– David Williamson Essay, Research Paper
Dead White Males, the play by Australian playwright David Williamson, deals with several conflicts which occur between the characters. Whether they concern patriarchy and feminism, or intellectualism and anti-intellectualism, these opposing ideas each spawn from the play s chief conflict between liberal humanism and post-structuralism. In the beginning, the play s main character, Angela Judd, finds herself somewhere amidst the two. During the course of the play she and the audience are presented with supporters of each ideology and finally led to prefer one above the other. The ideologies are represented through the actual characters in the play, and by the use of excerpts from some of Shakespeare s famous plays.
The two opposing ideologies in Dead White Males are liberal humanism and post-structuralism. Liberal humanism upholds the idea that men and women s behaviour are steered by an all-embracing human nature. Permanent truths concerning human nature do exist; it is not socially constructed. People are not constrained by ideologies and are free to be individuals. On the other hand, post-structuralism promotes its belief that in the world there is no reality, only manufactured reality constructed by words, and no absolute truths. Human behaviour is controlled by many ideologies that dominate society. However, gaps that exist within the systems directing society make it possible for people to break free and change.
The first scene wastes no time in establishing the conflict and introducing the major characters through which each ideology is represented. William Shakespeare, who appears as a figure of Angela s imagination, is the play s liberal humanist. Liberal humanism states that there is a set human nature which is exactly what Shakespeare believes to be true. This fact is swiftly highlighted when Angela asks, How is it that you know so much about us? (I, page 1). It shows that Shakespeare is respected for his high intelligence, and renowned for his great understanding in human behaviour and emotion. Furthermore, Shakespeare, being the most famous person in the Earth s history (I, page 22), would be immediately recognisable by the audience. They would readily identify him as a good, honourable character, which positions the audience to prefer liberal humanism.
Shakespeare stands for everything that Dr Grant Swain finds incomprehensible. Swain murders Shakespeare in the opening scene to illustrate this. He is a passionate post-structuralist, and his lengthy speech in the second scene makes this very clear: there are no absolute truths there is no fixed human nature (I, page 2); none of us are free, or can ever be, free of ideology (I, page 3). Swain s main role in the play is to persuade Angela to agree with post-structuralist thought. By influencing the main character, the audience is led to accept post-structuralism just as Angela has. The fact that he is a charismatic, articulate, intelligent man makes him a convincing representative of post-structuralism, as he is able to influence Angela quite comfortably.
Shakespeare s plays are also incorporated in the script of Dead White Males on several occasions. They are used to demonstrate, and provide arguments against, the two conflicting ideologies. As You Like It is selected by Angela for her English paper. She uses Shakespeare s play to prove Dr Swain s assertion that literature is essentially ideological (I, page 29). Angela states, patriarchal ideology has fashioned the characters, the values and the very structure of this play (I, page 29). Here, she is representing post-structuralism. Her elaborate and educated speech sways the audience to look slightly more favourably towards this ideology.
Melissa then gives her talk on The Taming of the Shrew. She reads the play from a liberal humanist point of view, and finds little ideological influence. This upsets Angela, who retaliates with a strong argument that Shakespeare wrote ideologically and from the perspective of the patriarchy (I, page 28). A debate arises between the two, who clearly represent opposing ideologies. It concludes with Melissa s submission: I am obviously a hopeless victim of the patriarchal construction of womanhood. I m sorry. Shoot me (I, page 33). The audience is positioned to feel sympathy for Melissa and to accept that it is human nature that makes her attracted to Petruchio.
Later in the play, Shakespeare s King Lear is used by the playwright himself to show Angela that there is such a thing as human nature. The excerpt is taken from the scene where Lear discovers that his daughter, Cordelia, is dead. He mourns her death, crying in agony, Thou lt come no / more, / Never, never, never, never, never! (II, page 83). Shakespeare asks Angela, Did King Lear need an ideology to construct his grief? This powerful and disturbing extract is effective in changing the audience s views on each ideology.
