Uncovering Symbolism

The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail

Play Jargon

• In order to fully understand any written play, one must first understand the jargon and what it means.

• Setting: describes where and when a story takes place. In a play, setting can change depending on the “set” or room, place, time that the play is being dramatized in.

Characterization

• We define characters by what they say and do in a drama. We can already see what they look like because of the actors.

• Sometimes characters are defined indirectly, or through the eyes of others.

Theme

• The theme of a play or piece of literature is simply the main idea or message that is intended by the author. There are three or four major themes in the human story according to Willa Cather.

Human Themes…

1. Sacrificial giving of one’s self to others: example-The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

2. The struggle for freedom: example- I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

3. Parent/child relationships: example-The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

Stage Direction

• Stage direction is necessary to the function of the drama. It tells the stage crew where to place the props, tells the actors how they are to communicate their lines and where to move on the stage. It is important to lighting crew because lighting often signifies where the action is taking place, sets the mood and helps the audience to focus on the theme of the play itself.

Stage Direction…

• Without stage direction, there would be chaos on stage. Stage directions are always written in italics. Take a look at this short dramatic sample and analyze the stage directions: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUHoClv9eFA

Conflict

• There are several forms of conflict in any literary piece, whether it is fiction, non fiction, drama, poetry or prose.

• Man vs. Nature• Man vs. Man• Man vs. Himself• Man vs. His Environment

Map out the play

• http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/drama-30012.html

• Using the Interactive Drama Map at the link above, map out the play as you read for clarity and understanding.

Thoreau

• What was the conflict that Thoreau faced on a daily basis?

• How does this conflict lend to the play’s theme?

• What symbols do we read about in the play that demonstrate the conflicts?

What is the theme of the play?

• Watch the scene where Henry & Waldo are discussing ethics and one’s voice. Listen and watch for symbolic representations.

Discussion:

• Why is one’s voice so important in the world?

• What issues today echo from Thoreau’s time?

• Are there new issues/a new human theme?

Symbolism in Poetry• Read the following

poem by Langston Hughes:

• As I Grew Older

It was a long time ago.I have almost forgotten my dream.But it was there then,In front of me,Bright like a sun--My dream.And then the wall rose,

Rose slowly,Slowly,Between me and my dream.Rose until it touched the sky--The wall.Shadow.I am black.I lie down in the shadow.No longer the light of my dream before me,Above me.Only the thick wall.

Only the shadow.My hands!My dark hands!Break through the wall!Find my dream!Help me to shatter this darkness,To smash this night,To break this shadowInto a thousand lights of sun,Into a thousand whirling dreamsOf sun!

Symbols:

• What symbols did you see in the poem?

• What did they represent?

Theme:

• What human theme was Hughes describing?

• What lines or phrases indicate the theme?

Conflict

• Was there conflict? • What was it?• How do you know?