An Analysis on The Zoo Story

The Zoo Story

A.    Character and characterization

1.   Peter

Peter is a middle-class publishing executive with a wife, two daughters, two cats and two parakeets who lives in ignorance of the world outside his settled life.

2.    Jerry
Jerry is an isolated and disheartened man who lives in a boarding house and is very troubled.

B.       Setting

1.    Place: New York's Central Park Zoo

2.    Time: on a sunny afternoon.

C.      Plot

While Peter is reading a book on a bench in Central Park, he is interrupted by Jerry, a total stranger, who announces that he has just been to the zoo. Anxious to return to his reading, Peter reacts with merely vague interest and lights his pipe, but he is immediately made uncomfortable by Jerry’s queries about his marital status, children, work, and manage of cats and parakeets. After repeating that he has been to the zoo and that Peter will read about it in the papers the next day if he does not see it on television that very night, Jerry follows several digressions about sociological class distinctions, literary tastes, and his daylong wanderings. He also gives a detailed description of his rooming house and its characters on the Upper West Side. Peter is embarrassed to hear these sordid details. Jerry says that, unlike Peter, he owns little except for toilet articles, pornographic playing cards, eight or nine books, cutlery, empty picture frames, an old Western Union typewriter that prints nothing but capital letters, and a small box containing letters and some sea-rounded rocks that he picked up on a beach when he was a boy.

Then he tells of his mother’s desertion of his father and him, as well as her promiscuity, alcoholism, and death at Christmas. He continues with his father’s accidental death and the demise, on Jerry’s high school graduation day, of his guardian, a dour aunt. Jerry confides that his relationships with women are limited to solitary encounters with prostitutes and that his only love affair was a brief one, at age fifteen, with a Greek boy. Then he launches into a long monologue about his disgusting, lusty, alcoholic landlady and her ugly, savage black dog that attacked Jerry daily whenever he tried to enter the rooming house, although he attempted to pacify it by feeding it hamburger for six days. On the seventh day, he poisoned the meat, and the dog fell extremely ill. Strangely, Jerry no longer wanted the dog to die; he had come to believe that if he could somehow make contact with the dog, he could then make contact with people. The moment of contact passed, however, and was lost. From then on, Jerry and the dog lapsed into mutual indifference. Jerry claims to have learned from this misadventure that kindness and cruelty, like other conflicting emotions, are the reality of being. This story has a hypnotic effect on Peter, who makes no comment during its lengthy recitation. Grotesquely exhausted at the end of the story, Jerry sits down on the bench beside Peter and sees that he has annoyed and confused Peter instead of making a breakthrough in communication. Suddenly playful, he tickles Peter’s ribs, driving Peter into almost hysterical laughter. He pokes Peter, then punches him in the arm and forces him to move down the bench. Easily goaded by Jerry’s insults to his manhood, Peter decides to fight for the bench, but when Jerry clicks open a knife and tosses it at him, Peter refuses to pick it up. Jerry rushes over, grabs him by the collar, slaps him, spits on his face, and forces Peter to dart for the knife.

Then, sighing heavily, Jerry charges Peter and impales himself on the knife. As Jerry crumbles back onto the bench, with his eyes and mouth wide in agony, his voice acquires an eerie remoteness. Peter is transfixed as Jerry, with faint laughter, tries to summarize in broken, disjointed sentences his knowledge of his own actions. The world, he has found, is a zoo, and he thanks Peter for ending his anguished life. Slowly wiping clean the knife handle with his own handkerchief, Jerry urges Peter to hurry away. As Peter retreats with a pitiable howl, Jerry ends the play with a combination of scornful mockery and a desperate supplication to the God who failed to give him a cure for his desperate alienation.

D.      Point of View

The point of view is the third person. Narrator is not involved in this drama. The narrator is just telling the story.

E.       Themes

The first theme used within this story is isolation. Regardless of who you are, most people have felt isolation at one point in time during their life. Anyone can really relate to this theme the author used in this play. Jerry feels isolated from the world because he has no one to turn to or talk to. No one really knows if he chooses to be like this or not though. Jerry’s isolation keeps him from communicating with other people while he lives by himself in a room in a 4-story boarding house. Jerry could have isolated himself from everyone else as a defensive trait. Jerry could have been afraid of something harming him or in that sort of nature so he chose to isolate himself from people in general so no harm could come to his well being.

