Isolated and Marginalized Characters of Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads
All the pieces in Alan Bennett’s collection deal in some way with people who are isolated or marginalized, either because of circumstances or because of their own idiosyncrasies. Every character is, in some way inadequate. Graham is a mother's boy, whose dubious sexuality seems to have caused him severe mental stress. Susan, the vicar's wife, is an alcoholic woman, trapped in a loveless marriage, whose caustic intolerance of her husband's calling alienates her from the rest of the parish and forces her into behaviour which is damaging and dangerous. Irene Ruddock is narrow minded and malicious, believing herself to be a guardian of public morals, when, in fact, she is no more than a dangerous slanderer. The actress, Lesley, believes that her talent is genuine, but has not the intelligence or wit to realise that she is, in reality, a failure. Muriel Carpenter has spent her whole married life refusing to face up to reality and suffers tragic consequences from years of selective vision and poor Doris finds her age and upbringing have made her an anachronism in modern society.
Although Irene is the only one of the characters who spends "real" time in prison, it could be argued that, in a way all of Bennett's subjects are prisoners of a sort. Graham's claustrophobic existence with his aged and senile mother is a form of imprisonment. Ironically, the opportunity of "escape" offered by his mother's affair with Frank Turnbull, is very threatening to him, causing him to begin to exhibit all of his "old" symptoms and making him more nervous than ever. Although Graham seems to be unhappy with the tedium of his life, it soon becomes obvious to us that i...
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... on his own parents experiences. Her obsession with being "clean" and "decent" are typically Northern working class values. There is much about this character that is irritating but when we learn about the dead child who "wasn't fit to be called anything" we suddenly realise that there is more to her than we thought. Like Muriel, Doris has spent her life "keeping up appearances", refusing to cave in to hardship and making the best of her situation. Also like Muriel she has a strong sense of her position as a woman, although here we see the opposite attitude - that the woman is the "boss" in a marriage. Poor Walter was definitely a henpecked husband. Her strength of character is such that she quite deliberately decides not to ask the policeman for help when he knocks at the door. She knows that she will die and seems to prefer to choose her own time and place for it.
How does Alan Bennett reveal Doris’ character, life and attitude in the dramatic monologue “a cream cracker under the settee”?
Ellis island brought millions of immigrants to America between the years 1892 and 1954. It is said that 40% of our population today can trace their ancestors to Ellis Island. Many people of many nationalities came to The United States get a chance at having the “American Dream”. Whilst pursuing their dreams, they left their marks on American culture. No one has influenced us so much as the Italians and their way of life.
In the book Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson, Melinda is entering high school completely alone. She has no friends and she has no one to turn to, even the people she doesn’t know hate her. All of this is happening to Melinda because she called the cops at an end of summer party and no one even bothered to ask her why. Something terrible happened that night at the party and memories of the event terrify and haunt her. There’s something about that night that she tries to forget, something she tries to not remember. Throughout the book you see ways Melinda is coping with her trauma. In the process of it all her nightmare, Andy Evans, comes and attacks her again, but this time Melinda isn’t so quiet about it. By the end of the book, Melinda uncovers her secret that has been trapped in her thoughts. Anderson develops a theme that if something traumatic
It is in a child's nature to be dependant of its parents and family members. They rely on them to protect and take care of them, so when they are suddenly ripped out of that comfort and protection, imagine the impact it would have on them. During the Holocaust, there was nothing the parents could do to protect their children; it was inevitable if they were Jewish they were always at risk. But on top of their vulnerability, children were frequently separated from their family and loved ones. Whether it be going into a concentration camp or going into hiding, the Holocaust has many examples of families being torn apart. One example would be with twins. Twins we often used for scientific experimentation, and when they were brought into concentration camps they were immediately identified and separated. The children that were used for these experiments very rarely survived them, and if they did they never saw their twin again. In just a short amount of time they were ripped away from their families and comfort and thrown into this chaos and unbearable setting (Nancy Sega...
