Summary and Analyses of Literature

The American Dream by Edward Albee

About the author:

            -born in Washington D.C.

            -best known for The Zoo Story and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

            -works represent the Theatre of the Absurd and often criticize American society

Setting: a middle-class American home

Plot:

            -opens with Mommy and Daddy sitting in their home complaining that the visitors are late and that that’s just the “way things are these days”

            -Mommy talks about her recent purchase of a beige hat and the fight she had with the saleswoman

            -Grandma enters the plot with nicely wrapped boxes and Mommy remembers how nicely Grandma used to wrap her lunch when she was a kid

            -Grandma recalls how even when Mommy was young she longed to marry a rich man (which she did)

            -the doorbell scene occurs with Mommy and Daddy experiencing sexual tension when Daddy finally has enough masculinity to answer the door

            -Mrs. Barker enters the scene and removes her dress, then asks if the reason for her visit is to remove the boxes

            - Grandma responds to this by saying that the boxes have nothing to do with Mrs. Barker

            -Grandma explains to Mrs. Barker what happened in the past with Mommy and Daddy and the adoption service (how they adopted a baby but then gradually mutilated it until it died).  Wanting satisfaction, they called the adoption agency and demanded their money back.  Mrs. Barker doesn’t understand this story.

            -The doorbell rings again and the Young Man enters and explains that he is there to do any sort of work needed.  Grandma retells her story of winning a baking contest with the Day-Old cake

            -The Young Man explains that he is incomplete and, though attractive on the outside, is empty on the inside from being separated from his identical twin

            -Grandma suggests that the Young Man might be the solution to Mommy and Daddy’s problem and later requests that the Young Man (the “van man”) take all of the boxes outside for Grandma, who wonders why she is bothering to bring her stuff with her

            -Mrs. Barker, Mommy, and Daddy celebrate because they think they have gotten what they want

            -Mommy is upset because Grandma is missing since the van man took him, but later says that the van man is her own invention

            -Grandma finishes the play by saying that we should “leave things where they are while everyone has what they think they want”

Significant Characters:

            Grandma: the commentator and director of the play, the only one that recognizes that she is “acting”, breaks the fourth wall later in the play, represents old, rural American values

            Mommy: materialistic and juvenile, she emasculates Daddy and is cruel to her own mother. The image of the corruption of the American Dream

            Daddy: Relies on Mommy for confirmation of his masculinity, does little on his own and is presented as weak

            The Young Man: dubbed “The American Dream” by Grandma, a shell of a man who is unable to have feelings and exists only as an attractive exterior, replaces the child Mommy and Daddy once had

            Mrs. Barker: unsure of her role in the play, a very vague character who represents the typical American the Mommy wants to be like

Narrative Voice and Style:

            -Point of View: no narrator in this play, so no point of view

            -Tone: again there is no narrator of the play, yet Albee’s tone is disapproving and disgusted at the lifestyle of Mommy and Daddy

            -Imagery: include the descriptive scene in which Mommy fought desperately to have a beige hat instead of wheat, the mutilation of the bumble, the Young Man’s empty body that is unable to feel emotion

            -Symbolism: Mommy’s hat symbolizes materialism and the consumerism that the American Dream promotes, the Young Man symbolizes the result of the American Dream (attractive on the outside but hollow on the inside), Grandma symbolizes old American values (before it was corrupted by materialism)

            -Motifs: Grandma’s boxes (her life and values), deformity (of the bumble and of Mommy as a baby), emasculation (of Daddy)

Quotes:

            “When you get old, you can't talk to people because people snap at you. That's why you become deaf, so you won't be able to hear people talking to you that way. That's why old people die, eventually. People talk to them that way.”

                                                                                    -Grandma

This quotation shows how the old American values are lost and replaced with new, materialistic ones.  Here, “old people” are symbolic of rural American values that eventually die due to the actions of younger people who care about materialism and consumerism. 

“I no longer have the capacity to feel anything. I have no emotions. I have been drained, torn asunder disemboweled. I have, now, only my person, my body, my face. I use what I have I let people love me I accept the syntax around me, for while I know I cannot relate; I know I must be related to.”

                                                                        -Young Man

This quotation represents what has become of the American dream: something that is empty on the inside but still appears attractive and intriguing on the outside.  The Young Man understands that he is looked up to by others and that others want to be like him, yet he also knows that he is hollow on the inside.  This happened as a result of losing his twin brother, who was mutilated by Mommy. 

