How does Alan Bennett show the changes in the character of Miss Ruddock in the Taking Head monologue ‘A Lady of Letters’?
During the 1980s, Alan Bennett wrote a series of low-budget monologues, which together formed Talking Heads. They were written for and broadcasted by the BBC in 1987 (and set in the 1980s), and were ideal for the BBC at the time as they were cutting their broadcasting budget. The monologues were very low cost because they require only one actor and writer, normally no more than two cameras, and little to no props, special effects, lighting or sound. A Lady of Letters has a basic storyline surrounding one main character and therefore fits the monologue style of writing extremely well. Talking Heads was also beneficial to the BBC as it differed from other dramas at the time such as Boys from the Blackstuff and Auf Weidersehen Pet, because it only includes one person’s point of view and only one person is talking. Talking Heads is also a synonym for boredom in TV, which is quite ironic as Miss Ruddock in A Lady of Letters is a bored and lonely woman. A Lady of Letters deals with issues such as loneliness, isolation, people not seeing themselves in the way the audience sees them and failure to accept the truth – Miss Ruddock experiences all of these feelings. Bennett’s monologues generally deal with everyday topical issues, as the audience can relate to matters that affect them personally.
Alan Bennett shows change in society – the 1980s were very different from when he was growing up in the 50s and 60s. When he was young, the community would have been very close and everyone would have known each other; however, in the 80s community Miss Ruddock feels as though she does not know anybody and is stuck in the p...
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...lled with useful tasks. This largely contributes towards her change of attitude in life. Bennett is trying to show the audience there is little point in living in the past, becoming too prejudiced or judging people on appearances as it doesn’t get you anywhere in life. He is also trying to tell the audience to make the most of life as it is, be friendly and try to be a useful, active part of the community as you will feel better for it. On top of this, Bennett also makes the audience realize that you should not prejudge people, for example Miss Ruddock appears to the audience to be a self centered vindictive old lady, but in actual fact she only appears this way due her to her loneliness. A Lady of Letters is a very successful monologue and an interesting piece of work. Bennett has managed to convey his message to the audience in an effective and appealing fashion.
More specifically, women who were privileged, educated, and belonged to the higher class. As an example of young women, “Catherine 's enthusiasm for romantic novels is by no means a personal idiosyncrasy to be removed by education; she is at the crest of the wave of public taste-especially for girls of her age and class.” (662) (Socialization of Catherine Morland). Reading became a popular interests of young women, however, comparing Catherine as the novel 's heroine considers feminine traits,desires, and interests were changing. Women no longer identify with female hero 's that are whimsical, instead they enjoy feminine hero 's to be challenged, opinionated, and intelligent. According to Waldo Glock Austen 's “most significant function of the parody element is to suggest that the romantic and sentimental type of heroine is no longer relevant for the nineteenth century” (37
Miss Hancock, her personality and beliefs were contrasted entirely by her character foil, Charlotte’s mother, “this civilized, this clean, this disciplined woman.” All through Charlotte’s life, her mother dictated her every move. A “small child [was] a terrible test to that cool and orderly spirit.” Her mother was “lovely to look at, with her dark-blond hair, her flawless figure, her smooth hands. She never acted frazzled or rushed or angry, and her forehead was unmarked by age lines or worry. Even her appearance differed greatly to Miss Hancock, who she described as,” overdone, too much enthusiasm. Flamboyant. Orange hair.” The discrepancy between the characters couldn’t escape Charlotte’s writing, her metaphors. Her seemingly perfect mother was “a flawless, modern building, created of glass and the smoothest of pale concrete. Inside are business offices furnished with beige carpets and gleaming chromium. In every room there are machines – computers, typewriters, intricate copiers. They are buzzing and clicking way, absorbing and spitting out information with the speed of sound. Downstairs, at ground level, people walk in and out, tracking mud and dirt over the steel-grey tiles, marring the cool perfection of the building. There are no comfortable chairs in the lobby.” By description, her mother is fully based on ideals and manners, aloof, running her life with “sure and perfect control.” Miss
Lydia’s understatements in her letter to Mrs. Forster reveal her genuine motives of true love and minimize the severity of ignoring her family’s expectations. Austen develops climax in the story through downplaying Lydia’s opinion of her frowned upon marriage as she giggles, “For it will make the surprise greater, when I write to them, and sign my name Lydia Wickham. What a good joke it will be” (276). Lydia’s casual tone expresses Austen’s satirical message: that the pressures on women may backfire and influence them to unconsciously rebel against the status quo. As Lydia runs away and laughs about the shame she brings to her family, Austen provides a climax against 19th century society by warning of the consequences of too much
In The Author to her Book, the author’s tone changes multiple times throughout the story making it quite clear where she stands and how she wants the reader to feel about each sentence she writes. By analyzing the words and images Anne Bradstreet uses and depicts, it clear she is frustrated and annoyed about what is happening based on what the speaker says in the poem.
