 and to the Caribbean later on. In New Orleans she studied voodoo(folklore). In New Orleans she recognized voodoo as a system of faith no stranger than any other religion, but in Haiti and Jamaica, she observed voodoo as a terrifying experience. In 1935 Zora published "Mules and Men", it demonstrated her unique methods of collecting folklore...Zora wrote her masterpiece "Their Eyes Are Watching God", in Haiti, it was published in 1937."-- Excerpted from CUNY's "Women in New York City, 1890-1940"

Hurston Biography

Mules and Men- Anthropological work in which descriptions of the folklore gathered in Eatonville, FL 

reflect themes and depictions in Mule-Bone.

Opening passage from Their Eyes Were Watching God--

"Ships at a distance have every man's wish on board. For some they come in with the tide. For others 

they sail forever on the horizon, never out of sight, never landing until the Watcher turns his eyes away

in resignation, his dreams mocked to death by Time. That is the life of men.

Now, women forget all those things they don't want to remember, and remember everything they don't want to forget. The dream is the truth. Then they act and do things accordingly.

So the beginning of this was a woman and she had come back from burying the dead. Not the dead of 

sick and ailing with friends at the pillow and feet. She had come back from the sodden and the bloated; 

the sudden dead, their eyes flung wide open in judgment."

Response Prompt: Mule-Bone Act I

1. As the play opens up, you get a foreshadowing of the two major conflicts of the play- the love triangle of Daisy, Jim, and Dave, and the religious disagreement between the Methodists and the Baptists (although their disagreement doesn't have anything to do with religion or theological issues). However, thirty or so pages go by before the escalation of the fight between Dave and Jim. In the meantime, what is the first act spent focused on? As the introduction explains, Hurston and Hughes were attempting to create a unique depiction of a black community for the stage; how does the first act help frame this community? What kind of freedom do the characters have in an all African American town in this time period that they wouldn't have otherwise? 
2. Hurston and Hughes also sought to depict this African American community through authentic language, using heavy and specific dialect. Another facet of this language is the shifting use of the monologue- how are monologues used differently in Mule Bone? What are they used to convey? In the plays we've read so far this semester, monologues are usually reserved for main characters. Is this true in Mule-Bone? What is the effect of re-appropriating this well known dramatic convention?

Literary Terms for Quiz

Below are the literary terms you will be responsible for on the October 6th quiz:

• Characterization
• Conflict
• Dialogue
• Imagery 
• Point of view
• Symbolism
• Tone

Make sure you understand how these terms apply particularly to drama. We will continue to look at these terms in more depth as the quiz and literary analysis approach. 

Performance Review

To continue to promote a focus on the production aspect of the texts we read, you must either attend a local performance or watch a recorded one approved by me in advance. After the performance you will write a review and submit a printed out copy to me. In this assignment, you will objectively analyze the relative success or failure of the production you view. The focus of the review is not on the story or plot of the play itself, but how well that story is portrayed through the given performance. You are taking on the role of observer and critic. You may turn in your review any time throughout the semester until November 17. The review essay must be in MLA format, typed, double-spaced, and consist of 750 to 900 words.

Fall performance list:

·       TTU Department of Theatre and Dance – http://www.depts.ttu.edu/theatreanddance/

o   Mark Hollman’s Urinetown. Oct 13-16 & 20-23.

o   Maria Irene Fornes’ Mud: A Play in 17 Scenes. Oct 31- Nov 6.

·       Lubbock Community Theatre – http://www.lubbockcommunitytheatre.org/

o   Robert Harling’s Steel Magnolias. Sep 9-11, 16-18, 23-25.

o   Tom Dudzick’s Over the Tavern. Oct 21-23, 28-30; Nov 4-6.

·       Any of the full length play performance videos on the “Theatre in Video” database available through TTU library – http://ttu.ativ.alexanderstreet.com.lib-e2.lib.ttu.edu/

    Attending the Performance:

    Attend the play with an open mind.

• Note any deviations from your concept of a "standard" production and try to find a good explanation for that deviation. Is the director trying to say something new or different? Were you shown new insights by the director's production?
• Consider the following:
• Why the choice of costumes, and why the set design?
• How did the actors deliver their lines--seriously, comically, realistically, formally? Were there any significant actions or gestures that contributed to the play's meaning?
• Were any special effects utilized, including lighting, sounds, audience participation, machinery, etc. 
• If you are familiar with the script, were any significant cuts made?

After the performance, write down the details you recall. You'll need this information for your paper in order to support your argument. 