...they will not settle for less. Time is wasting. For, “Time which brings us from the lowest condition up to the highest civilization; time, so that we can raise men to a higher plane” (Reading 10, p. 2). Gompers has greater aims, for he wants to better America to keep advancing and creating. Of all of America, Chicago was the fastest growing city because of its railroad factory, which needed unskilled laborers like Italian immigrants. “The production of steel defined industrial Chicago” (Slideshow 7: Italian Immigrants in Chicago). If Italian immigrants were not in New York City, they were in Chicago. Wherever they lived they were experiencing horrifying working environments. In order to understand why these changes in conditions were so necessary between, it is essential to analyze the experiences of pre and post 1880 immigrants, especially that of the Italians.
Contrastingly, Mrs. Darling, his wife, is portrayed as a romantic, maternal character. She is a “lovely lady”, who had many suitors yet was “won” by Mr. Darling, who got to her first. However, she is a multifaceted character because her mind is described “like the tiny boxes, one within the other, that come from the puzzling East”, suggesting that she is, to some extent, an enigma to the other characters, especially Mr. Darling. As well as this, she exemplifies the characteristics of a “perfect mother”. She puts everything in order, including her children’s minds, which is a metaphor for the morals and ethics that she instils in them. Although ...
...judice” and “A Room With a View” are portrayed as remarkably independent, their independence is used to convey an alternative role model for their societies. More specifically, Elizabeth’s independent character is used to demonstrate that women in Regency England can marry someone they love and have a “happy ending” that was much desired for as opposed to the common alternative of living in poverty or marrying for convenience. In contrast, Lucy’s independence is used to encourage readers to embrace their individualism, despite the social stigma that they may face. Elizabeth and Lucy’s views are the most significant quality that enables them to be independent, as it creates a foundation for their actions and choices. Although there are alternative readings, Austen and Forster illustrate that both heroins are independent, and this is a desirable quality in a women.
“Chi la dura la vince.” This soft-spoken Italian proverb sums up the series of events that Italian immigrants endured on their journey in America. Between 1880 and 1920, more than four million Italian-Americans immigrated to the United States of America in hopes of temporarily escaping Southern Italy’s impoverished and overpopulated society. Once in America, these new Italian-American citizens started ‘Little Italys’ or ethnic enclaves of Italians. Some Little Italies were even large enough to support a full economic structure of their own, providing a plethora of job opportunities. These ‘small’ Italian communities shielded themselves from general stereotypes and provided a sense of belonging which helped Italians establish their roots. America’s attitude toward these new Italian-American citizens can be summed up in part by Congressman James McClintic, a Democrat Oklahoman: "I say the class of immigrants [Italians] coming to the shores of the United States at this time are not the kind of people we want as citizens in this country." Inplace of responding by aggressive human nature, America’s new Italian citizens viewed this as an opportunity to enrich family and community bonds. As for Italian traditions, they struggled to be accustomed between the two Italian generations as the already ‘Americanized’ Italian children clashed with their parents, which resulted in altered traditions. One major example is Italian-American food which chain restaurants have come to paint as a type of restaurant that specializes in spaghetti with meatballs, pizza, and has red checked tablecloths.
In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet’s journey to love and marriage is the focal point of the narrative. But, the lesser known source of richness in Austen’s writing comes from her complex themes the well-developed minor characters. A closer examination of Charlotte Lucas, Elizabeth’s dear friend in Pride and Prejudice, shows that while she did not take up a large amount of space in the narrative, her impact was great. Charlotte’s unfortunate circumstances in the marriage market make her a foil to Elizabeth, who has the power of choice and refusal when it comes to deciding who will be her husband. By focusing on Charlotte’s age and lack of beauty, Austen emphasizes how ridiculous and cruel marriage can be in this time.