Theme: American society has lost the pure, rural values of the past in favor of materialistic desires that people strive for in hopes of achieving the attractive but virtually empty “American Dream”.   

Albee uses the setting of a plain and superficial American home to show how these values are widespread throughout and society and affecting everyone.  The characters of Grandma and the Young Man contrast each other by representing conflicting ages of America.  The symbols used, such as Mommy’s hat and Grandma’s boxes (the fact that she doesn’t see a point in moving them or taking them with her) contribute to the meaning as well.  Mommy is so caught up in doing what is popular and expected while Grandma finds taking her boxes, or values, with her because they have become lost in everyone’s struggle to achieve the American Dream.

Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller

About the author:

            -born in Harlem, NYC

            -prominent playwright in American theater

            -most famous works include Death of a Salesman, The Crucible, and All My Sons

Setting: Brooklyn, NY. The lower class home of the Loman family

Plot:

            -Willy returns home from a sales trip and his wife, Linda, tries to convince him to ask his boss if her can work in New York.  Willy says he will talk to him and then proceeds to complain that his eldest son, Biff, has yet to make anything of himself

            -Biff and Happy are reminiscing about their childhood upstairs and discussing Willy’s crazy babblings, which can be heard from downstairs

            -The two fantasize about moving out west while Willy has a flashback to a time when he interacted positively with his two sons and praised them for being well liked

            -Still in the flashback, Linda appears and listens to Willy talk of his successive sales trip that was actually only of average success.  Willy worries that he won’t be able to make all of the payments on the house and car, and the laughter of his mistress enters the flashback and she thanks him for stockings.

            -Willy scolds young Linda for mending stockings, and after exiting the flashback entirely the current Happy enters and tries to convince Willy to go to bed.

            -Willy plays cards with Charley, who offers him a job, but during the scene Willy is talking with an imaginary Ben and expressing regret for having not gone to Alaska with him to get rich

            -Linda talks to Biff and Happy about how Willy has tried to commit suicide.  This upsets Happy and he yells at Biff until Willy comes in and begins yelling at Biff as well.

            -Happy suggest that the two brothers go into the sporting goods business together and Willy suggests that the two ask for a loan from Biff’s previous boss, Bill Oliver.

            -In a new day, Willy eats breakfast and becomes excited at the sudden turn of events.  Linda tells Willy that his sons are taking him to dinner tonight, and Willy decides to ask for a job in which he won’t have to travel. 

            -At work, Willy proposes his request to a distracted Howard, who is busy playing with a tape recorder.  He denies Willy’s request and ends up telling him to take some time off.  Ben enters and asks Willy to go to Alaska with him.

            -Willy explains to Bernard what happened with Biff and gets defensive that he is not as successive as Bernard.

            -Willy requests money from Charley after turning down a job offer yet again.

            -At dinner that night, Happy flirts with a girl who enters.  Biff confesses that Bill Oliver didn’t even recognize him and tries to tell this to Willy, although he tells them that he was fired and is too distracted to hear the bad news.

            -Biff erupts at Willy for not listening and Willy is caught in a serious of various flashbacks and grows confused.  He goes into the bathroom and has a full flashback of his time spent with his mistress in which Biff found out and their relationship changed.

            -Happy and Biff return home to Linda, who is angry at them for leaving Willy at the restaurant.  Willy and Biff begin to fight again, and Biff cries, which touches Willy and causes him to express love for his son.  Ben enters and convinces Willy to go with him to Alaska, and Willy gets into the car, which crashes.

            -At Willy’s funeral, Biff says that Willy had the “wrong dreams” and Charley defends him for being a “victim of his profession”.  Happy decides to stay in NY to validate Willy’s death, and Linda ends the play by sobbing “We’re free”.