Lady Bracknell, as a character, acts as a caricature of Victorian society and morality, and when her views aspects of gender relations and matrimonial relations receive inspection, her true significance appears. Wilde intends to evoke laughter through her extremely strict and antiquated morals, but at a deeper level, he seeks to attack any system of rigid morals that often plague societies.
and Mrs. Gardiner, she received two letters from her older sister Jane, regarding her youngest sister Lydia and a surprise. The first letter states: “Since writing the above, dearest Lizzy, something has occurred of a most unexpected and serious nature; but I am afraid of alarming you—be assured that we are well. What I have to say relates to poor Lydia. An express came at twelve last night, just as we were all gone to bed, from Colonel Foster, to inform us that she was gone off to Scotland with one of his officers; to own the truth, with Wickham” (Chapter 46, page 157)! This letter about Lydia’s elopement with Wickham shocked Elizabeth, and the whole family was thrown into turmoil. Jane wrote this letter in such a frantic way she stated at the end that she hardly knew what she had written. Her tone was commiserating, because she felt dreadful for bringing about this news while Elizabeth was out of town. This letter gives us an insight of Lydia’s frivolous character, as well as Jane’s compassionate personality. Through all the turmoil that Lydia put the family through, Jane still took the time to keep Elizabeth informed and included in the family business while she was away. Jane’s letter is very ironic considering how Mr. Wickham is viewed as a gold digger earlier in the novel, and then suddenly he is eloping with Lydia. It is known that the Bennet family has no money to offer, so Wickham’s intentions were questionable
The book "Fair and Tender Ladies" is a manifesto of women's writing and personal look at the great history of literature. The author creates an epistolary novel in which offers to read the letters of women, who began writing at the age of ten and continued to write until her old age. At the beginning of the book we meet the main character as a little girl who describes her world with a simple thought and naive language with a lot of errors and dialect. The audience realizes that this girl is an active carrier of Appalachian culture, and the Appalachian consciousness. Subsequently, the girl grows up and begins her journey to different cities of the South, but never feels calm at those places, and so at the end of her life, she returns to the
of a woman by some, and a noble if misplaced effort by others. Critical readings of the novel have
Her petite, rosy lips was held tight in a line. If she had received such a letter from any other being, she would have wholly disregarded; but her brother, oh even her esteemed brother had been opposed of her relations. She was astonished, speechless, even dismay had oppressed her. This cannot be! She tore open the letter once again, in attempt of recollecting some instance of graciousness, some notable trait of integrity, to rescue Wickham of her brother's sharp words, but all was done in vain. She closed the letter once again, this time with no intention of ever opening it once more. She stood up in the most ladylike fashion and spoke to be escorted out of the
In Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Lady Catherine De Bourgh's words, actions and dialogues all reveal her as a supercilious and domineering figure. Lady Catherine's "manner" of receiving her visitors making them realize their "inferior rank", shows her selfishness, and portrays her as a character who not only is arrogant, but has an unpleasant attitude. Selfishness often applies to those egoistic of character, and Lady Catherine's sense of superiority over her guests suggests she makes her guests realize that their potential is lower than hers and that she is more powerful than them. Lady Catherine's supercilious trait is portrayed in her comments to Elizabeth Bennett about her "instrument", which she calls "capital", being "superior" to her.
This mixture of narrated monologue, interior monologue, and narrator summary enables the reader to be able to see the reality Miss Brill wants to forget in her dreams. The thought was too agonizing for close judgement, Miss Brill looks onto the crowd and this time she sees a woman in a shabby looking outfit approach a wealthy, older gentleman. Miss Brill’s immediately identified the woman with visions her initial point of view. Mansfield denial to a disruptive commentary, let the reader make a reaction to Miss Brill in easier ways. As Miss Brill reminisces in the past and prepares for a future time in the dialogue with her reading buddy, she shows herself and her anxieties to full
...ove his lack of responsible action, and Charlotte Lucas’s inability to take action on achieving contentment, serve as character foils to Elizabeth, illuminating her ability to evaluate her mistakes and take action for the better good. Bennet dismissed his chance to change not because he couldn’t, but because he did not want to. Although he was an intelligent man, it does no good to be smart if one cannot apply intelligence towards self-awareness and towards applying action in turning foibles into strengths Charlotte, also an intelligent character, failed to apply a balance of reasoning and action in her decision, sacrificing a lifetime of happiness for comfort and economic stability. Therein lies the value of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice: It emphasizes that in life, self-awareness is nothing, unless action and reasoning are used in every opportunity to change.
she is beginning to think rationally of herself throughout the book. She dealt with the subconscious alot that deals with the inside voice struggling with the ego. She had trouble in becoming verbal with her emotions.She lost herself meanwhile engaging herself in an affair with Lebrun something she secretly was longing for even when she was married. She was expereincing an overall crisis that means she reached a point where she was making sense of the world that was not ruled by what it used to. she suddenly was turning from her religious life and having sex. here this story relates to modernism of how one can be in a struggle with the subconscious and morality presented to them at
When Catherine is compelled to stay at Thrushcross Grange to recover from her injury, she returns as “a very dignified person” (Brontë 37). Her association with the gente... ... middle of paper ... ... d to Cathy. He desires to be accepted by her.
In conclusion, David Lodge managed to embody the concrete term of feminism. Through the character of Robyn Penrose, he creates the breakup of the traditional Victorian image of woman.“ `There are lots of things I wouldn 't do. I wouldn 't work in a factory. I wouldn 't work in a bank. I wouldn 't be a housewife. When I think of most people 's lives, especially women 's lives, I don 't know how they bear it. ' `Someone has to do those jobs, ' said Vic. `That 's what 's so depressing. ' ”(Lodge