The constant appearance of rain allows for sadness to be foreshadowed; the opposite can be inferred where there is more of a relief than sadness. The book says in the weather “…came the permanent rain and with the rain came the cholera” (Hemingway, 4). When the rain pours in the beginning of the book, it started to describe the scenery. The rain was signifies rain as death and as a tragedy for thousands of death soldiers follow along the cholera that comes with the rain. Usually when it rains in a novel or in a movie, the plot turns negative. Rain serves as a potent symbol of inevitable disintegration of happiness in life. Before Hemingway describes the rain, he says that “the leaves” on the trees “fell early that year” and this is not an example of rain, but it shows that not only does rain foreshadow sadness, but nature itself does. The nature aspect of this was that the leaves symbolize the soldiers and since they are falling early that year that means that they are dying as a young man. The death of them are sometimes forgotten with the permanent rain that falls o...
A Room with a View, by Edward Morgan Forster, presents the story of Lucy Honeychurch, a young woman belonging to English “high society.'; Foster places this young maiden in a state of conflict between the snobbery of her class, the “suitable and traditional'; views and advice offered by various family members and friends, and her true heart’s desire. This conflict “forces Lucy Honeychurch to choose between convention and passion (Bantam Intro-back cover),'; and throws her into a state of internal struggle, as she must sift through the elements of her “social conditioning'; and discern them from her true emotions and desires. Foster develops and utilizes Lucy’s internal struggle as a means of transforming her from a petty young woman to a subtle heroine.
In E. M. Forster's A Room with a View, Lucy Honeychurch discovers both herself as an individual and her love for George Emerson. Through Lucy’s intelligence, charisma, and defiance against social norms and her elders, she is able to grow from a young child to a mature and confident adult. With each important person in her life reflecting a different aspect of respected society, Lucy is able to defy each of these people, therefore defying society. For example, Charlotte Bartlett represents the pull towards a life of spinsterhood rather than true love, Mr. Beebe represents the ideals of an Anglican woman, Mr. Emerson represents the ideals of the lower class, and her love interests, George and Cecil, represent her irrepressible feelings of both love and hate. Each of these characters, Charlotte, Mr. Beebe, Mr. Emerson, George, and Cecil, push Lucy to a different aspect of herself until she ultimately finds her own individuality, taking pieces of each ideal along the way.
Lucy Honeychurch is a young woman who has been raised by an upper-class British family that has always made her decisions and opinions for her. Whether it’s Miss Lavish, Miss Bartlett, or her Baedeker, there’s almost always someone or something telling her what to do and what to think. Without being able to make decisions on her own, she hasn’t been able to figure out what she likes or admires or even wants. She is innocent, safe, and naïve of the world and of herself. Her first experience in the real world is when she visits Florence, Italy. She begins to find herself lost between the tedious falsities perpetuated by the pretentious upper class society and her growing instincts of what is true and beautiful. Her instincts are mainly channeled by playing the piano—her source of liberty and passion. Her music is where she gains empowerment to make decisions on her own. Another outlet for her newfound character is her albeit confusing, but growing lust for George, another member of the pension. Both her decisions and the decisions of others have led her to be alone in the Piazza Signoria where she starts to harbor a growing inner rebellion.
Marriage, one of the basis of the novel, was somewhat a tragic experience for Mr. and Mrs. Bennett. Mr. Bennett was captured by a pretty face, and was in a marriage that tied him to a foolish woman for the rest of his life. The result was disastrous to Mr. Bennett's character: he was, "forced into an unnatural isolation from his family, into virtual retirement in his study and the cultivation of a bitter amusement at his wife's folly and vulgarity," (Daiches 753-754). Though he was not happy in his marriage to Mrs. Bennett, he was content enough to remain with her and their five children: Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Catherine, and Lydia.
All in all, causes of stress can be high expectations, family problems, social issues and simply not being able to manage time. The effects of stress include symptoms like self-doubt, self-deprecation, carelessness, and even depression. People can learn triggers of stress and the warning signs to look for if a teen is stressed. Having a person admit they are stressed or overwhelmed not always an easy, especially for a student. However, once they can figure out what is causing the stress, it is easy to change. That person can either eliminate their problems or participate in a stress relieving activity. They just need take a deep breath and relax!