         Consider the following practical aspects:

• What kind of stage does the director have at his disposal? What kinds of restrictions does the stage impose on the director concerning movement and set design?
• Are the actors professionals, amateurs, or students? What restrictions does this impose on the director? Are the actors capable of dealing with the script's requirements? 

      Guidelines for the Written Review:

    

      The Introduction-- should include the title of the play, the name of the playwright, the director, the place and date of the performance attended, and the name of the production company. Also include a thesis statement describing your position on the relative success or failure of the production. Focus your argument on one or two major concerns of the production rather than trying to discuss the entire play. Include a thematic summary (not a plot summary) of the play.

    

      The Body-- In the body of the paper you will discuss and expand upon the elements of the play you described in your introduction. Describe physical aspects of what you saw performed. Focus on particular scenes or performances that contribute to your overall assessment of the production. Evaluate, interpret, and analyze the important details of the play you described. You may attack as well as commend the performance, as long as you make sure to support your positions either way with details from the production. 

    

      The Conclusion-- Concisely remind the reader of your overall position on this play, without simply rewriting your thesis. Don't add any new significant material here, but you may include closing remarks about the play that push your argument further than you did in the body of the paper. 

Response Prompt: Fashion Acts I-III

1. In the play's opening dialogue between Millinette and Zeke, Millinette responds to Zeke's inquiry about Mr. and Mrs. Tiffany as follows:

"Monsieur is a man of business, -- Madame is a lady of fashion. Monsieur make de money,-- Madame spent it. Monsieur nobody at all,-- Madame everybody altogether. Ah! Monsieur Zeke, de money is all dat is necessaire in dis country to make on lady of fashion. Oh! It is quite anoder ting in la belle France!" (Mowatt 313)

How does Millinette characterize her employers in this passage? How does she define them as particularly American characters types? How does this first assessment compare to the way the characterization of the couple unfolds through Act III? What does Millinette's characterization of these two show the audience about her own character?

2. Mrs. Tiffany's obsession with fashion places her in a vulnerable position. To whose manipulation is she vulnerable and why? Who controls the knowledge she desires, and who evaluates her success at performing fashionably in society? Can you point to places in the text where she believes she is behaving fashionably, but it really being made a fool of? On a larger scale, why does Mowatt propose this as a problematic path for the American upwardly mobile to pursue?

Reviews for "Fashion"

From "The Theatre: The New Comedy by Mrs. Mowatt" in the Broadway Journal, March 29, 1845:

"We presume that not even the author of a plot such as this, would be disposed to claim for it anything on the score of originality or invention. Had it, indeed, been designed as a burlesque upon the arrant conventionality of stage incidents in general, we should have regarded it as a palpable hit... The day has at length arrived when men demand rationalities in place of conventionalities... No such events ever happened in fact, or ever could happen, as happen in 'Fashion'... Our fault-finding is on the score of deficiency in verisimilitude- in natural art- that is to say, in art based in the natural laws of man's heart and understanding... It must be understood that we are not condemning Mrs. Mowatt's comedy in particular, but the modern drama in general." 

From "The Drama: Park Theatre-- The New Comedy" in The Albion: A Journal of News, Politics, and Literature, March 29, 1845:

"To the composition, in a literary point of view, we shall confine our remarks. The language throughout is natural and colloquial, terse and pointed-- hence its great charm. To acts is actually nothing but conversation- the action of the play does not progress- and yet the interest of the audience is sustained without flagging. There is not, perhaps, much brilliancy in the dialogue, but the absence of this is sufficiently compensated by the point and solid truths conveyed throughout... The dramatic incident or action exhibits, perhaps, the unpracticed hand; the characters talk too much for modern comedy... Upon the whole, Mrs. Mowatt may lay claim to having produced the best American comedy in existence, and one that sufficiently indicates her capabilities to write on that shall rank among the first of the age."

From "Music and Theatrical World: 'Fashion' at the Park" in The New World: A Weekly Family Journal of Popular Literature, Science, Art, and News, April 5, 1845:

"It singled out American Fashion from all other Fashions that ever existed. Mrs. Mowatt has had the nerve to put that sentiment into action on the stage. She has shown the essential ridicule implied in it, and in so doing, has produced a Comedy, the leading idea of which is new to the Theatre. In holding her mirror up to the SOcial Facts as it stands before her, the authoress has, doubtless, to a considerable extent, availed herself to the resources of Caricature. But her Comedy stands in basis of Fact and never wholly loses sights of that Fact; and the Fact is new and interesting. Therefore it is that the Comedy, in spite of very serious defects in its execution- without sufficient plot- without a continuous glitter and sparkle of wit- without any single passages even, of very marked brilliancy and power- holds firmly the attention of the audiences as they hear it night after night, and is destined we doubt not, to take its place permanently on the American Stage as an acting Drama. It is a new picture of a new thing."

