Posted by Gary Walmer (67.172.168.223) on June 24, 2005 at 6:12:49 p.m.:
In Reply to: Scogginsessay2roughdraft posted by Paula Scoggins on June 23, 2005 at 3:32:32 p.m.:
>Paula Scoggins
>English 301
>Jeanne Guerin
>Essay 2 Rough Draft
>June 23, 2005
>
>Drama Analysis
>
> Drama. When you look at the word drama you can see only one thing, that there’s a story to be told. That the story can be told on a stage performed with actors through a performance, or just by watching an individual talk about their day. The definition of a drama is a literary composition to be performed by actors; play, one that’s not comedy. It has a sense of seriousness. There are many elements of a drama that are essential to its success; however, I will elaborate on the elements I feel are important to the play A Raisin in the Sun. the first essential element is the setting. The setting is the time period and location in which the play takes place. The next element is the protagonist. The protagonist is the central character of the play that we tend to identify. Positioning these two elements together will intrigue the audience and keep them on the edge of the seats. P1
> In the play, A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry, the setting is very crucial in the understanding of the play. The action of the play is in Chicago’s Southside. The time period in which it took place was between World War II and the present time. The present time was 1959, which was when the play debuted. This was also a hard time for people in general, but to be an African American in these times was even worst. Involuntary servitude had been abolished, but people still lived in servitude, both physically and mentally. People had to work and sometimes that meant taking a job that tarnished your pride. The bottom line however was to take care of your family so that’s what you did. Life was a daily hustle. When the play A Raisin in the Sun, opens the author set the tone be describing the setting in which the drama will unfold. It takes place in a two bedroom apartment. There are four adults and one child that occupy this apartment. The breakfast room has been converted to the extra room I spoke of prior. The child has no room; he sleeps on the couch in the living room. The highlight of it all is the bathroom. The bathroom is in an outside hall and is shared by all the families on the same floor. The furnishings are old. They’ve been cleaned and polished so much that you can’t see the patterns any more. The lighting is very bad. There’s a little sunlight the peeks though a small window in the kitchen.P2
> The title of the play A Raisin in the Sun, says a lot about the setting. A raisin is a dried grape. The outside had many grooves and is hard to the touch, but the inside is moist, juicy even. Now, imagine something that is already dried and exposed to the sun. What do you have? You have a family, the Younger family, that has endured many obstacles and yet are still able to have love in their hearts. They also possess the will and the drive to go on. I believe that the setting is very important to the meaning of this play; nevertheless, the protagonist has set the stage for the explosive ending.P3
> What’s a protagonist? It was a toss up at first as to who I thought the protagonist was. I had to reread the definition over again. I believer Walter Lee to be the protagonist, I saw him as the central character. Of course, he was the most dramatic. He had a lot of drive but no direction. Walter Lee was sort of scary to me. I saw a boy, although grown, torn between being true to himself, and being the head of the family. His fears were overwhelming. His fear of failure had taken over. Walter Lee’s struggled to find his place or calling. Everyone else in the family knew what was right for them and embraced it. Walter Lee’s needs for approval lead him in a path of destruction especially where money was involved. He was a proud man, like his daddy, but those were shoes he was afraid to try on. He hated his job as a chauffeur, and was ashamed as well. All he wanted was to be a businessman, to be a mover and a shaker. Without job satisfaction what do we have? P4
> Walter Lee’s actions, the way he never had a kind word to say to anyone, also added to the setting. The family’s constant tug of war over who’s right, and the many battles for respect and power, left Walter lee without a kind word or a gentle touch for his wife. This also left him envious and jealous of his sister because she had a life plan and could not be derailed. Walter’s biggest battle came with his mother. He wanted to be the head of the house and make important decisions that affected the family, yet mama had the title. Truth be told she was just waiting for Walter to step up and be a man, and she would gladly relinquish the title. Walter Lee’s past ventures had made the family apprehensive about his ideas. They were afraid to take a chance and he just couldn’t understand. He refused to see that his struggles had also been their struggles. His years of dealing with oppression, hating his job, and wanting to make life changes had also been part of their lives. In the play when Walter Lee’s last investment fall through, I believe this to be the time when he realized how his action past and present affected the whole family. In a matter of moments he had destroyed everyone dreams. He began to hear what they had always said. He felt the pain they had felt. I believe this to be the time when Walter Lee realized that nay change no matter how big or small makes a lasting and positive impression. You have to start somewhere; you have to work your way up. This is the day Walter Lee became a businessman it was when he became a family. He became a son, brother, father, and husband. He became a businessman of a family equipped with dreams and drive.P5
> The protagonist together with the setting has set the stage for us to dig deep inside, to a place unknown to us, and become part of the drama. We were allowed to feel their pain and rejoice in their happiness. We encountered their struggles, their longing to belong and we witnessed first hand their courage as they face a new chapter in their lives. These two essential elements of drama set all this in motion. This is why I choose these two elements. They took me to a place I’ve never been. I became A Raisin in the Sun.P6
Reader's Name:
Gary Walmer
Writers Name:
Scoggins
1) Review the assignment requirements. Read the essay. In your opinion, does the writer answer the essay assignment in this piece? Explain.
Yes the writer address two elements of the play which are part of drama. Details of the protagonist as well as the setting are discussed and how they apply themselves to the plot and subplot.
2) Write the thesis statement here:
Setting and the central character bring meaning to a play? I am not sure if it was crystal clear, but this seems to be the main thought of this essay.
3) Does the thesis attempt to prove a specific idea, or is it too general?
I think it centers on the two elements of drama they are discussing. It might be more specific.
4) What specific evidence does the writer provide to support the thesis?
Both the character of Walter is examined and discussed showing how he is the protagonist and the details of the setting are very well described and compared to things like a grape drying in the Sun.
5) Does the writer explicitly show how this evidence supports his/her view? Are connections made for the reader?
I think this is less specific then it could be. It is implied but not as directly as it might be.
6) Does each paragraph connect with the thesis?
Somewhat. They do individually, but not from a flow of one to the next.
7) Is there additional evidence which the writer has missed?
I think the writer is very vivid. More character development of Walter could be done. The Setting is described but not as much is discussed to the culture of the times.
8) Does the conclusion sum up the writer's point?
In the sense that it is clear the elements they picked were ones that allow the writer greater appreciation of the play.
9) Give the writer at least one suggestion for improving this paper.
Summerize your thesis in a more compact form and possibly allow that point to be implied or mention in each paragraph.