The Savannah Option by Dakin Matthews contains a bittersweet love story of two college professors by the name of Emilia Balistreri and Manny Perry. The two were brought together by the impending death of Sandy, Manny’s wife, who is in the hospital suffering from cancer. To ease his emotional pain, Manny seeks support from Emilia, Sandy’s best friend. Not only did the relationship as friends between Manny and Emilia grow stronger since Sandy was gone, but it also got sexual as well, thus leading to further complications. For many reasons throughout the play, there are many significant reasons that foreshadow why a relationship between Manny and Emilia wouldn't or couldn’t work. ` Due to the fact that Manny is a professor, he’s not used …show more content…
to being questioned repeatedly to justify his statements, especially by someone with who is more dominating than himself. As Manny states and Emilia cleverly answered; Manny. My students do accept what I say and we move on. With you I actually have to be… Emilia. Precise. (Matthews 13) Because Manny is seeking to learn about the theory of evolutionary psychology from Emilia, a biologist, he is at a disadvantage due to the fact that he majored in literature instead of science or biology. As Manny played the role of a student to Emilia, he will be feeling dominated by her. Being dominated by a woman is a very uncomfortable situation for many men, as we can see here, Manny is having trouble dealing with the lack of control in this situation as he repeatedly tries to justify statement after statement that he desperately gives out. Situations like this could be one of Manny’s many influences to seek a younger woman than Emilia to be able to retain his control and domination.. Secondly, another aspect of the play that can influence the failure to a romantic relationship between Manny and Emilia is that both characters carry different characteristics. Emilia is more precise than Manny in many overall, while Manny only wants get the task done, Emilia only wants it done with precision. After taking the knife away from Manny while he was chopping the zucchini in preparation for their event, Emilia precisely instructed Manny on how she wanted the zucchini to be sliced. However, Manny doesn’t seem to care much of what Emilia had to say: Emilia. And don't try to go too fast, we’re not in any rush. You guys aren’t due back till eight. Manny. What possible difference could it make? Emilia. It must. Or that many varieties wouldn't have survived. (Matthews 7) In this situation, we can see where Emilia’s precision characteristic has derived from, and that is biology.
For the simple reason that, in science there is no room for error and precision is the only key to succeed, Emilia had to altered her mindset to compensate for the reality she has to deal with in science. On the other hand, Manny seems to lack interest in precision and he does not see see it as relevant enough to be important. Since Manny is a poet, pin point precision is not his most important concern. This can be problematic if Emilia and Manny were to be in a relationship because they would run into conflicts with each other for just accomplishing a simple task because of their differences in their characteristic, in this case, slicing the zucchini. Moreover, by removing the knife from Manny’s hand while he was still using it, this can make Manny feel incompetent, even though Emilia had no negative intentions. Granted, Emilia didn’t just take Manny’s knife away but she had also taken his pride a well. While this can be not very problematic now, in the future if similar situation occurs again between the two, as Emilia is seemed to be the dominant one, Manny will be left feeling oppressed by Emilis. For men, feeling oppressed or lacked of control in the relationship will drive them to seek for control and domination from outside …show more content…
source. Manny and Emilia’s affair not only was unexpected, but also played a key role in the separation of the two, as they both seem to have different perception from of it.
