How does Alan Bennett make the audience feel empathy for Doris in A cream Cracker under the Settee Free Essays

A cream cracker under the settee is a dramatic monologue written by Alan Bennett in 1987 for television, as part of his Talking Heads series for the BBC. Doris is in her seventies. This hints at her being old and vulnerable in need of care and assistance. We will write a custom essay sample on How does Alan Bennett make the audience feel empathy for Doris in A cream Cracker under the Settee? or any similar topic only for you Order Now Moreover, she outlines that she does not â€Å"attempt to dust†, this is maybe because she is physically unable or consumed by her thoughts. Zulema says that her â€Å"dustings days are over†. This makes you feel sorry for Doris and deeply empathise with her. She may have a fear of dirt – rupophobia or she may just be an exceptionally sanitary person. Furthermore, Zulema exploits Doris’ old age and feelings by saying she â€Å"doesn’t have the sense she was born with†, this maybe true but it is inconsiderate towards Doris’ feelings. Then again, Zulema does have the right to speak her mind, as she has to put up with Doris’s nagging all week. Doris is never satisfied with Zulema’s housekeeping saying, â€Å"Zulema doesn’t dust, she half-dusts† This emphasises Doris obsession with cleanliness, maybe suggesting that she has OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). Alternatively, maybe occupying her mind with such things helps her forget the melancholy she feels deep within. However, as we progress through the monologue we learn that Zulema in fact intimidates Doris. Ultimately, making Zulema the more dominating character. She does not hesitate in telling Doris â€Å"I am the only person that stands between you and Stafford House.† In spite of this, Doris is adamant that she will not lose her independence and is sure that she will remain in her own home. Another good example of this is when â€Å"she shoves the duster down the side of the chair†. We can only assume that Doris does this to avoid a lecture or confrontation with Zulema, preventing further distress. Again, we feel empathy for Doris as important issues such as treatment of the aged, growing old and life choices are brought to our attention. Therefore, we can conclude that she sometimes feels unhappy and unsettled in her own home. In the midst of all this, the fact remains Doris is suffering from a â€Å"numby† leg. Alan Bennett deliberately places talk about her leg between pauses so that the audience has time to focus on and consider Doris’s current situation and therefore feel a great deal of compassion for her. These strategic pauses are used constantly throughout the monologue, giving us plenty to sympathise with. Throughout the monologue, the ending of each scene is indication by the simple stage direction â€Å"Go to black†. This maybe connotes a temporal shift or the passing of time. Moreover, before each scene fades to black, Alan Bennett gives the audience something to ponder over and keep in the back of their heads. For the whole of the monologue, Doris speaks to us directly. This enhances her vulnerability, yet she maybe biased, as we only know her point of view and nobody else’s. This leads us to believe that Doris thinks everything revolves around her and she may come across as self-centred or self-obsessed. Then again, we feel great sympathy for Doris as she is isolated, cut off from reality, and maybe unwanted by a society, which considers her as an outsider. The setting changes throughout the monologue, as Doris travels to various parts of her home, nevertheless she remains in the same location. This connotes a very static nature, suggesting that Doris hardly ever goes out and mostly stays in the same room. According to her, â€Å"I never get a bona fide caller†, this tells us the only visitor she probably has is Zulema. We feel great empathy for Doris because she is lonely, lacking a faithful companion. Furthermore, the moving from the comfy position of her settee possibly indicates the movement from a secure and comfy position in life to her current situation. Still, this isolated place is her comfort zone, perhaps signifying that she is more likely to tell the truth as she is under no pressure and can speak of her own free will. Subsequently, she does in fact unravel the truth about various stages in her life. Another clever device Alan Bennett uses to make the audience feel empathy for Doris is humour and Doris certainly has a sense of humour, we realise this when she says, â€Å"Love God and close all gates.† The audience finds it easier to empathise with her because they can laugh with her and not at her. Her dry, sarcastic humour is a hit with audience off all ages. As Doris discusses her husband Wilfred, she talks about him â€Å"getting mad ideas†, stating how absurd they were and how he â€Å"never got round to it†. Yet, according to her, â€Å"A kiddy’d’ve solved all that†. This makes us wonder why Doris does not have a child and whether she has any family at all. We suddenly feel a great deal of compassion for her because her only family, Wilfred, has passed away. Later on, we discover that she did have a baby, which also passed away. â€Å"If it had lived I might have had grandchildren now,† she explains. Our degree of sympathy for Doris expands to greater lengths. Death is certainly one of Alan Bennett says of gaining empathy for his characters. Further on in the monologue we discover that Doris and Wilfred were not very outgoing people. Doris plainly explains, â€Å"We weren’t the gregarious type.† This implies that even when Wilfred was alive, Doris was a secluded, reserved individual. Then she refers to Wilfred, â€Å"he thought he was, but he wasn’t†. This gives us the impression that Wilfred could have been a sociable person except Doris stood in his way as she essentially controlled their relationship. We feel empathy for both characters here since they never really experienced anything amazing in their lives; except for grief and now for Doris, loneliness. This could all change though if Doris decided upon leaving home and moving to Stafford House but apparently â€Å"You go daft there, there’s nowhere else for you to go but daft† according to Doris. Perhaps Doris is against the idea of leaving home because all her memories of Wilfred will remain there or she might just feel afraid and unprepared to face the real world on her own at a late stage in her life. Towards the end of the monologue, Doris hears the voice of a police officer, enquiring as to why her home lights are off. Instead of asking for his help, she lets him leave. It is assumed by the audience that Doris later dies, because she feels the time is right. Also as the conclusions to Bennett’s plays are usually miserable. Her last words are â€Å"Never mind. It’s done with now, anyway.† Then the â€Å"LIGHT FADES†, a sense of desperation and sadness fill the readers heart and mind, no greater empathy can possibly be felt for Doris at this stage. This dramatic and powerful text leaves the audience wondering, hoping. This is without doubt Alan Bennett’s cleverest writing technique! How to cite How does Alan Bennett make the audience feel empathy for Doris in A cream Cracker under the Settee?, Papers