The second theme is social outcast. Jerry himself is a social outcast. Jerry feels that he is portrayed as being rejected by society, even though it is him that chooses to reject himself from society. In turn Jerry is being a loner instead of being a social outcast that is portrayed as the theme of the play. Jerry explains his life to a random man sitting on a park bench. He explains to Peter, the man on the bench, about his life by starting a conversation about what has happened at the zoo in order to talk to Peter.

F.       Conclusion

The conclusion of comic drama is representing the relationship between men versus society.

Sabilla Primadevi

A320080315

University Muhammadiyah of Surakarta

An Analysis "The Proposal"

THE PROPOSAL

a play in one-act

By Anton Chekhov

1.      Character and Characterization

a.       Stepan Stepanovitch Chubukov

Chubukov is a landowner. His physical looks like 70 years old. He is a kind-man and polite, for instance to his neighbor. He is relax and senile.

b.      Natalya Stepanovna

Natalya is a Chubukov’s daughter. She is 25 years old. Natalya is a fussy girl. She wants to get everything what she wants. She is in love, egad, she is like a lovesick cat.

c.       Ivan vassilevitch Lomov

Ivan is a neighbor of Chubukov. He is 35 years old, a critical age. Ivan is a large and hearty. If he gets nervous, his heart is palpitating awfully, especially when face with Natalya. He does not have a brave in front of woman.

2.      Setting

a.       Place

It is happened in Chubunkov’s country-house, exactly a t drawing room.

b.      Time

It is happened in evening, about 7 p.m.

3.      Plot Summary

In the evening, Lomov comes to Chubunkov’s house. He wears evening dress, gloves, hat, and so on. Chubunkov is surprised but feels so glad when meet him. Lomov says that he wants to propose Natalya, Chubunkov’s daughter. Chubunkov is very happy when hears that and directly accepts the proposal. Lomov feels he is not proper man to Natalya. It is the right time for Lomov to ask Natalya in marriage.

 Chubunkov shouts to call Natlya. Natalya enters to drawing room. She seems happy and shy. First, they are talking about the weather. Then when Lomov discusses Oxen meadows is his mine, Natalya becomes dies angry and says disagreement. She quarrels with Lomov to get land right. Natalya humiliates Lomov, she thinks that he is a good neighbor but Lomov is just a Land-grabber, Lomov cannot control has emotional sense and shout to Natalya. Natalya complains to her father and ask to him to state that Meadows is Chubukov’s mine. Lomov accuses Chubukov has taken the Meadows from Lomov’s family. He thinks that the Lomov’s is honorable people.

The situation becomes more critical, Lomov and Chubukov humiliate their families each other. Lomov’s heart cannot stop palpitate. Then he decides to leave that house. After Lomovs leaving them, Chubukov forgets to say that actually Lomov’s coming is to propose Natalya. He wants to make a proposal. Natalya is shocked when hear that. She wants Lomov comeback soon. Natalya shall acknowledge that Oxen Meadows is Lomov’s mine. She also asks forgiving about debating before. Chubukov is greatly astonished with the alteration of his daughter opinion.

Natalya and Lomov talk of something else. They talk about their dogs. Nevertheless, they repeat their fight anymore. Lomov argues that Guess is the best dog. He is a first-rate dog. However, Natalya disagree it, the squeezer is better than Guess. They do it again, humiliate to each other. Chubukov joins the dispute. They compare their dogs and tell the ugliness.

Suddenly, Lomov feels numb and collapse. Natalya shouts to her papa, Lomov has died. Chubukov is frightened and take a drink to make Lomov awake. Unexpectedly, Lomov becomes aware, and Chubukov ask to them marry as quickly. Natalya is willing to marry with Lomov. They kiss each other, and Natalya said that Lomov wants to admit Guess is worse that squeezer. Lomov disagree it, and argues that Guess is the best.