In Act Two, Angela is given the task of interviewing members of her family to reveal how they feel about patriarchy and feminism. This provides us with further representations of liberal humanism and post-structuralism. Angela begins by interviewing her grandfather, Col Judd, who has been developed as a sexist, racist, liberal humanist. Col believes that there is a definite human nature, because it is up to men to fight the wars and earn the money. However, the audience then discovers that Col is actually a kind, generous, loyal man. He has suffered immensely during his lifetime. We are made to feel sorry for Col, whose life has been ruined by feminists. Angela also interviews her mother and father, Sarah and Martin. During these scenes it is revealed that Sarah is a feminist, Martin is an anti-feminist, and they both blame each other for their depressing state. Their conversations are suffused with their respective ideological thoughts, influencing the audience s views on each. We are meant to feel greater sympathy towards Martin than Sarah, as he is the weaker person. The play continues its move towards the triumph of liberal humanism.
In the end, the audience is positioned to prefer liberal humanism to post-structuralism. Swain, the supposed feminist, is revealed to be a hypocrite. He himself takes advantage of Melissa, blames his disaster marriage on his wife, and quotes from Hamlet, Frailty, thy name is woman! (II, page 93). From here on, Swain and his post-structuralist thoughts crumble. He is finally defeated when told to go Foucault himself and is shot by himself in the foot. In the final scene we are given a very patriarchal liberal humanist conclusion. Steve quits university to become a mechanic, Angela and Steve fall in love, and the two walk off stage hand in hand. This ending is almost a re-enactment of a Shakespearean romance, and hence, reinforces the victory of liberal humanism.
David Williamson utilises many techniques in his play Dead White Males to represent the two opposing ideologies of liberal humanism and post-structuralism. The central ideas are communicated to the audience through the main characters, William Shakespeare and Dr Grant Swain. Shakespeare, the liberal humanist, considers people s behaviour as guided by human nature, while Swain, being the post-structuralist, sees society as being controlled by many constraining ideologies. On several occasions intertextual meanings are constructed using Shakespeare s plays, which position the audience to prefer one ideology above the other. Liberal humanism is favoured in the end. Swain is unsuccessful in his attempts to win his students support, and Angela and Steve close the play as a real-life Rosalind and Orlando.
34c
Другие работы по теме:
The General Theory Of Love Essay Research
Paper Assumptions: 1. All people are of the same quality. 2. All people are constrainted maximizers. 3. One can only stay with an opposite sex at a time. In this passage I would like to make a hypothesis to explain and predict how long a person will stay with his/her mate. It may be wrong, but it is interesting.
Looking At Columbine Essay Research Paper Unfortunately
Looking At Columbine Essay, Research Paper Unfortunately, we are all too familiar with the massacre that took place in Littleton, Colorado on April 20th, 1999. That was the day that two teenage boys, armed with multiple firearms and pipe bombs, took on Columbine High School. By the end of the day, 13 people the two killers included were dead, and 23 others injured.
Gathering Of Old Men Essay Research Paper
In A Gathering of Old Men, by Ernest J. Gaines, racism plays a huge part of life in the south. When a white man is found dead; his family and friends start to gather to find the man who did this. After time these men start to drink and make a plan to kill the man; who just happened to be black. This just shows how even though the Civil was brought freedom to blacks, there is still hate towards them because of their skin color.
Gettysburb Essay Research Paper While giving the
Gettysburb Essay, Research Paper While giving the Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863 there were three major factors that helped Abraham Lincoln to convey his message that all men are created equal and should be so treated. Those three major factors were the audience, his attitude while giving the address, and the techniques that he used while giving the address at Gettysburg.
Do White Males Have Anything To Fear
From Affirmative Action Essay, Research Paper Do white males have anything to fear from Affirmative Action? Affirmative Action can be defined as policies used in the United States to increase opportunities for minorities by favoring them in hiring and promotion, college admissions, and the awarding of government contracts.
Why Do Females Ask Males The Question
They Do? Essay, Research Paper Every day males are faced with questions that, in a females perspective, are punishable by death if answered incorrectly. Why do they do this to us and what can males do to evade them? The questions seem basic enough at first glance. When examined further, the questions are without a resolution.
The XYY Syndrome Essay Research Paper subject
The XYY Syndrome Essay, Research Paper subject = Intro to Biology title = XYY Syndrome papers = XYY Males Syndrome is a rare genetic disorder which affects males due to an extra Y
White Blood Cells Essay Research Paper White
White Blood Cells Essay, Research Paper White Blood Cells Bacteria exist everywhere in the environment and have continuous access to the body through the mouth, nose and pores of skin. Further more, many cells age and die daily and their remains must be removed, this is where the white blood cell plays its role.