Everyman His Own Historian free essay sample

Carl Becker, author of Everyman His Own Historian, explains in his own words the meaning of history. Becker uses a narrative and facts to support his position. Becker begins by dissecting the textbook definition of history. The definition of history begins as, â€Å"the knowledge of events that have occurred in the past†, and later Becker develops the definition to, â€Å"history is the memory of things said and done. Becker supports his change to the original definition by analyzing the actual words used. For example, Becker replaces knowledge with memory. His argument is that memory is needed in order to recollect knowledge. I agree that theses two aspects work hand in hand. Becker further goes on to analyze the words memory and past in the same format. Becker also uses a short narrative to explain the fact that technically every thing is history as soon as it is done. Substantial history is only made if someone believes that the event or fact is relevant or important and gets others to believe it also as Becker goes on to explain, â€Å"Left to themselves, the facts do not speak; left to themselves they do not exist, not really, since for all practical purposes there is no fact until some one affirms it. We will write a custom essay sample on Everyman His Own Historian or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page † I completely agree with Becker’s take on history. History only takes form when others believe what you are saying a pass it on to others as truth. Many facts have been misinterpreted over time but is still believed today as history.

One Hundred Years of Solitude Essay Example

One Hundred Years of Solitude Paper Solitude, whether it be perceived or real, individual or collective, physical or emotional, condemns a race to self-destruction. Time, repetition, magical realism, historical parallel, humor, and fate are all elements that contribute to the effects of e family saga mirrored through the Buendia family. The Buendia familys predisposition towards self-destruction and solitude is highlighted by the cycles of self-inflicted destruction and destitute in the novel One Hundred Years of Solitude. One Hundred Years of Solitude spans six generations, and in each generation the men of the Buendia line are named Jose Arcardio or Aureliano, and the women are named Ursula, Amarata,or Remedio.It is the history of the isolated town of Macondo, focu ng on the lives of the most prominent residents of the town, the Buendia family.Each Buendia has individual qualities and attributes that separate him from the others.Every person is an enigma to everyone else. One Hundred Years of Solitude is an a story w here the past, present, and future merge into one. The story of a family, as oppose to an individual, and their downfall result an entire generations downfall.A historical cycle is lived through a generat n of characters.Time is paralleled with Latin America, especially Colombia, a country whose 20th century history has been dominated by civil wars that are background for everything that Marquez writes.A time were a countries destruction was brought its very own people.(Harras, 149) Magic realism is the technique of transforming the fantastic into reality.A literary form in which odd eerie, and dreamlike tales are related as if events were common place.(Bloom, 6) Magic realism is portrayed through One Hundred Years of Solituwhile its ability to turn unbelievable to believable is demonstrated.Garcia exaggerates events to gain fantasy. We will write a custom essay sample on One Hundred Years of Solitude specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on One Hundred Years of Solitude specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on One Hundred Years of Solitude specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