4.      Conclusion

The conclusion is a relationship between man and society. It appears when the Lomov visits to Chubukov’s house and want to propose Natalya. Chubukov’s attitude to Lomov is kind and polite; it can be called a good neighbor. From the story, we can take message, if we want to make a good neighborhood; we have to be nice and do not fight to each other.

Analyzed by Sabilla Primadevi

A320080315

English Department

University of Muhammadiyah Surakarta

Analysis on Death of a Salesman

DEATH OF A SALESMAN BY ARTHUR MILLER

SABILLA PRIMADEVI

NIM A320080315 - Kelas A

A.    The Character and Characterization

Major Characters

o   Willy Loman - A 63 year old once famous salesman who has lost his popularity and sales, not to mention his mind. He hallucinates about past events. These hallucinations center on his dreams for a better tomorrow; on the future of his son, Biff, a star football player; and on a woman with whom he had an affair while on a sales trip. During his hallucinations, he sometimes talks to himself. 

o   Biff Loman -  A 34 years old son of Willy who has been searching for himself while working on farms in the west to the dismay of his father. After he returns home from the West, his presence and his failure to get a job exasperate Willy.

o   Happy Loman - The younger brother of Biff who tries in all he can to please his father and attempts to continue his father’s dream after he dies.

o   Linda Loman - The wife of Willy who tries to protect Willy’s feelings and can’t make herself confront him if it means hurting his feelings.

Minor Characters

o   Bernard - A bookish friend of Biff and Happy who urges Biff to study in high school to no avail, however, he himself makes it as a prominent lawyer and goes to argue a case to the supreme court at the end of the play.

o   Charley - Bernard’s father who is fairly successful and offers Willy a job which Willy refuses on the basis of pride.

B.     Setting, time and place

Setting

Late 1940s; Willy Loman's house; New York City and Barnaby River; Boston

Time

Date premiered     : 10 February 1949

Place

o   The action takes place at Willy Loman’s house in the New York City area, as well as other New York locales,

o   In a hotel room in Boston. Some of the action takes place in flashbacks while Willy hallucinates.

C.    Language style

  Miller uses a lot of motifs and repeated ideas through the play to give the viewers an idea of what Willy and his situation is all about.  Personal attractiveness is an oft repeated motif.  It shows that Willy believes that personal attractiveness makes one successful, but his belief is shot down by the success of Charley and Bernard who, in his mind, are not personally attractive.  Other motifs are debt which sadly the Lomans escape after Willy dies, stealing which Willy condones, even encourages, the boxed-in feeling of Willy, the idea that Willy’s life is passing him by, expressed in the quote, “The woods are burning,” and Ben’s success and the qualities that brought about his success.

D.    Plot the story

Willy Loman has been traveling salesman for the Wagner Company for thirty-four years. He likes to think of himself as vital to the New England area. A long time ago, Willy met a salesman named Dave Singleman who could go into a town and pick up a phone and would be able to place many orders without ever leaving his hotel room. When this man died, people from all over the country came to his funeral, and this man became Willy's inspiration.

As the play opens, Willy has just come back home after having left for New England that morning. He tells his wife, Linda, that he just can't seem to keep his mind on driving anymore. He asks about his son, Biff, and he drifts off to when Biff was a high school senior fourteen years ago. Biff was playing in an important football game and people from all over the country were coming to offer him scholarships. Then something happened later that year, because Biff did not go to college and has yet to find himself. It is later revealed that Biff has failed math and had gone up to Boston to ask his father to appeal to the teacher. When he reached Willy's hotel room in Boston, Biff found his father having an affair with a strange woman. After that episode, Biff despised his father and could never bring himself to provide Willy with the happiness of having a successful son.

After fourteen years of being away, Biff returns home. He and his brother Happy think of a job that would enable Biff to settle down in New York. They remember Biff's former boss, Bill Oliver, and plan to ask him for a loan of ten thousand dollars to begin a business of their own. They tell their father about their plans, and Willy believes that the two boys could conquer the world in business together. Willy explains that the important thing in life is to be well-liked and to have personal attractiveness. He tells Biff that Mr. Oliver always thought highly of him (despite the fact that Biff was suspected of stealing from a shipment of basketballs), and he reminds Biff of how good looking he is.