Significant Characters:

            Willy Loman: an unsuccessful salesman who believes in the American Dream despite his failure to achieve it, experiences flashbacks of prominent points in his life, wants desperately for his sons to be more successful than him (especially Biff)

            Biff Loman: Willy’s eldest son, had a good life in high school but is now unsuccessful, his kleptomania got him fired from every job.  Desires to move west and work with his hands

            Linda Loman: devoted wife of Willy, tries to keep the family together while remaining levelheaded and realistic

            Happy Loman: Willy’s younger son, represents a slightly different version of Willy and seems to desire to carry on in his footsteps after his death

            Charley: Willy’s neighbor, offers him jobs and money several times throughout the play

            Bernard: Charley’s successful son who was not “well-liked” in high school

            Ben: Willy’s deceased brother who was successful in Alaska, continues to visit Willy through flashbacks

Narrative Voice and Style:

            Point of View: none, no narrator in the play

            Tone: Miller’s tone seems to berate the American Dream as being harmful and damaging, although again there is no narrator

            Imagery: Willy’s affair with the Woman, Ben’s appearance/mannerisms when he speaks to Willy, Biff’s stealing of the pen in Bill Oliver’s office

            Symbolism: Willy’s seeds represent new beginnings and opportunity (a fresh chance at a successful life), stockings represent betrayal and also a symbol of financial success (Willy gives stockings to his mistress and forbids Linda from mending torn ones)

            Motifs: Alaska/The American West/Foreign Locations (monetary success and new beginnings)

Quotes:

            “Never fight fair with a stranger, boy.  You’ll never get out of the jungle that way.”

                                                                                                -Ben

           

Ben, whom Willy looks up to so much, promotes getting to the top by stepping on other people.  Willy doesn’t see this as a problem and encourages his sons to listen to his brother’s words and do anything they must in order to be successful and well liked.  Ben mentions the jungle, a motif in the play, the is representative of potential and possibility.  Ben suggests not playing fair in order to better one’s own position in society.

“Nobody dast blame this man.  You don’t understand: Willy was a salesman.  And for a salesman, there is no rock bottom to life…A salesman is got to dream boy.  It comes with the territory.”

                                                                                    -Charley

Charley attributes Willy’s tragic death to his profession of being a salesman.  He says that as a salesman and only that, Willy had to have bigger dreams for himself (ones that would never come true).  Charley points out that all salesman have dreams such as this and that it was not the fault of Willy to strive for the American Dream.  He suggests that while all salesman may desire the same things, Willy was just unfortunate enough to fail as miserably as he did.

Theme: The American Dream, despite it’s attractive appearance, has become glorified beyond it’s true nature and consists of nothing but empty materialism.   Because of this, despite the attempts of many to achieve it, the dream is unreachable and will only cause personal destruction and demise.

            Miller uses the setting of NYC to enforce his meaning, as it is known to hold the most successful and the least successful.  Miller juxtaposes Willy with Charley, as well as their sons.  The title of the work makes a generalization about all salesman and the inevitable “death” (whether literal or figurative) that results from desiring the American Dream.  The symbols used, such as pantyhose, contribute to the materialistic wants of Willy and that of American society as a whole.

Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko

About the Author:

            -born in New Mexico as a member of the Laguna Pueblo tribe

            -distinguished Native American writer

            -Ceremony was her first novel

Plot:

            -Tayo has returned home from WWII to the Pueblo reservation and is faced with depression from the trauma of losing Josiah and his cousin Rocky

            -Tayo’s aunt, Auntie, and her husband, Robert, raise Tayo, although they don’t treat Tayo as a son and Auntie resents him

            -Tayo continues to deal with the guilt of making a prayer against rain during the war that he believes brought about a drought on the Pueblo reservation

            -Tayo’s friends (Harley, Leroy, Emo, Pinkie) are dealing with the same post-traumatic stress, however they find comfort in alcohol and reckless behavior, something Tayo attempts but doesn’t like

            -Tayo’s grandmother calls on the medicine man Ku’oosh to cure Tayo, yet Ku’oosh finds that the ancient ceremonies are not enough to cure Tayo.  This causes him to recall his childhood, particularly the time when Josiah fell for Night Swan and invested in Mexican cattle.  Tayo remembers being seduced by Night Swan.

            -Tayo visits Betonie, who is more knowledgeable in the relationship between Native Americans and whites.  Betonie tells stories to Tayo about his grandfather, Descheeny, and the invention of whites (Native American witchery)

            -Tayo decides to search for Josiah’s cattle (which was lost) and in the process ends up spending a night with Ts’eh, a woman who’s true identity is vague and associated mostly with nature

            -Tayo discovers the cattle in a white man’s pasture, but upon breaking into it, the cattle run away.  Tayo is able to find them again with the help of a mountain lion.  Tayo gets arrested by two patrolmen, however they let him go upon seeing the mountain lion tracks and deciding to hunt it (although the snow covers these tracks)

            -Tayo returns home although the ceremony is not complete.  He spends more time with Ts’eh and leaves only when Robert informs him that Emo is spreading rumors about him.

