Kamis, 16 Juni 2011

Analysis on The Proposal by Anton Chekov

The Proposal
By Anton Chekov
Analyzed by Asri Dwi Hastari A320080212


A.    The Characters
  1. Stepan Stepanovich Chubukov 
  2. Natalya Stepanovna 
  3. Ivan Vassilevitch Lomov

B.     Characterization
  1. Stepan Stepanovich Chubukov: 70 years old, a landowner. 
  2. Natalya Stepanovna: Chubukov’s daughter, 25 years old. 
  3. Ivan Vassilevitch Lomov: 35 years old, a neighbour of Tschubukov, a large and hearty, but very suspicious landowner.

C.     Plot
Ivan Vassiliyitch Lomov, a long-time neighbor of Stepan Stepanovitch Chubukov, has come to propose marriage to Chubukov's 25-year-old daughter, Natalia. After he has asked and received joyful permission to marry Natalia, she is invited into the room, and he tries to convey to her the proposal. Lomov is a hypochondriac, and, while trying to make clear his reasons for being there, he gets into an argument with Natalia about The Oxen Meadows, a disputed piece of land between their respective properties, which results in him having "palpitations" and numbness in his leg. After her father notices they are arguing, he joins in, and then sends Ivan out of the house. While Stepan rants about Lomov, he expresses his shock that "this fool dares to make you (Natalia) a proposal of marriage!" This news she immediately starts into hysterics, begging for her father to bring him back. He does, and Natalia and Ivan get into a second big argument, this time about the superiority of their respective hunting dogs, Otkatai and Ugadi. Ivan collapses from his exhaustion over arguing, and father and daughter fear he's died. However, after a few minutes he regains consciousness, and Tschubukov all but forces him and his daughter to accept the proposal with a kiss. Immediately following the kiss, the couple gets into another argument.

D.    Setting
  1. Setting of place : In a country house of Chubukov 
  2. Setting of time : In the past time

E.     Theme
The farce explores the process of getting married and could be read as a satire on the upper middle class and courtship. The play points out the struggle to balance the economic necessities of marriage and what the characters themselves actually want. It shows the characters' desperation for marriage as comical. In Chekhov's Russia, marriage was a mean of economic stability for most people. They married to gain wealth and possessions or to satisfy social pressure. The satire is conveyed successfully by emphasizing the couple's foolish arguments over small things. The main arguments in the play revolve around The Oxen Meadows and two dogs called Ugadi and Otkatai.

F.      Conclusion
In Chekhov's Russia, marriage was a means of economic stability for most people. They married to gain wealth and possessions. In this play, the concept of marriage is being satirized to show the real purpose of marriage - materialistic gain rather than true love. Thus, first, it assumes that there is such a thing as true love and that it is a conception based on the idea that two people are literally meant for each other. Second, it states that these two people, though meant for each other, may have to endure a good deal before they can actually achieve the love they feel.

G.    Man vs. Society
It is a man vs. society drama because in the proposal drama there are some conflicts among its characters. Moreover in this drama there is no natural event.

Analysis on The Zoo Story by Edward Albee

The Zoo Story
By Edward Albee
Analized by Asri Dwi Hastari A320080212

A.    The title
The writer gives the title The Zoo Story because it tells about Jerry, one of main characters in this story, Jerry is an isolated and disheartened man who lives in a boarding house and is very troubled. “Zoo” word in the title reflects Jerry’s behavior which is like zoo.

B.     The Characters
Peter, a man in his early forties, neither fat nor gaunt, neither
handsome nor homely He wears tweeds, smokes a pipe, carries
horn-rimmed glasses. Although he is moving into middle age, his
dress and his manner would suggest a man younger.

Jerry, a man in his late thirties, not poorly dressed, but carelessly.
What was once a trim and lightly muscled body has begun to go to fat;
and while he is no longer handsome, it is evident that he once was.
His fall from physical grace should not suggest debauchery; he has, to
come closest to it. A great weariness.

C.     The Synopsis
A man named Peter, a complacent publishing executive of middle age and upper-middle income, is comfortably reading a book on his favorite bench in New York's Central Park on a sunny afternoon. Along comes Jerry, an aggressive, seedy, erratic loner. Jerry announces that he has been to the (Central Park) Zoo and eventually gets Peter, who clearly would rather be left alone, to put down his book and actually enter into a conversation. With pushy questions, Jerry learns that Peter lives on the fashionable East Side of the Park (they are near Fifth Avenue and 74th Street), that the firm for which he works publishes textbooks, and that his household is female-dominated: one wife, two daughters, two cats, and two parakeets. Jerry easily guesses that Peter would rather have a dog than cats and that he wishes he had a son. More perceptively, Jerry guesses that there will be no more children, and that that decision was made by Peter's wife. Ruefully, Peter admits the truth of these guesses.
The subjects of the Zoo and Jerry's visit to it come up several times, at one of which Jerry says mysteriously, "You'll read about it in the papers tomorrow, if you don't see it on your TV tonight.'' The play never completely clarifies this remark. Some critics think, because of statements Jerry makes about the animals, that he may have released some from their cages, while others think Jerry is talking about a death which has not yet happened, which might be headlined "Murder Near Central Park Zoo.''
The catalyst for the shocking ending transpires when Peter announces, he really must be going home. And then Jerry gives response, begins to tickle Peter. Peter giggles laughs and agrees to listen to Jerry finish telling happened at the zoo. At the same time Jerry begins pushing Peter off the bench. Peter decides to fight for his territory on the bench and becomes angry. Unexpectedly, Jerry pulls a knife on Peter, and then drops it as initiative for Peter to grab. When Peter holds the knife defensively, Jerry charges him and impales himself on the knife. Bleeding on the park bench, Jerry finishes his zoo story by bringing it into the immediate present, "Could I have planned all this. No... no, I couldn't have. But I think I did." Horrified, Peter runs away from Jerry whose dying words, "Oh...my...God".

D.    The Message of the Story
It can be seen that there is different social class between Jerry and Peter. We can learn about life value which is multi leveled play dealing with issues of human isolation, loneliness, class differences, and the dangers of inaction within American society. It focuses on the need for people to acknowledge and understand each other's differences.          

E.     The Kind of the Story
This story is classified as “man vs. society”, because the conflict arises because of Jerry with his bad behavior which caused of his social life condition.