During an argument regarding the affair, Manny state, “Look, it just happened”(Matthews 54). To Manny, it seems like Emilia is just another sexual partner for him, and he sees nothing for than that in her beside continuing on with their friendship. However, Emilia thinks everything between Manny and her happens for a reason and there has to be a purpose to their companionship, which she thought that Manny was suppose to end up with her. As the two are arguing: Manny. Well, Sandy’s not here, Sandy’s dead. Emilia. She sent you to me. She wanted you to be with
me! Manny. Did she ever tell you that? Did she? Then how dare you say a thing like that. Emilia. I believe it. (Matthews 54) This argument is the the turning point in the play where Manny is now standing up for himself because he can no longer can deals with Emilia huge misconceptions and the reason why she wanted to be with him. Many can argue that the reason Emilia lead Manny on to having an affair with her was because she wanted to feel like she is replacing Sandy, and this can prove why Emilia got heated when Manny states that the affair between him and her just sponaugle just occurred, because she believes that it has happened for a reason. Even though, there are insufficient evidence to prove that Sandy would even wanted for Emilia to replace her, there is no doubt that the drive Emilia has to be with Manny is very robust. Nonetheless, Manny did not take Emilia’s reasoning for wanting to be with him very well, as he rises to dominate over Emilia. Since Emilia's reason for wanting to be with Manny was presumptively by Manny was based on her belief alone, this made Manny fierced. Even if Emilia was supposedly was sent to Manny by Sandy, Manny would still take this offensive as well. And conceptions like this would make Manny feels like he had lost control of himself even more worse, Manny could feel that he’s forced to be with Emilia. Matthews scripts for The Savannah Option was so carefully written that even critics had trouble deciding whether the protagonist in the play was either Emilia or Manny. Interestingly, while we see Emilia dominating the play throughout, it was incredible to see how Manny can turned the table around in a matter of seconds. Granted, the short play delivered massive amount of contents through the use of very little characters, which highlight the precision that Matthews has in scripting extraordinary plays. Matthews content delivered an incredible amount of reasons why Manny and Emilia’ relationship wouldn’t or couldn't, thus concluding that their relationship would just be like beating on a dead horse.
There are many ways in which we can view the history of the American West. One view is the popular story of Cowboys and Indians. It is a grand story filled with adventure, excitement and gold. Another perspective is one of the Native Plains Indians and the rich histories that spanned thousands of years before white discovery and settlement. Elliot West’s book, Contested Plains: Indians, Goldseekers and the Rush to Colorado, offers a view into both of these worlds. West shows how the histories of both nations intertwine, relate and clash all while dealing with complex geological and environmental challenges. West argues that an understanding of the settling of the Great Plains must come from a deeper understanding, a more thorough knowledge of what came before the white settlers; “I came to believe that the dramatic, amusing, appalling, wondrous, despicable and heroic years of the mid-nineteenth century have to be seen to some degree in the context of the 120 centuries before them” .
Eventually Macaria marries a well-to-do American, Sam Polk, and leaves behind the poverty and prostitution that once ruled their lives, but is never fully accepted by her peers into her new moneyed existence. Meanwhile Marcela grows into a beautiful, white-skinned, pale beauty. She is a ready conquest for any male, particularly those of darker descents like Tony, and a thorn in her mother’s side. Unfortunately Marcela’s whiteness draws sexual advances from the local male population and her mother blames her daughter for these interactions.
This one act play is solely about two people who used to be in a relationship, namely Vernon and Lucy. Vernon invited Lucy for a lunch at his place and prepared steak as their meal. The reason Vernon invited Lucy was because his hope for reconciliation and fulfillment for his sexual desires as a man. The scene begins
The central conflict of Lover’s Quarrel occurs between Ash and the Carsons over Ash’s desire for Sarah, which becomes clear through Ash’s bizarre interactions with Sarah and Michael throughout the play. This conflict was interesting because it was not something that would occur in the average household, so it provided the audience with a glimpse of an extraordinary American life. It held my attention because there was a lot of action that kept me waiting in anticipation of what would happen next. It also interested me because it was emotionally
Similarly, Emily doesn’t fully understand the love that she shares with her father, and it leads her to dangerous encounters. In the Cabral and de Leon families, violent love is the only love they know. Abelard, who was an extremely intelligent man, wasn’t smart enough to avoid the tragedy of love and violence. Beginning with Abelard and ending with Oscar, the only love the family could relate to was one that included violence. In Abelard’s case, he was protecting his daughters out of the love he had for them.
In Contemporary Fiction Writers of the South, edited by Joseph M. Flora and Robert Bain. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1993. An appreciative summary of the work. 28 Apr. 2011 Magill, Frank N. Magill's Survey of American Literature, Volume 5. New York: Marshall Cavendish Corporation, 1991.