Group Presentations

Group Presentation Assignment Description:

The group presentation will give you the opportunity to creatively engage with one of the plays we are reading and is designed with a focus on performance. Presentations should be 15-20 minutes long. There are two components to the group presentations:

1.  Briefly familiarize your classmates with the original production of the play. Provide the original production dates and location. Present information about its initial reception and any historically relevant information. Include details about the original performance if available (staging, costumes, photos, etc.)
2. Explain to your classmates the kind of production you would create if your group were directing the play. Introduce the class to your broader thematic concept. Then, more specifically, pick a scene and describe how you would, if directing, have the scene performed. What would the staging look like? Would you dress the characters in contemporary or period costumes? Would you relocate the play? Would you portray any characters differently than previous productions? You must also include the significance of these directive decisions. Finally, your group will act out the scene (or portion of the scene) you have chosen to demonstrate your choices through performance. 

Additional Guidelines and Recommendations:

• In terms of time distribution, the production history should take approximately 5 minutes, the presentation of your performance concept 10 minutes, and the scene reading 5 minutes. 
• Providing the class with visual or sound representations (images, music, character dialect) of aspects you would include in your production is encouraged. You may use powerpoint or prezi, make posters, or any other method you would like to use to present your concepts. 
• Review of library and external online resources--
• MLA Bibliography
• JSTOR and Project Muse 
• Humanities International Complete
• The New York Times Historic Archive
• Theatre Database
• Internet Broadway Database
• Library Catalogue 
• Google images

Response Prompt: The Gladiator Acts IV-V

1. Choose one of the main characters and trace the development of their characterization through the play, especially focusing on the final two acts. How does their representation stay the same? How is it different? Are there sudden changes in character traits, or is the development gradually evident? Point to two to three moments in the play and briefly explain how they show the characterization you have identified.

2. The Gladiator revolves around a set of conflicts that contribute to plot progression, characterization (especially relationships), and overall theme. Many of the conflicts that climax in the last two acts were foreshadowed in Acts I-III. Identify one of the conflict narratives and discuss the way in which it is developed through the play. One example of a conflict narrative is the escalating disagreement between Spartacus and Phasarius about the overall vision and goal for the rebellion. Comment on the overall significance of the conflict you have chosen: Does it seem insignificant early on, but become integral as the story progresses, or vice versa? Does the conflict resolve in an unexpected way? Does the conflict become part of another conflict narrative?

Improving Your Reading Response

The following list discusses common problems in the reading responses turned in so far and provides corrective suggestions:

• Follow the directions. I cannot stress this enough. If your paper is in the incorrect format, falls far short of the word count, or does not contain three definitions from the OED you will automatically receive a check minus. 
• Proofread. It is unacceptable to turn in a response that you have not proofread. There should not be misspelled words, run-on sentences, comma splices, or other basic grammar mistakes. You cannot clearly communicate your ideas about the literature with excessive mistakes.
• Avoid the first person. Do not use the phrases I think, I believe, or I feel. I already know these are your ideas because you are the author. These phrases add word count without adding content and also make you seem unsure of your ideas.  
• Don't rely on material outside of the text to support your arguments and observations. The historical contexts of these plays is important for analyzing the work's original significance. However, your close reading is not the time to focus on historical context. Close reading asks you to consider the self-contained world of the text. Along the same lines, comparing the work to your modern beliefs, ideas, or experiences takes the focus off of the text and does not belong in a reading response. 
•  Avoid over-generalizing. Overly general claims are often incorrect, but also impossible to convincingly show in the 200-300 words. It is better to make a specific, more focused claim that you can provide evidence for. 
• Offer textual support. Whether you choose to incorporate a short quote or paraphrase a particular moment in a scene, you must provide evidence from the text in order to be convincing and show that you have performed a close reading. Your opinions must be supported by the author's words. When you make an evaluative statement, ask yourself how you know its true. Find a place in the play that specifically shows that your statement is correct. Searching for textual evidence, you may find that your initial assessment or impression is not specifically supported by the text. This gives you the opportunity to reevaluate your analysis. Do not use stand-alone quotations, and always provide a page number for reference whether you quote or paraphrase. 
• Comment on the overall significance of the passage/s you have analyzed. Why is this an important moment or significant aspect? How does it fit into the larger body of work you have read for that day?