The following day, Willy is supposed to meet the two boys for dinner. He is so excited to have his boys on the brink of success that he decides to ask for a job in New York City. Howard Wagner, the present owner of the Wagner Company founded by his father, tells Willy that there is no room for him in New York, and then explains to Willy that he cannot represent the firm in New England either because he has become detrimental to business. Willy is now forced to go to Charley to borrow enough money to pay his insurance premium. It has been revealed that Willy has been borrowing fifty dollars each week for a long time and pretending it is his salary. Even though Charley offers Willy a good job in New York, Willy refuses to accept it because he says he can't work for Charley. Willy takes the money and leaves to meet his sons at the restaurant.

Biff and Happy met in the restaurant and Biff explained that he has been living an illusion. He tells Happy that he has stolen himself out of every job, including this meeting where he stole a pen from Bill Oliver's desk. When Willy arrives he tells the boys that he has been fired and refuses to listen to Biff's story. Willy sits there and pretends that he has another appointment the following day. Willy becomes furious and is about to make a scene, so he goes off to the bathroom. Biff, out of frustration, leaves, and Happy who has picked up two girls, follows him, leaving Willy alone.

Later that night, Biff comes home and finds Willy out in the backyard planting seeds and talking to the illusion of his brother Ben. Willy has not seen Ben for a number of years, and in fact Ben has been dead for some time. Biff explains to Willy that it would be best if they break with each other and never see each other again. He tries once again to explain that he is no longer a leader of men and that he is just a common person who has no outstanding qualities.

Willy refuses to believe him and tells Biff once again how great he can be. Biff becomes frustrated again because Willy refuses to see the truth. He finally breaks down and sobs to Willy to forget him. Then, Willy is taken aback by his son's emotion toward him. Willy resolves on suicide, because with twenty thousand dollars in insurance money, Biff could be magnificent. So that is what he did, Willy crashed his car and caused his own death. It becomes apparent to the reader that Willy died a forgotten man, because no one came to his funeral except his family.

E.     Conclusion

Morals

Follow your heart:- Willy was well aware of the joy physical labor brought him, but he suppressed those desires to fulfill the meaningless position of a salesman

Know your strengths and weaknesses:- Willy should have chosen a career based on his skills and his interests, not on false perceptions and the opinions of others. He should have encouraged his sons to do the same.

Hard work is what pays off:- Willy did himself and his family a disservice by putting too much emphasis on appearance and popularity, and not enough on the value of hard work. He wound up living in a daydream whenever things went wrong, and his sons were unethical (ex: Biff's stealing and jail time out West) and unsuccessful.

THE LESSON by EUGENE IONESCO

SUBMITTED AS AN ASSIGNMENT OF DRAMA SUBJECT

Analysis of a comic drama entitled “The Lesson” by Eugene Ionesco

Structural Elements
1. Character and Characterization
There are three characters presented in “The Lesson” who can be classified in major character and minor character.
a. Major Character
Major character is the most important character in the story. In this novel, the major character is the professor. He is a man about 50-60 years old. He teaches the lesson for his pupils.

Maid : Good morning, miss.
Pupil : Good morning, madam. Is the professor at home?
Maid : Have you come for the lesson?
Pupil : Yes, I have. (p: 45)

He has lived in the town for thirty years. He does not believe that his pupil could find his house.

Professor : For thirty years I’ve lived in this town. You’ve not been here for long? How do you find it? (p: 45)

In appearance, he is a little old man with a little white beard. He wears pince-nez, a black skull cap, a long black schoolmaster’s coat, trousers and shoes of black, detachable white collar, a black tie. (p: 46)
Mentally, the professor is initially timid, excessively polite. During his course with the pupil, he becomes aggressively dominant in the face of the pupil’s failure. His voice also changes, from thin and reedy to stronger and stronger.
Morally, he is a nice teacher. The professor puts himself down as the pupil’s humble servant. He helps the pupils sincerely.