This story focuses on the extra-marital affair a housewife named Calixta has while her husband and son are away due to a storm. Although we learn that Calixta has an affair we also know that she doesn’t completely defy the Cult of Domesticity. From the story we get the idea that she remained pure until she married her husband and as Chopin tells us in page 689 “She had not seen him very often since her marriage, and never alone,” this line suggest that even if she saw her past lover around she would not speak to him because neither of them were ever alone and they both didn’t want to disrespect their marriages. In addition Calixta seems to be a very good housewife and mother. She appears to be always tending her home. In page 689 we learn that “[sitting} at a side window sewing furiously on a sewing machine. [Calixta] was greatly occupied and did not notice the approaching storm.” She is so focused on her chores that she didn’t even notice a storm. For Calixta sewing and doing chores around the house is what is normal. She has assumed a role as a married woman and mother and she is fulfilling it. Before the affair you can say that by societies expectations she was a true woman, she kept her virginity until marriage, she makes sure her house chores are done, and she takes care of her family. Even after the affair she acts as if nothing has
In the short story “The Cheater’s Guide to Love” by Junot Diaz, the author pinpoints on the Yunior’s life as a writer and college professor who is also struggling with his romantic relationships. The short story is filled with his experiences of using women for his beneficial needs and how it negatively affects him. It focuses on Yunior’s downfall through life after the destruction of his relationship with his fiance. The diction includes the narrator’s hateful consideration of women and a paradox of his own endeavors which prevent him from pursuing a meaningful relationship, but he grows to realize that he treats women awfully and his ex did the right thing by leaving him due to his untruthfulness.
life in the mid to late twentieth century and the strains of society on African Americans. Set in a small neighborhood of a big city, this play holds much conflict between a father, Troy Maxson, and his two sons, Lyons and Cory. By analyzing the sources of this conflict, one can better appreciate and understand the way the conflict contributes to the meaning of the work.
Francis Macomber is a middle age man that is good at court games such as: tennis or squash, competitions where there are set standards and rules for play. Also, there are confined areas of play for his games. He is quite wealthy and some say handsome which add to Francis masculinity. His wife on the other hand does not think that much of him and thinks of him as a coward. Margot on the other hand his “beautiful wife”, whom really does not like Francis but stays with him anyway. She cheats on him and despises, basically because he married her only for her looks. Margot on the other hand is part responsible for the same thing because she only married him for his money. They are both stuck in a situation because they both married for the wrong reasons. Their gender roles are sort of fighting against each other because she doesn’t care about the relationship and cheats; and he tries to prove that he is a man and yet fails because he tries too hard. Masculinity is something that Margot and others at the Safari think it is an aspect of manhood that Francis lacks.
When Elisa’s husband Henry comes over and compliments her garden and ability to grow things, Elisa is smug with him and very proud of her skill with the flowers. Her "green thumb" makes her an equal in her own eyes. When Elisa’s husband asks her if she would like to go to dinner, her feminine side comes out. She is excited to go eat at a restaurant and states that she would much rather go to the movies than go see the fights, she "wouldn’t like the fight’s" at all (paragraph 21). Elisa is taken aback by her own submissiveness and quickly becomes preoccupied with her flowers as soon as her husband leaves.
It seems that evil is trying to succeed and it scares the audience that if this is happening in this play, why can it not happen in real life? How is such a couple united and bonded but at the same time filled so much
are two main plots in the play, both based upon the theme of love. The
The play Romeo and Juliet is a widely known tragedy written by Shakespeare. Romeo and Juliet features two rival families and their children. When a daughter of Capulet and son of Montague meet at a party, sparks immediately fly. However, because of their families rivalry, they marry in secret, and were happy. That is until things took a turn for the worst. After an unexpected accident, Romeo is forced to leave the city, and he may never return. Juliet’s not sure she’ll ever see him again and tries to plan a way to be with Romeo, but ends up making things worse. It is an extremely tragic story. Or that’s what everyone is led to believe. However, the play Romeo and Juliet is in actuality a comedy. Between the overabundance of hyperbole, Paris’
Secondly, Emilia mentally challenges the social norm of chastity by condoning women that deceive their husbands. Although Emilia does not explicitly state whether she has ever cheated, she does say that she would not cheat for small, material wealth, but any woman would cheat in order to make her husband king: "Who would not make her husband a cuckold to make him a monarch? (4.3. 77). Furthermore, Emilia explains that the reason women cheat is because their husbands "slack their duties" and "break out into peevish jealousies (4.3. 87, 89). In essence, Emilia accepts the "abuse" of men by women because she feels that it is the husband's flaws that evoke the women to cheat.