Response Prompt: The Gladiator Acts I-III

1. Violence plays a prominent role throughout Acts I-III. What attitudes about violence are portrayed in the text? Is violence justified in some instances and condemned in others? Is there a consistent view promoted by the play-- an overall stance or tone towards violence in the text-- or are the attitudes toward violence more nuanced and dependent on character perspective?

2. How does Phasarius develop as a character in comparison/contrast to Spartacus during the rebellion? What modes of characterization does Bird employ to establish their character types? How does he show the development of their characters (indirect/direct dialogue, action, stage directions, etc)?

3. Spartacus has the opportunity to ransom Julia for his wife, Sonoma, finding himself holding a parallel but inverted power position over Crassus. However, he decides to take his wife back by force, continuing Julia's captivity. What are Spartcacus' motivations for freeing his wife through violence instead of negotiation? How does he set himself apart from Crassus through this action?

Response Prompt: Indian Princess Act III

1. The conversation in which Grimosco, the priest, persuades Powhatan to fight against Smith and his people is among the longest continuous dialogues in the play. Why does Barker devote so much time to developing this argument? How would you describe Grimosco's method/s in persuading Powhatan? What views are revealed in this passage about how Barker believes the natives see the white colonists? In the context of the play, is Grimosco's argument convincing? What does Barker accomplish by discussing the aggression of white colonists towards native peoples? How does this relate to the continual assertion by Smith that he is there to be friend and educator to the Indians?

2. Early on in the play Walter asserts Captain Smith's apt ability to lead them in the colonizing expedition by recounting Smith's exploits in the Middle East. Between Acts II and III, time has lapsed, Jamestown is built, and Smith and his men have had new war exploits in America. However, near the end of the play, Walter speaks to Geraldine (disguised as the page) about Smith's greatness and again returns to his British conquests, rather than his 'successes' in the new world. Why might Walter continue to favor this European view of Smith? Why do you think Barker emphasizes Smith's experience fighting the "mussulman" instead of his battle victories against the native tribes of America, described varyingly by Walter, Grimosco, and Powhatan?

Sample Reading Response

Below find a sample reading response:

In The Indian Princess, Captain Smith’s relationship with the Indians is depicted in two converse roles: the role of colonizer securing land by force and the role of friend and educator of the natives from Powhatan’s tribe. Barker presents Smith’s initial violence as necessary to garner the admiration of the natives; instead of showing resentment at the deaths of tribe-members, the Prince welcomes Smith as a godlike creature, and then brother. In their first encounter, Smith tells the Prince that he left his own country “to be the red man’s friend,” and follows this explanation with an educational dialogue on astronomy and geography (125). This interaction connects to an earlier scene between Walter and Larry in which they recall Smith’s former military exploits in the Middle East. They describe Smith’s method of dealing with the “ill-bred” Muslims that would “appear with their turbans on before him;” Smith convinced them of their “discourtesy” by knocking off their turbans with his sword (120). Although he doesn’t actually harm them, his “instruction” carries authority because of his drawn sword and the threat of violence. This is similar to his relationship with the natives because his friendship and instruction is only extended alongside his ability to physically dominate them as opponents. 

19th Century Manuscripts, Music, and Maps

Response Questions: Indian Princess Acts I-II

These question prompts can be used to initiate thought on specific aspects of the play you can write about in your response. If you choose to write on one of the questions, you do not have to answer every question within that section. Again, the prompts are meant to guide you towards a focused analysis of one aspect of the text, rather than a comprehensive overview of any one topic.

1. Consider the prologue, the single instance of Barker's direct voice in the text. How does Barker characterize the play in his preface? What metaphor does he use to describe the play and how does this relate to the project of creating dramatic works that are particularly American? What is he saying about American drama and its general reception? What does he accomplish by framing the play in this way? In other words, does it make a difference in the way you approach the play? Do you think the prologue is meant to be read only in printed copies, or aloud as part of the performance? Who does he envision as his intended audience and does this seem consistent with the material in the play itself?

2. How do the characters in the Indian Princess view nature? Throughout, there are descriptions of landscapes, both in America and England. Is one landscape described as superior? Why are the landscape and natural resources so important to the settlers? How is nature and nature's role described by different characters, both in Smith's group and the native community? How does the landscape relate to character development; in other words, why might the American landscape create better citizens than the British? How do the characterizations of the natives fit into this ideology?  

3. How do the colonists describe their "fellow countryman," meaning the British citizens that remain in England? Is there a sense of loyalty to their native country? What do the characters suggest sets them apart? Is this different between the Irish and English characters? Do you think these sentiments are historically accurate, or a product of Barker's own time? What is Barker trying to accomplish through these depictions?