            -Tayo runs from Emo, who has joined forces with Harley and Leroy, and finds himself in an abandoned mine.  Here, he must witness the torturing of Harley, a crucial part in the ceremony.  He returns home after this event, finally cured. 

Significant Characters:

            Tayo: protagonist of the novel, struggles with the relationship between Native Americans and whites, must complete a ceremony to cure him of the trauma brought on my WWII and end the drought in his reservation

            Betonie: the medicine man who is able to guide Tayo in his ceremony and cure him

            Auntie: a proud woman, resents Tayo and makes him feel left out of the family dynamic

            Josiah: Tayo’s uncle, the man with whom Tayo is closest with before his death

            Harley: Tayo’s childhood friend, ends up falling in line with Emo and tortured to death by him

            Rocky: Tayo’s cousin who dies in the war

            Grandma: brings Tayo to the medicine man in the first place, largely responsible for his recovery 

            Ku’oosh: the first medicine man who was unable to cure Tayo

            Emo: Tayo’s enemy, a figure of pure evil

            Ts’eh: helps Tayo in his ceremony, connects him with nature and guides him in avoiding the whites

           

Narrative Voice and Style:

            Point of View: The book is in 3^rd person narrative that is biased against/points blame at whites.

            Tone: the narrator’s tone is largely sympathetic toward Native Americans and Tayo in particular.  He is viewed as a victim at first and then later a savior to the Pueblo people.

            Imagery: specific scenes that are described with imagery include Tayo’s time spent with Ts’eh, the torture of Harley, Tayo’s time spent with Night Swan, and many of Tayo’s flashbacks to the war

            Symbolism: colors are symbolic of different emotions and times in life, Helen Jean is symbolic of many Native American woman who have turned to drinking and a certain type of lifestyle for gratification, Ts’eh is symbolic of a strong female force and nature

            Motifs: colors, circles, the relationship between whites and Native Americans

Quotes:

            Old Grandma shook her head slowly, and closed her cloudy eyes again. "I guess I must be getting old, " she said, "because these goings-on around Laguna don't get me excited any more." She sighed, and laid her head back on the chair. "It seems like I already heard these stories before—only thing is, the names sound different."

            Grandma comments on the non-linear narrative nature of the novel and the repetition that occurs in Tayo’s life.  She may also be suggesting the continuing actions of characters like Emo and Harley (turning to alcohol for comfort) and how that is spreading in the community.  The entire plot of the book is thought to be part of a cycle; here, Grandma recognizes the non-linearity of the plot.

Here they were, trying to bring back that old feeling, that feeling they belonged to America the way they felt during the war. They blamed themselves for losing the new feeling; they never talked about it, but they blamed themselves just like they blamed themselves for losing the land the white people took. They never thought to blame the white people for any of it; they wanted white people for their friends. They never saw that it was the white people who gave them that feeling and it was the white people who took it away again when the war was over.

            This quote is representative of Tayo’s view on his friends and how the whites have affected them.  Tayo understands white people to be products of Native American witchery who are to blame for the suffering of the Laguna reservation.  According to Tayo (and as demonstrated in this quote), white people selfishly took the land of the Native Americans.  His friends blame themselves for the lose of land and drink to drown the feelings of remorse and guilt.

Theme: Despite efforts made to preserve the characteristics and qualities (both tangible and not) of specific culture, a clash with another culture is inevitable and causes both physical and emotional conflict that will have long lasting consequences.

            Silko writes her novel in a non-linear structure to emphasize the continuing problem of conflict with white people for the Laguna Pueblo reservation.  Although Tayo completes his ceremony and is therefore cured of the traumas brought on by the war, the novel suggests that this is going to keep happening despite the efforts made by the Native Americans.  The symbols used, such as Helen Jean, generalize certain types of Native Americans to emphasize the result of white culture on the reservations.  The imagery of Harley’s torture is a result of the conflict and furthers Silko’s point that while Tayo may be cured, the Native American witchcraft of whites is going to continue to clash with Laguna culture.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

About the Author:

            -wrote romance fiction of the upper class

            -often made commentary on society and social structure in her works

Plot:

            -Mr. Bingley moves in close to the Bennet household and Mrs. Bennet is ecstatic at the possibility of him marrying one of her five daughters

            -The Bennets attend a ball, and Jane dances with Mr. Bingley while Mr. Darcy refuses to dance with Elizabeth.  Everyone decides that Mr. Darcy is haughty and conceited.

