Responding to Course Material and Connecting to Other Works

        Analyzing literature for the basic elements of diction and syntax has really enabled me to

absorb more of an author’s intentions than I figured possible. I believed that the only way to

understand a play or novel was to recognize motifs, symbols, and abstract concepts. In the first

two weeks of class that we devoted to diction and syntax, my respect for writers increased as I

realized how they use the simplest concepts to explain major ideas. For example, when the class

dissected excerpt by F. Scott Fitzgerald, I had no knowledge of the original work the excerpt was

taken from. However, when asked to focus on the author’s word choice, I slowly began to piece

together the main focus of the story. Fitzgerald’s narrator used colloquial diction while offering

little description. The simple language suggested a “simple-minded” narrator. Not to say the

narrator was lacking intelligence, but rather an inclination to use pretty, descriptive words. The

class agreed that this was because the narrator did not have time to describe his surroundings in

detail because he was in a moving bus. The narrator also noted that the bus was steadily

approaching a steep incline. Ms. Holmes told us that Fitzgerald is known for being meticulous

about his word choice and had a purpose for each word he used. We came to the conclusion that

approaching a steep incline was an allusion to upcoming challenges for the speaker. It turns out

the narrator was a young soldier on his way to an army camp. In this exercise, I learned not to

ignore descriptive words when reading literature. Authors, unlike most students, do not just

throw descriptive words because they want to “spice things up”; they use description because it

is a means of telling the story without overtly stating the obvious. By just paying attention to

diction (and a little assistance from Ms. Holmes) the class was able to use this short excerpt to

predict that the rest of the story followed a young soldier’s harrowing adventures in war and

journey to manhood.

         The activity that helped me understand how authors use syntax as a literary tool was

analyzing The Lottery Ticket by Anton Chekhov. The short story begins with the humble Ivan

Dmitritch and his wife talking about checking the newspaper for the winning lottery numbers.

The dialogue is pretty flat. They seem like a couple who are past the “honeymoon” stage of their

marriage and idly respond to one another just to keep the peace. The matching ticket numbers act

as a catalyst in the story and Ivan comes to life. He indulges in lengthy monologues about how

wonderful his new life will be slips into a daydream about the beautiful estate he desires. When

describing Ivan’s daydream, the sentences grow longer and lacks conjunctions—providing a

lofty, poetic structure. After Ivan awakes from his daydream, he is very irritable. Chekhov

expresses this through heavy use of punctuation. For example, Ivan begins creating hypothetical

situations in his mind concerning his wife and begins to distrust her,” she had spent so much

money. . . . At the stations he would continually be having to run for boiling water, bread and

butter. . . . She wouldn't have dinner because of its being too dear. . . .” This use of punctuation is

seen in the rest of the story when Ivan is thinking to himself. It makes him sound sort of crazy. I

could not help but picture him hunched over, writhing his hands together while he goes through

this Jekyll and Hyde routine. I think ultimately I learned that analyzing syntax is mostly paying

attention to patterns.

          Connecting Existentialism and the Theatre of the Absurd to Albee’s The American

Dream has been insightful and helps me better understand other “absurd” works. Although I

believe The American Dream deserves a category of its own, the play has qualities that follow

the Theatre of the Absurd. A main one being Albee’s parody of everyday language. The

characters in the play speak with little logic or coherence. He makes fun of stereotypical adult

speech to point out to the audience the necessity of having meaningful and authentic

conversations. Albee’s bizarre characters and dialogue, in the perspective of the Theatre of the

Absurd, is a technique used to raise awareness in the people. In Crabb’s essay, Theartre of the

Absurd, he writes,” The Absurd Theatre hopes to achieve [making man aware of their realities]

by shocking man out of an existence that has become trite, mechanical and complacent.” This is

an important issue in the The American Dream. Albee highlights how society is merely breeding

consumers and lacks traditional morals. Grandma is a foil to the young American Dream,

however, the two are drawn toward one another. Grandma has the most substance of anyone in

the play, but her appearance is undesirable. In contrast, the young American dream is very

attractive, but admittedly lacks emotion. Together, Grandma (old American Dream) and the

young man would be complete but, that is not possible considering the age gap between them.

Crabb later states how some critics say Theatre of the Absurd “has gone the way of the

dinosaur.” However, there are others (including Albee and Martin Esslin) who think otherwise.

Theatre of the Absurd encouraged a broadening of human perception and opened up new

methods of expression, and therefore will always be a reference for writers.

        Just yesterday, I watched a film called Ruby Sparks about a genius novelist, Calvin, who

has found himself crippled (not literally) by writer’s block. He loathes leaving his posh office

and interacting with anyone besides his older brother, shrink, or pesky dog. After having a dream

about a girl named Ruby, Calvin is inspired to write again. The absurd element comes into play,

when Calvin wakes up to find Ruby physically in his apartment. Everyone can see and interact

with Ruby, however, her actions are still at the will of what Calvin writes with his type-writer. A

key element in Theatre of the Absurd is a lack of reasoning for something absurd. Calvin is

bewildered when Ruby comes to life and doesn’t try to seek out an explanation. After realizing

Ruby was not a hallucination, Calvin leaps on the opportunity to be with his dream-girl. Even

Calvin’s, “no nonsense” brother goes along with Ruby’s absurd exisience for the simple fact

that it makes his brother happy. I immediately recognized the motif of an absurdist play.

Average guy has a dream, followed by a surreal series of events. In Existentialism 101, it says

characters are overcome with anxiety once they realize they must take responsibility for their

actions and will try to escape them. This flight usually results in self-denial, which Calvin

demonstrates by telling himself he will not write anymore—which would alter Ruby; It isn’t

until she starts growing independent from Calvin that he abuses his power to control her. In a

moment of rage, Calvin shows Ruby how much power he has over her by openly commanding

(actually, writing) her to list the reasons she loves him while spinning in circles, simulating a

strip tease, and acting like a dog. This was a bizarre way of showing how men will try to change

and manipulate perfectly functioning women for their own convenience. Calvin quickly regrets

his actions and completes his novel by directing Ruby to leave the apartment and forget her past.

The final words he types are “Ruby was free.” All Calvin wanted was a normal life. He didn’t

want to be a “genius” because it implied he was above average—which, to him, entailed a lonely

life. “If an individual is to live meaningfully and authentically, he or she must become fully

aware of the true character of the human situation and bravely accept it (Existentialism 101).”

When Calvin assumes the responsibility as both Ruby’s creator and lover, and gives her freedom

and the ability to truly be human. I think this movie is influenced by existential view on life by

emphasizing choice, freedom, and responsibility, done in a manner that could be considered

Theatre of the Absurd. Had I not read The American Dream and had access to resources such as

Existentialism 101, I probably would not have enjoyed Ruby Sparks as much and appreciated it’s

deeper meaning.