Parkinsons Disease1 essays

Parkinsons Disease1 essays Diseases are sometimes extremely devastating and cruel. Some diseases move very rapidly while others are slow and painful. Treatments are sometimes useful yet other times nothing can stop the silent beasts that lurk in the body. Parkinsons disease is a slow moving disease that slowly corrupts the brain. Parkinsons disease (PD) is a chronic motor disorder that causes tremors, rigidity, slowed body movements, unstable posture and abnormal gait. This happens when neurons, nerve cells, in a part or the brain called the substantial nigra gradually die. These cells normally produce dopamine, a chemical that helps relay messages between areas of the brain that control body movement. The death of the cells leads to abnormal low levels of dopamine, and causes difficulty in controlling muscle tension and muscle movement both at rest and during periods of activity. PD as of now affects about 500,000 Americans, with about 50,000 new cases diagnosed each year. It is generally a disease that affects people of late or middle age at about age 60 however about 5 percent of patients have early-onset PD and are younger than 40 years old when symptoms begin. PD is slightly more common in men then women. So far scientists have not determined the reason why some people develop PD and others do not. Some experts blame a process called oxidation. During oxidation unstable molecules that are produced in the brain as a result of its normal chemical reactions which ultimately damage the brain. Another theory suggests that the effects of toxic affects of drugs may cause PD. Additional evidence suggests that PD may be related to environmental toxins especially because some claim that they have found rates of PD that are higher in rural areas where farming is intense and residents drink well water. So far PD has not been linked to genetic abnormality. PD usually begins as a slight tremor of a h ...

Business & Employment Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business & Employment Law - Essay Example However, and the seller enjoys the right to sell the goods or refuse to do so. This rule was reiterated in Pharmaceutical Society of GB v Boots Cash Chemists.5 From the perspective of the law, an invitation to treat does not constitute a contractual offer. In an invitation to treat, one of the parties invites the other to furnish it with an offer. Thereafter, the former either accepts or rejects the offer so made. On the other hand, in an offer, the mere acceptance by the other party, results in a contract. When the intention is to begin negotiations and not to be bound by the terms of an offer, then an invitation to treat comes into existence. 6 However, in Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball Co,7 Carlill developed influenza, despite having carrying out the specified instructions. The court held that the advertisement was an offer of a unilateral contract. 8 In our problem, Poppy’s intention can be deemed as an offer to purchase, in response to the invitation to treat, namely the shop window display of the painting. Bart had rejected Poppy’s offer to buy the painting. Hence, there was no legally binding contract between Poppy and Bart. Consequently, Bart will not be liable for any legal claims raised by Poppy in this regard. Section 2(1) of the UCTA precludes exclusion clauses that attempt to restrict or exclude liability for death or physical injury consequent upon negligence. With regard to other loss or damage, Section 2(2) of the UCTA provides that liability cannot be restricted or excluded for negligence. 9 Section 13 of the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 (UCTA) 14 states that goods should be in conformity with their description, whenever the sale is by description. Whenever, the description does not embody a term of the contract, it becomes subject to the test of expectations.15 For an exclusion clause to be effective, its presence in the contract has to be clearly indicated. Moreover, it should be in unambiguous and clear language. Failure to

How Critical is the Critical Period Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