            -Jane journeys to see Mr. Bingley but is caught in the rain, which leave her sick and unable to make the trip home.  As she must stay for some time, Elizabeth goes and visits her.  Mr. Darcy finds himself attracted to Elizabeth for her wit and intelligence.  Miss Bingley judges Elizabeth and views her as low class.

            -Mr. Collins is waiting when the two sisters return home and, after learning that Jane is likely soon to be engaged, proposes to Elizabeth.  She refuses, much to her mother’s disappointment.

            -Elizabeth becomes friends with Wickham, one of the militia, who tells her about how Darcy cheated him out of an inheritance.

            -The Darcy’s and Bingley’s go to London for the winter and Jane doesn’t hear from Mr. Bingley.  Mr. Collins becomes engaged with Charlotte Lucas, a good friend of Elizabeth’s.

            -Darcy visits Elizabeth at the Collins’s home and makes a proposal, which she denies because he convinced Mr. Bingley to ignore her sister.  Darcy defends himself in a letter by saying that he didn’t believe the romance to be serious, and he also says that Wickham lied and had been trying to elope with his sister, Georgiana.

            -Elizabeth, after reading this letter, begins to fall for Darcy as well.  She goes on a trip with the Gardiners (relatives) and finds herself touring Pemberley, Darcy’s estate.  She seems him there and meets his sister.

            -Elizabeth learns that Lydia has eloped with Wickham, something that could tarnish the family image.  Darcy saves the day by paying off Wickham to marry Lydia.

            -Bingley returns home and finds Jane, proposing to her.  Lady Catherine de Bourgh (Darcy’s aunt) threatens Elizabeth against marrying her nephew.  Elizabeth remains defensive and says that although Darcy hasn’t proposed, she won’t deny any future proposal based off of Lady Catherine. 

            -Darcy finds Elizabeth and proposes.  The novel ends with the two oldest sisters happily engaged.

Significant Characters:

            Elizabeth Bennet: protagonist of the novel, clever and intelligent and isn’t as shallow as her younger sisters

            Mr. Darcy: wealthy man of the upper class who is known to be proud, falls for Elizabeth

            Jane Bennet: eldest and most beautiful Bennet sister, more shy, falls for Bingley

            Mr. Bingley: easygoing man who is well-liked by everyone, proposes to Jane

            Mr. Bennet: sarcastic and disapproving of the way his wife and youngest daughters act toward marriage

            Mrs. Bennet: obsessed with marrying off her daughters to rich men, obnoxious

            Wickham: handsome militia officer, revealed later to be a liar and deceitful

            Lydia Bennet: youngest and most immature Bennet sister, elopes with Wickham

            Mr. Collins: annoying clergyman who proposes to Elizabeth and then Charlotte Lucas

            Miss Bingley: Mr. Bingley’s snobbish sister, views Elizabeth and Jane with disgust

            Mary Bennet: the middle sister, strives for attention and comes across as both obnoxiously conceited and pathetic

            Catherine Bennet: second youngest sister, behaves like Lydia

Narrative Voice and Style:

            Point of View: written in 3^rd person narrative that seems to judge the arrogance of the upper class and the overall structure of society at this time

            Tone: the narrator’s tone is berating against the wealthy and characters such as Mrs. Bennet, who comply with that nature

            Imagery: specific images include Elizabeth’s appearance when arriving at the Bingley’s, Mr. Collins’ manor and actions when he stays with the Bennets, the first proposal scene between Elizabeth and Darcy, and the final scene in which Darcy and Elizabeth take a walk

            Symbols: ribbons (that Lydia and Kitty are so obsessed over, symbolize their immaturity and materialism), Pemberley (symbolizes Darcy and Elizabeth’s feelings toward him)

Quotes:

            It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.

            The opening line of the play, this sentence has become famous for representing this time period and the values of society that existed in it.  The entire plot of the novel is based off of the desire of Mrs. Bennet to marry off her daughters so they can rely on men to take care of them, both financially and emotionally.  It was unheard of for a young man to not be in the market for a wife and for a young woman to not be trying desperately to meet a husband.  This expectation is challenged by Elizabeth, who believes one should only marry for love.  She doesn’t take the usual path and falls for a man who is intelligent and challenges her, not just someone who is kind.