A Man Called Horse Essay Research Paper
A Man Called Horse I have viewed the film, ?A Man Called Horse,? and when asked if I would want to be depicted as the Indian people were in this movie I would say that I would be proud to be a part of that way of life. The Indian people were proud of what they were and things were sacred to them like nothing is to us today.
Monkey
’s Paw Essay, Research Paper In The Monkey s Paw , author William Jacobs conveys the message that fate rules peoples lives, and that those who try to interfere with fate do so at their own peril. This premise is clearly shown as the plot of this clever story unfolds. Sergeant Morris reluctantly gave Mr. White the monkey s paw, but warned him of the consequences.
Female Circumcision Response Paper Essay Research Paper
The article by Janice Boddy about female circumcisions is very disturbing, as in the way it descirbes in detail the events in the circumcision. Female circumcision is a painful, and unneseccary procedure that is practiced in certain parts of the world. It’s believed to be practiced for the reason to keep the girls virgins until they marry, it can also be noted that “in Sudan virigins are made, not born”, and to prevent rape occurring to them.
Seperate And Unequal Frederick Douglas My Bondage
My Freedom Essay, Research Paper Separate and unequal: Blacks and White women. Many may say that blacks and white women had more in common than people thought they did in the pre civil war era. A point worth arguing is that there are a few similarities and too many differences to list. No matter how you twist reality to make it seem the worst for women, they were at least treated as humans and not like barn animals.
Key Deer Essay Research Paper The Key
Key Deer Essay, Research Paper The Key Deer is a small species (in population and in stature) of deer that lives in the Florida Keys. It is in the same family as the Virginia white tailed deer. The Key Deer is about 26 inches tall and weigh an average of about 55 pounds. The males have antlers, and the antlers grow in cycles.
Discussion Essay Research Paper We handed out
Discussion Essay, Research Paper We handed out 60 surveys, using convenience sampling, in the cafeteria at Marianopolis College.We got back 50surveys. 23 of the respondents were male and 27 female. The results we found supported our hypothesis. Females seemed to have a negative body-image where as the males perceived their bodies positively.
Heredity Essay Research Paper The male of
Heredity Essay, Research Paper The male of many animals has one chromosome pair, the sex chromosomes, consisting of unequal members called X and Y. At meiosis the X and Y chromosomes first pair, then disjoin and pass to different cells. One-half of the gametes formed contain the X and the other half the Y chromosome.
Souix Uprising Essay Research Paper I will
Souix Uprising Essay, Research Paper I will admit that I am not much for reading. I will also admit after reading the first chapter in this book that I felt sick to my stomach, literally. That I
Is The Colonization Of Africa Really That
Good Of An Idea Essay, Research Paper Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad and in Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe both involve the colonization on Africa. In Heart of Darkness, the author talks about how savage the natives were and how much there was a need to update the living conditions of the natives and to help them become better people.
The Effects Of Colonialism In Things Fall
Apart Essay, Research Paper Analyze the effects of colonialism in Things Fall Apart. In the novel, Things Fall Apart, the effects of colonialism were extremely evident in the Igbo society. As the white Englanders moved into the native’s land, their cultural values changed. Examples of these changes were evident in all aspects of the Igbo people’s lives, in their religion, family life, children, and the dead.
Dead Poets Society Keating
’s Teaching Methods Essay, Research Paper Dead Poets Society: Keating’s Teaching Methods In the movie, Dead Poets Society, the basic idea of expression is being taught by Keating. Keating is a very unique instructor which uses many different methods of teaching to get the students involved, but he shows them ways to have fun with the class also.
Poem My Journey Essay Research Paper My
Poem: My Journey Essay, Research Paper My Journey My journey through Nature’s community, A community of green Aging giants of nature. Standing in brown dead needles,
Stellar Sea Lions Essay Research Paper Stellar
Stellar Sea Lions Essay, Research Paper Stellar Sea Lion Stellar sealion (Eumetopias Jubatus). Stellar sea lions are sometimes confused with California sea lions, but are alot larger and lighter in color. Males may grow to eleven feet
Ida B Wells 2 Essay Research Paper
The Success of Ida B. Wells One had better die fighting against injustice than die like a dog or a rat in a trap. - Ida B. Wells Ida B. Wells was an important figure in Black American
Colobus Monkey Essay Research Paper In Africa
Colobus Monkey Essay, Research Paper In Africa there are many types of animals, one of them is the Colobus Monkey. There are different types of Colobus Monkeys: there is the white Colobus, the red Colobus, and the olive Colobus. The Colobus Monkey is a long tailed tree living primate. The Colobus Monkey can be found all over Africa.