How Critical is the Critical Period - Essay Example Cognitive scientists are finding it important to understand the stages of language development, prior to understanding how humans learn to talk. According to Penfield, there is assistance for language acquisition during childhood which also disappears in adult life, which if based on speech and brain mechanisms, makes it more meaningful to teach foreign language from the first grade on (Singleton & Lengyel, 1995). This was the fundamental view point based on the formulated idea of critical period hypothesis. The critical period hypothesis was popularized by Wilder Penfield and his co-author Lamar Roberts, but Eric Lenneberg promoted it further while relying on the biological foundations of language. Cognitive scientists believe that language and self-awareness are found in the part of the brain, but study also shows that they can also take time to develop with substantial exposure to others (Chomsky, 2003). Therefore, this leads to a growing interest in finding how children acquire and produce language, but one of the most interesting views that will be linked to this consideration is finding the critical period as to when will be that remarkable time for language acquisition. The work at hand tries to establish the point that language is innate in humans and there is a critical period for language acquisition that along the way will be nurtured by the environment and may potentially diminish as the person grows older because of other vital considerations. Language is such a complex tool that humans use for them to interact every day of their lives. However, as observed the young child does not speak the language the way as adult do, but this does not contest the fact that even in their own simple ways, young children are capable of producing a language that is enough for the adults to understand. The very basic of this for instance is shown

Unilever international finance and accounting Essay

Unilever international finance and accounting - Essay Example Unilever, United Kingdom, has just dropped Boursin as one of its business entities.Unilever ia a global business focusing on personal care, food and other consumer products. It has entrenched itself in the home as one of the trusted and reliable but reasonably priced products in the market today.Unilever has always been a staunch follower of all social responsibility laws. The social responsibility laws focus on many issues (Sluyterman 2005, 12).Further, one such issue is the payment of minimum salaries to its workers. Another such issue is the implementation of work conditions where environmental laws are taken into consideration. Another issue of social responsibility it the company's role of uplifting the lives of people in its community, the customers of Unilever and the world as a whole. In this regard, companies like Unilever are required to produce products that are not harmful to the customers and the environment (Dingman 2008). Unilever is an institution today because it had gone through many years of trials and errors with the aim of making profits without sacrificing its social responsibility to the community and other stakeholders. The following paragraphs explain Unilever's important place in the business world in terms of making profits, divestment of segments and its social responsibility.Unilever (United Kingdom) is one of the country units of Unilever world. The company has been producing popular household brands that are needed by homes, offices and work places around the United Kingdom alone. The company is an institution in the field of food, home and personal care products. Unilever (United Kingdom) has under its big belt over thirty five brands that include Cornetto, Bertolli, Cif, and Sunsilk. In the area of highest country revenue, the United Kingdom is next only to the United States. The company has started smoothly the rough working conditions in order to streamline its operations. One such financially correct move was to cut its manag erial positions by half during the year. Reference: www.finance.google.com/financecid=5763516 Further, the company has also innovated its company -wide sales and marketing operational strategy. The company has reduced operating expense in its United Kingdom branch by relocating its three departments to one single location. This financially rewarding move is currently the right time for the company continue its retrenchment of more than three hundred twenty line and staff employees until the year 2009. Its office is located in St. James Road, Kingston -Upon-Thames, KTI 2BA, GBR. Reference: www.finance.google.com/financecid=5763516 Unilever company is a financially stable company. The Income statement of Unilever UK for the year 2006 shows that the company generated in billions of pounds of revenues to the tue of 26,714. This shows a two percent decrease from the prior year revenues. The 2005 revenues generated 27,304.4.This represented a decrease of four percent over the prior year revenues. The 2004 revenues generated only 28,584.1. The 2006 cost of sales amounted to 13,540.3. This shows a four percent decline over the cost of goods sold of the prior year. The prior year cost of goods sold is 14,037.6. This is definitely two percent lower than the prior year cost of sales. The prior year sales amounted to 14,309.8. The company also generated gross profit of 13,173.7 for the year 2006. This is a seven percent decrease from the prior year gross profit. The prior year gross profit only reached of 14,274.4. Also, the gross profit ratio for the year 2006 is high at forty nine percent (13,171.7 /26,714). The gross profit ratio for the year 2005 is lower than the 2006 data at forty eight ;/100 percent (13,266.8 /27,304.4). The gross profit ratio for the year 2004 is high at fifty percent (14,274.43,171.7 /28,584.1). The company's operating income for the year 2006