ENG3U-B English Unit 4 Danielle Caple

Grade 11 13262050

Lesson 17

17. a)

i) Bruce believes the house symbolizes his parent’s world. It represents all their
hard work and struggles. Bruce states: “He [his father] and Mother lived here in
a sod shanty and struggled to make things grow. Then they built a one-roomed
shack; and when the good years came, they built this house. The finest in the
country!” (Ringwood, 1939 p.31)

ii) Hester believes the house symbolizes her role in life with her father. She
states: “I couldn’t leave Bruce and Father here alone. My duty was here in this
house. So I stayed.” (Ringwood, 1939 p.28)

She thinks it belongs to her family because she gave up so much of her life to
protect it. She didn’t get married and have a family. Instead she looked after her
father and little brother. It is her only link to her dead father. It is sacred to her.

iii) Ruth thinks the house represents something sacred to Bruce. She states:
“You didn’t tell me you worshipped a house. That you made a god of a house and
a section of land.”(Ringwood, 1939 p.31)
 b) The theme of “the human struggle against a hostile environment” (lesson
17, p.1) is shown using the house as a protector. The house provides protection
for the family living there against the harsh winter climate. Ruth states: “The
wind swirls and shrieks and raises such queer echoes in this old house!” “It seems
to laugh at us in here, thinking we’re safe, hugging the stove!” “As if it knew it
could blow out the light and the fire and---.” “I’ve never seen a blizzard when it
was as cold as this.” (Ringwood, 1939 p.25) Ruth is very frightened of the storm
and fears it. She realizes how small they are compared to it. The house is the
only thing that stands between them and the storm. The house is old, worn out,
dark and tired. In Ruth’s world the house represents safety from the storm and
she is scared of the storm and scared of the house. Hester is not bothered by the
storm. She lives in her own world which is different from Ruth’s and Bruce’s. She
thinks the house will always protect her from the outside world. She has
complete confidence in it. She thinks life has always been this way and should
continue on this way. Hester states: “Father meant for us to stay here and keep
things as they were when he was with us.” (Ringwood, 1939 p.33) There is no
room for anything new or different. The house symbolizes safety as it is
protecting the family from the storm and it represents familiarity. It has always
done its job and looked after the family in many ways including protecting them
from the harsh environment.

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Lesson 18

18.

Jinch Malrex is similar to both The Farm Show and to Mile’s theatre group.
The most obvious similarity is that each group gets its material and ideas from
knowing or meeting people and learning about the problems in their lives.
Another similarity is that there is danger involved in going out into the world of
the unknown and finding this information. Last they bring their collection of work
together, improvise and perform the play in front of a live audience. I will begin
by looking at the writers/actors and how they get their ideas from the
community.

First in Jinch Malrex, the 12 storytellers bring ideas for their characters
from things they have seen in real life or imagined. The 12 people are actors,
poets, lyricists and storytellers from different priority neighbourhoods in Toronto.
Casandra London created the character of Lisa who shares similarities with her
own life: “I found as I was building this story there was a connection to my life.
My father really wasn’t around. In the story, Lisa’s mother is not around.” (Siad,
2007 p.20) She understands the character of Lisa and includes her. In The Drawer
Boy Miles brings material back to the director to be used in the play. Miles states:
“So far they aren’t using anything I’ve brought to rehearsal.” (Healey, 1999 p.23)
It is important to Miles to contribute material for the play as he is a writer and an
actor and must do his part. Morgan states (to Miles): “So if you don’t produce,
you die, is that it?”(Healey, 1999 p.23) (…) “You got that in common with me, too.
I don’t produce, I go as sure as you or the cows do.” (Healey, 1999 p.23) Both
actors in each play realize that they have to contribute to be part of the play and
stay in it and they must get their information from their own life experience
and/or they must go out and meet people and talk to them for new fresh material
that is current and real.