            “In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.”

                                                                                                -Mr. Darcy

            This quote represents the turning point of Darcy’s relationship with Elizabeth.  He has given up both his pride and his prejudice and fallen for a woman of a lower class due to her sharp intelligence and wit.  Despite the views of others (Bingley’s sister, his aunt) he proposes to her and doesn’t give up when she rejects him.  This quote contributes to the theme of the novel that prejudices in society are difficult to overcome and can only be conquered with love that is strong enough to endure it.

Theme: Social prejudices in society are difficult and seemingly impossible to overcome and can only be conquered with love that is strong enough to endure the hardships that are likely to come.

            Austen creates this meaning through the relationship of Elizabeth and Darcy.  The initial hatred that exists between the two is a result of societal expectations and prejudices; Darcy views himself as too good for her while Elizabeth is too proud to marry simply for financial security.  The fact that they ultimately fall for each other shows the strength of their mutual affection.  The juxtaposition of this relationship with that of Lydia and Wickham emphasizes the shallowness of society and the effects it can have.  Lydia is materialistic and juvenile, and her love for Wickham is not real. 

Hamlet by William Shakespeare

About the Author:

            -born in Stratford, England

            -regarded as the greatest writer in the English language

            -wrote a total of 38 plays in his lifetime

Plot:

            -Horatio and the watchmen open the play by seeing the Ghost of the late King Hamlet, who haunts the grounds looking for someone to avenge his death by punishing his brother Claudius for murdering him and his wife Gertrude for marrying his brother

            -Hamlet desires to avenge his father’s death but is caught in a constant battle between the Christian values and what the Ghost is telling him to do (this drives him to appear mad)

            -Claudius and Gertrude employ Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to watch Hamlet and discover why he has gone crazy

            -Polonius suggests that Hamlet is mad with love for his daughter, Ophelia, although his manner toward her is harsh and uncaring (he tells her to go to a nunnery)

            -when a group of actors arrive at Elsinore, Hamlet has them put on a play in which there is a murder similar to how Claudius killed Lord Hamlet to see if he looks guilty (at the point in the play, Claudius leaves the room)

            -Hamlet almost kills Claudius at this point, but as he is praying, decides it would only send his soul to heaven

            -Hamlet goes to speak with his mother and, upon hearing an eavesdropper, shoots a dagger through the curtain.  He believed it was Claudius, but it turned out to be Polonius.  He is dispatched to England with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to be put to death

            -Ophelia goes crazy after her father’s death and, after a symbolic “flower sequence”, drowns in the river.  Her brother, Laertes, expresses his anger toward Claudius the two hatch a plan to stage a duel between Hamlet and Laertes in which the latter will use a poisoned blade.  Claudius poisons a goblet as well in case Hamlet doesn’t get stabbed.

            -Hamlet returns for Ophelia’s funeral and expresses much sorrow.  Osric arrives to arrange the duel.

            -During the fight, Gertrude takes a drink from the goblet and dies (whether she did this knowingly or not is unclear).  Laertes is cut by his own sword’s blade, and Claudius is stabbed with the blade as well, and dies.  Hamlet dies from the same sword (he was cut earlier in the duel).

            -the Norwegian prince Fortinbras arrives and has lead an army to Denmark to attack.  He is stunned by the sight of the royal family laying on the floor dead and hears the story from Horatio.

Significant Characters:

            Hamlet: deals with the internal debate over whether or not to kill Claudius, in a relationship with Ophelia (although he does not appear to love her)

            Horatio: Hamlet’s closest and most loyal friend

            Gertrude: Hamlet’s mother, betrayed her late husband and her son by immediately marrying her brother in law

            Claudius: the new king, Hamlet’s enemy in the play

            Ophelia: openly loves Hamlet, although it is not appeared to be reciprocated.  Goes crazy upon the death of her father (is also thought to be pregnant)

            Laertes: Ophelia’s brother, the two have a close relationship although Laertes doesn’t trust Hamlet

            Rosencrantz and Guildenstern: Hamlet’s friends, their role in the play is vague and they are often unclear themselves on what they are doing

Narrative Voice and Style:

            Point of View: no narrator, so no point of view

            Tone: although there is no tone of the narrator, the play is overall dark and depressing

            Imagery: there is not much description in the play as it is composed entirely of dialogue

            Symbolism: Ophelia’s flowers are symbols for different emotions.  She hands them out to everyone before drowning herself in the river

Quotes:

           

            “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.”