Affirmative Action Reverse Discrimination Essay Research Paper
Affirmative Action = Reverse Discrimination We are all aware that discrimination took place over 50 years ago. What some might not be aware of is that because of the actions of our ancestors, we, white males, are held responsible and are penalized because of these actions. Affirmative action is a way to help minorities in sex and race to get accepted into colleges or get hired for jobs while the white males suffer from what took place over 50 years ago.
Our Journey To Earth Essay Research Paper
Our Journey to Earth Today we journeyed to a distant planet known as “Earth.” The main life form on this planet are humans, an organized group of emotional and vivacious individuals. Our crew traveled to a large building the humans named a “Library.” This structure contains lots of information of the human?s existence.
Reel One Poem MultiReading Reaction Paper Essay
, Research Paper M. Anderson ?Reel One? 1st reading This poem is about a boy and girl who have been to see a movie. As they are walking home the boy is struck by the difference between the bright colors and high-tech sound effects of the movie, and the white snow that he sees on the walk home. He also comments on the silence, the ?sound track so dead.? He uses strong images to describe the intensity of the movie, like ?bones whistled? and ?screen shook with fire.? He seems impressed by the effects of the movie, as he says ?like life only better.? It seems a ?let-down? to him to be walking home in the quiet, white snow.
The Great White Shark 2 Essay Research
Paper The Great White Shark The Great White Shark is arguably the most frightening shark to all humans. First, the teeth are almost like a knife, and they are sharp enough to saw through wood. They are probably the main reason why humans are afraid of the Great White Shark. Second, the Great White is between 12-16 feet long, and can grow up to 19-21 feet.
Gender 2 Essay Research Paper GENDER
Gender 2 Essay, Research Paper GENDER Gender can be defined as the sex-role that a person takes on according to guidelines or standards instilled in us by society. One can be a male or female biologically, but still be perceived as the opposite sex due to the way one may think or present him self or her self. Whether or not we are born with certain biological traits different in male versus female is the nature versus nurture question that has been around for years.
Key To Multicultural Education Essay Research Paper
Broadening Our Children?s Horizons: The Key to Multicultural Education John Searle addresses the ?major debate? going on at present concerning? a crisis in the teaching of the humanities.? [Searle, 106] He goes on to defend the canon of works by dead white males that has traditionally made up the curriculum of liberal arts education.
Hamlet Essay Research Paper Sex without Meaning
Hamlet Essay, Research Paper Sex without Meaning Love has always been an issue with many opinions and voices. Love has been around forever. It is something that can not be controlled or found. Love is something that just happens. From centuries back to the present, males looking only for sex are still running the same games.
Ideal Of Perfection Essay Research Paper Ideal
Ideal Of Perfection Essay, Research Paper Ideal of Perfection Throughout history the Greeks have been know to be excellent in almost every aspect of life. Aristocracy was a major part in the structure of Greek culture and males were the complete rulers of the Greek cities. The Greek s set up a social structure where the males would be gauged by the Greek ideal of perfection.
Annotation Of Psych Article Essay Research Paper
Emily W. Goldfrank Assignment 3-3 11/14/00 Annotations Wegner & Crano, 1975 Subjects consisted of 144 students, equally divided with respect to race and gender, from a large Midwestern university. Experimenters consisted of 12 college students, also equally divided with respect to race and gender. Each experimenter tested 3 of each race-gender combination.
Stuttering And The Black Male Essay Research
Paper Stuttering and the Black Male: Another Form of Discrimination Prepared by Cara Williams English 399-01 Dr. Lee April 26, 2000 I. Introduction My study is on stutterers. I will be looking in depth at what stuttering is and how it affects African American males. I will be conducting a case study on a young man who stutters and the social implications of his dysfluency.