Second, the element of danger is shown in Jinch Malrex. Funmilola Lawson

created the character of Jenai who draws “a chalk outline of a body on the
sidewalk. She is a fast-talking drug runner who tries to escape her tumultuous
family life by being in the streets.” (Siad, 2007 p.19) She is telling a story based on
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the dangers she sees in her environment and issues associated with it. Her
character Jenai is made up but Lawson has seen things in her life that are not nice
and she wants others to experience it in a safe way so she contributes this
information to the play. Morgan tells Miles in The Drawer Boy that “If you want
to stay here, you’ll help out. Don’t mind you being here and doing your play-
writing, but I can’t see having a pair of hands around here that don’t do nothing.”
(Healey, 1999 p.7) Morgan previously tells Angus: “He [Miles] backed the tractor
over me.” (Healey, 1999 p.6) It is made quite clear to Miles that he must help out
even if it is dangerous on the farm. Accidents happen and farmers accept this and
try and learn from it but they don’t give up. They go on with their work and
accept the dangers of the job. So there is an element of danger going into
different neighbourhoods and simply living there or working there. Just being
there can make it dangerous.

Finally, Jinch Malrex was premiered at Theatre Passe Muraille which is an

alternative theatre that uses collective creation to create a play. Theatre Passe
Muraille’s celebrated documentary play in 1972 was The Farm Show (Lesson 18,
p.3). So these two plays share this background. The Farm Show’s cast
“improvised a documentary play that combined spoken actuality and exuberant
storytelling theatricality.”(Lesson 18, p.3) The actors from Jinch Malrex used
improvisation to improve their work and make it real as well. They both
improvised to make a better play that people could relate to. Both plays were
performed in front of a live audience.

In conclusion, all three plays share similarities with each other. The idea of
collecting information from real ordinary people, making a play about their lives
and then acting it out in front of them with improvisation is what these plays have
in common. The element of danger is always present as it represents real life.

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Lesson 19

19.

Michael Healey’s (1999) The Drawer Boy does express universal themes.
One of his major universal themes is the timeless and universal human dilemma
of avoiding and confronting truth. Morgan keeps a deep secret for a long time
and once he confesses the truth he feels a sense of relief. He is liberated by the
truth and goes through a recovery period which allows him a fresh beginning.
First he wants to avoid having to explain things. He wants Miles to go and let
things get back to the way they were. Next he simply refuses to answer questions
about the grave site to Miles or Angus. He tries to divert attention away from it
by asking them to do silly jobs. Last he realizes that the time has come to tell the
truth and explain why he did what he did. I will begin with Miles portrayal of
Morgan in the play and the effect it had.

In the first place, when Miles portrays Morgan so accurately in the play’s
rehearsal it frightens Morgan. Miles tells the full story that he heard Morgan
telling Angus. Morgan states: “Just get out of here. You can’t stay. You lied.”
(Healey, 1999 p.31) He also states: “You can’t use that. It’s private between
Angus and me and I don’t want people to hear it.” (Healey, 1999 p.31) He is
sincere and frightened at the same time. He simply wants all of this mess to go
away.

Second, Morgan tries to be evasive when questioned about taking Angus to

the burial place. Morgan said “I told him [Angus] no and I’m telling you [Miles]
no.” (Healey, 1999 p.43) He does not know what to do because the burial place
does not exist and he told Miles and Angus that it does exist. He has a dilemma to
work out. Later Morgan said: “I lied to you [Angus].” (Healey, 1999 p.51) When
Angus asks him if this is true he replies “Yes.” (Healey, 1999 p.51) Now Morgan
tries to correct the lies. He tells Angus the truth about the night he got injured in
the war. Morgan said he sent Angus out to get a cheap bottle of brandy that he
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had won in a card game. Morgan states: “You were safe, and I sent you out, you
understand? Angus? I did that. I did that to you. That’s the first thing.” (Healey,
1999 p.53) This is the first major lie he has corrected for Angus. Angus now
realizes he cannot trust his friend Morgan anymore. He wants to hear the truth
from Miles.

Finally, Angus begs Miles to tell him the truth. Miles replies: “Angus. Do
you know what I am? I’m an actor. (…) He’s [Morgan] right there, and he can tell
you.” (Healey, 1999 p.54) Miles wants Morgan to tell the truth and he wants
Angus to hear it from him and trust him this time. Morgan tells Angus the true
story and both he and Miles listened. When Morgan finished Angus said: “I hit
my Sally and you lost your...” “That’s what I did to you. God, you must hate me.”
(Healey, 1999 p.59) Both men have hurt each other. Morgan told lies out of
kindness so his friend Angus would not suffer. Angus was not even aware of what
he had done and how he had hurt his friend. He was not responsible for it
because of his brain injury. Morgan knew what he was doing but he saw his
friend become calmer and the story soothed him so he did not see the harm in it.
When he told the truth it was a huge burden lifted from him. Angus now sees
things more clearly and remembers more and the weight has been removed from
Morgan.