                                                                        -Hamlet

           

A famous quotes from the play, Hamlet says this to criticize the royal family of Denmark (not only Claudius).  He recognizes the corruption that has poisoned the entire state.

“Give thy thoughts no tongue,
Nor any unproportion’d thought his act.
Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar.
Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried,
Grapple them unto thy soul with hoops of steel;
But do not dull thy palm with entertainment
Of each new-hatch’d, unfledg’d comrade. Beware
Of entrance to a quarrel; but, being in,
Bear’t that the opposed may beware of thee.
Give every man thine ear, but few thy voice:
Take each man’s censure, but reserve thy judgment.
Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy,
But not express’d in fancy; rich, not gaudy:
For the apparel oft proclaims the man;
And they in France of the best rank and station
Are most select and generous chief in that.
Neither a borrower nor a lender be:
For loan oft loses both itself and friend;
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.
This above all,—to thine own self be true;
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.”

                                                                        -Polonius

Polonius makes this speech when he is bidding farewell to Laertes before he goes back to school.  It is unclear whether this speech is meant to be lighthearted, fatherly advice or more serious instruction on how to gain power in life.  The tone of this quote correlates with the tone of the entire play: dark and foreboding.  Polonius, too, recognizes the corruption of the state and the necessity of acting selfishly in order to gain power.

Theme: Shakespeare uses the character of Hamlet and his constant internal struggle to create the meaning that although one may have specific desires, putting them into action remains difficult as a result of personal values and expectations of society.

            Hamlet, although thoroughly angered at Claudius, never acts on his desire to murder him.  He comes close several times but his Christian values cause him to relent.  Hamlet cannot put aside the parts of him that enforce how he has been raised and the values he ought to still hold important.  Shakespeare uses imagery to emphasize this point, such as the internal monologue going through Hamlet’s head when he is literally standing behind Claudius with a sword. 

Fifth Business by Robertson Davies

About the Author:

            -born in Canada

            -worked as a journalist and professor

            -known as a distinguished “man of letters”

Plot:

            PART ONE

            -A young Dunstan ducks his fried Percy Boyd Staunton’s snowball, causing it to his Mary Dempter.  She goes into labor and delivers a premature baby, Paul Desmpster.

            -Dunstan informs us that he is telling us this story because he is writing to the headmaster of the school at which he doubt, expressing his unhappiness about an article about him. 

            -Paul is a premature and weak boy, yet Dunstan establishes a relationship with Mary Dempster, who is considered crazy by society.  He realizes that he is love with her despite the negative affects it has on his popularity.

            -When working at a library, Ramsay grows interested in learning about magic and teaches the tricks to Paul, who is quick to pick them up.  This leads to fights with both his mother and Amasa Dempster, Mary’s husband.

            -Mary Dempster goes missing, and the town finds her sleeping with a low class man.  She explains that she did so because “he was so civil and he wanted it so badly”.

            -Amasa resigns from the parsonage and becomes a shell of a man, simply living a quiet life and caring for Mary, whom he keeps chained inside the house.

            -Dunstan has a crush on Leola Cruikshank, although she is thought to be Percy Boyd Staunton’s girlfriend.

            -War breaks out in 1914, and it is during this year that Willy dies.  Mary is able to restore him to life, but no one believes in this miracle. 

            -Dunstan has a romantic fling with Leola and joins the army.

PART TWO

            -after being unconscious for six months, Ramsay wakes up in a hospital being cared for by a nurse Diana who wishes to marry him.  He learns that both of his parents have died.

            -Ramsay is awarded the Victoria Cross, and is treated as a hero when he gets back to Deptford.  Percy announces that he is going to marry Leola.

            -He learns that Doc Staunton retired from his practice and is a rich man, and that Paul ran away to the circus while Mary was deemed insane and taken in by a relative.

PART THREE

            -Dunstan goes back to the University of Toledo and earns a Masters in history.  Boy has become very rich and gives Dunstan investment tips, which he takes despite his jealousy.