In conclusion, this theme is universal because everyone has experienced

this dilemma of telling the truth or changing it slightly or simply being quiet either
on a small scale or a large scale at some point in their life. Morgan thought he
was being kind by keeping it a secret and letting life go on in this manner. It was
like they were living in the past reciting the same story over and over with no
resolution. Once he released the truth he had a new beginning and
understanding with Angus. They appreciated each other more and developed a
new trust and friendship because of this experience. They could communicate
more clearly and Angus could remember more things. Everything was different
and more hopeful now.
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Lesson 20

20. Hester and Mrs. Wright share many similarities and differences but I have
decided to analyze one important similarity and one important difference. One
major similarity is that both women find life unbearable and make a final drastic,
decision which leads to the death of one or more of their relatives. When
comparing their motives they both act in a moment of desperation but they have
very different motives. Hester wishes to remain in her home as she views it as
sacred and Mrs. Wright wants to leave hers as it has become unbearable. I will
begin to explain how unbearable their lives have become.

First, these women live isolated lives in a rural community with no social
life or friends. Hester has no friends and gave up the possibility of marriage,
having a family and grandchildren so that she could take care of her father and
brother when her mother died. Hester states: “I couldn’t leave Bruce and Father
here alone. My duty was here in this house. So I stayed.” (Ringwood, 1939 p.28)
She makes the final decision to not fill the lanterns with oil so that her brother
Bruce and his wife Ruth will not be able to find their way back to the house in the
snowstorm and will therefore freeze to death outside. Hester’s actions in the
play are described as: Hester takes off the top of the oil can and then deliberately
without filling it places the top back again on the can and hands it to Ruth.
(Ringwood, 1939 p.36) Mrs. Wright depends on her husband and he is antisocial.
He does not speak much to anyone or her. He does not want the party line for
the telephone which would connect her to the outside world. Instead he kills the
one thing in her life (her bird). Mrs. Hale states: “But, Mrs. Peters—look at it. Its
neck! Look at its neck! It’s all--other side to.”(Glaspell, 1916 p.28) The bird was
her one and only friend. She decides to tie a rope around his neck and murder
him. Mrs. Peters states: “It was an awful thing was done in this house that night,
Mrs. Hale. Killing a man while he slept, slipping a rope around his neck that
choked the life out of him.” (Glaspell, 1916, p.29)

Second, they both decide to kill the people they live with out of
desperation but their motives are different. Hester is desperate when she sees
the paperwork on the table and knows it is the paper to finalize the sale of the

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house. Hester states: “A deed of sale. So this is what you’ve been hiding from
me.” (Ringwood, 1939 p.24) Hester wants to stay in the only home she knows. It
has a special meaning to her which is almost sacred. She believes her father’s
spirit is there. Mrs. Wright wants to leave her world as she has found it
unbearable. The killing of her bird destroyed her as a person. She simply cannot
bear any more pain and does not care about the consequences of any action she
takes. Mrs. Hale states: “What a pretty box. (…) There’s something wrapped up
in this piece of silk.” (Glaspell, 1916 p.28) Mrs. Wright seeks revenge for harming
her poor, little, innocent bird. Anything would be better than what she has even
if it means going to prison.

In conclusion, these women are tragic as they both commit a terrible crime
and they are not thinking rationally. Hester thinks her home is sacred and must
do whatever she can to keep it even if it means murder. Mrs. Wright is frightened
and wishes to suffer no more domestic abuse. She simply needs to escape her
dreadful existence in this house and commits a crime. The pain is unbearable and
clouds their ability to think rationally and problem solve.

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 Bibliography

Glaspell, Susan. Trifles. Virginia Commonwealth University website. ENGL/WST

384: Women Writers, 1916. (Instructor: Ann M. Woodlief). Retrieved
March 13, 2009. www.vcu.edu/engweb/eng384/5rifles.htm

Ringwood, Gwen Pharis. Still Stands the House. D. Appleton-Century Co., Inc.:
1939.

Siad, Simona. “Stories from Our Hoods.” Toronto Star. September 20, 2007.

Healey, Michael. The Drawer Boy. Toronto: Playwrights Canada Press, 1999.