            -Dunstan works as a schoolmaster and when he goes abroad to Europe, he searches the battlefields for his Madonna statue.  He takes up hagiology.  He hears a lecture from a man named Joel Surgeoner, who was the tramp in the pit with Mary Dempster.  He talks to the man and learns that he considers Mary to be a saint.

            -Ramsay learns about the “Fool-Saint” (a person full of holiness but who nonetheless brings madness) and believes that Mary is one.  He goes to find her.

            -She doesn’t remember him, yet they start a new relationship where he is simply a new friend.  Later, Boy protects Dunstan from being hurt by the Great Depression.  When travelling due to his interest in hagiology, he sees a magician who he recognizes to be Paul (going by the name Faustus Legrand)

            PART FOUR

            -Boy and Leola’s marriage falls apart, and Dunstan claims he has no feelings for her.

            -He visits Mary Dempster frequently, and later travels to Europe to meet with Padre Blazon, who teaches him about saints.  He writes a book about saints.

            -Boy and Leola’s have an argument, in which Leola tried to kill herself and confesses her love for Dunstan.  She eventually dies of pneumonia.

            PART FIVE

            -Dunstan is named the Headmaster of Colbourne College, but he is demoted later to the Dean of History. 

            -In Mexico, Dunstan attends a magic show of Paul again, although this time he is going by the name of Magnus Eisengrim.

            -Dunstan meets Liesl, who is extremely ugly but intelligent and charming.  They form a friendship, although Dunstan is attracted to the beautiful Faustina (the showgirl).  He catches Faustina and Liesl kissing and it sends him into a depression.

            -Liesl tries unsuccessfuly to seduce Dunstan, and he relieves pent-up anger on her.  She says that he has never lead a real life and that his role is only that of “fifth business”

            PART SIX

            -Dunstan informs Mary that he has found Paul, which agitates her.  Boy remarries to a Denyse Hornick. 

            -Mary dies, and Dunstan travels to Europe to meet with Blazon again.  He finally finds his Madonna statue.  Boy is found dead in a car accident under suspicious circumstances.  There was a small rock found in his mouth.  The story ends with someone in Paul’s show screaming “Who killed Boy Staunton?”. 

Significant Characters:

            -Dunstan Ramsay: narrator of the novel, comes across as overly confident and defensive of his life.

            -Mary Dempster: considered a saint by Dunstan, a large part of his life

            -Paul Dempster: the character that the story really focuses around (he story life parallels that of Jesus), practices magic

            -Boy Staunton: becomes extremely wealthy and somewhat of a financial mentor to Dunstan

            -Liesl: teaches Dunstan more about himself and his life than anyone else in the novel, the “watchmaker”

Narrative Voice and Style

            -Point of View: Dunstan narrates the story and unsuccessful does so in an unbiased and objective way

            -Tone: Dunstan seems bitter and resentful, as though he has a lot to prove about himself and his life.

            -Symbolism: Magic, reality vs. mystical, saints

            -Imagery: Dunstan goes into great detail when describing saints and time spent with Liesl

Quotes:

            “The inevitable fifth, who was the keeper of his conscience and the keeper of the stone.”

                                                                                                -Liesl

Liesl comments on the power of the Fifth Business, which is unexpected by most.  Dunstan played an extremely important role in the lives of Paul and Boy; Liesl understands this and believes that Dunstan’s life was important and necessary.

“Life itself is too great a miracle for us to make so much fuss about potty little reversals of what we pompously assume to be the natural order.”

                                                                                    -Dunstan Ramsay

This quote presents Dunstan as though he doesn’t care about his role as the Fifth Business in the lives of Paul and Boy, yet he writes a novel-length letter justifying his life to the dean of the college.  He acts as though his role in life doesn’t matter, yet throughout the book he is extremely defensive and acts as though he has to prove that he lived a worthwhile life.


Theme: Although not every role played in life is one of glory or stardom, each role has a purpose and is vital to understanding oneself and the world in general.


Dunstan spends the majority of his life believing that he is the Fifth Business in the lives of Paul and Boy.  It's not until he meets with Liesl that is shown a different point of view of his role.  While he does affect the lives of both Paul and Boy, the fact that he does this contributes to his role in his own life.  He is the main character in his own story and Liesl helps him to understand that and prompts him to begin living like it.  By understanding this about himself and how he fits into the lives of others, Dunstan begins to start "living" and is able to focus on himself and his life rather than those of others.