Pupil : Yes, indeed, Professor. I am at your disposal.
Professor : At my disposal? Oh, miss, it is I who am at your disposal. I am only your humble servant. (p: 50)

He is very enthusiasm in teaching his pupil. He never complains about his matter. He wants to teach the pupil for pursuing her doctorate in total knowledge. He shows his professional fervently. The professor gives the pupil praises to make her glad.

Professor : How much are one and one?
Pupil : One and one make two.
Professor : Oh, but that’s very good. You appear to me to be well along in your studies. You should easily achieve the total doctorate, miss.
Pupil : I’m so glad. Especially to have someone like you tell me this.
(p: 51-52)

He also has a bad attitude. In his enthusiasm, he does not give attention to the pupil when she is complaining his toothache. The professor is angry and snaps at to the pupil. Then he still continues their study more considerable.

Pupil : Oh, yes? … Oh, Professor, I’ve got a toothache.
Professor : Don’t interrupt! Don’t make me lose my temper! I can’t answer for what I’ll do……
……………….
……………….
Pupil : Oh, no more, no more. My teeth…
Professor : Ache! Ache! Ache! … I’m going to pull them out, I will! One more example. The word “capital”—it takes on, according to the language one speaks, a different meaning. ….. (p: 69-70)

Another case when the professor does not give attention to the maid’s warning. He does not concern about it.

Maid : Precisely, Professor. You will do better not to start the young lady on arithmetic. Arithmetic is tiring, exhausting.
Professor : Not at my age. And anyhow, what business is it of yours? This is my concern. And I know what I’m doing. This is not your department.
Maid : Very well, Professor. But you can’t say that I didn’t warn you.
Professor : Marie, I can get along without your advice. (p: 51)

The most fatal accident is when the professor can not have a command over. He is angry to the pupil. Finally, he kills his pupil with his own hand.

Professor : Pay attention…. Don’t break my window…. the knife kills…
Pupil : Yes, yes… the knife kills?
Professor : Aaah! That’ll teach you! (p: 75)

His maid said that the professor is a liar. He does not want to confess his fault. Professor does not assure that he has become a murderer.

Professor : It wasn’t my fault! She didn’t want to learn! She was disobedient! She was a bad pupil! She didn’t want to learn!
Maid : Liar! (p: 76)


b. Minor Character
There are two characters as the minor support the professor as the major character.
1) The Pupil
She is a young lady who wants to get the education from her teacher. She is 18 years old. She carries a student’s satchel under her arm. She seems to be a well-brought-up girl, polite, but lively, gay, dynamic, a fresh smile is always on her lips. She is not good in mathematic. She meets the difficulty when learn that subject. The pupil will have the first doctor’s oral, so she comes to the professor. She wants to get more knowledge. She is an obedient girl. She never argues to the professor. But her words make the professor angry and cannot hold him, and then she is murdered by her own teacher.

2) The Maid
The maid, Marie, is a woman about 45-50 years old. She wears a peasant woman’s cap and has a red-faced. She is friendly and loyal housemaid. She warns the professor for the kindness, but the professor does not care her. She still accompanies the professor when he did bad cases. She always gives advice to the professor.

2. Setting
There are two kinds of setting, setting of place and time. The explanations are as follows:
a. Setting of time
The setting of time “The Lesson” is in World War II. The humanity violence in World War II has made people depression, frustration, skeptical, apathetic, and also hopeless. There are many intellectual groups feel disillusion, pessimistic, and do not believe to the concept. They think that he era is really absurd, meaningless. This story also tells about the disagreement about the violence by Nazi. Ionesco is an anti-Nazi.

Maid : [She takes out an armband with an insignia, perhaps the Nazi swastika]
Wait, if you’re afraid, wear this, then you won’t have anything more to be afraid of.
[She puts the armband around his arm]
…. That’s good politics. (p: 77-78)
The story is begun when the pupil comes to the professor’s house for the lesson in the morning.
Maid : Good morning, miss.
Pupil : Good morning, madam. Is the Professor at home?
Maid : Have you come for the lesson?
Pupil : Yes, I have.

b. Setting of place
The setting of place “The Lesson” is at an apartment. The professor lives at there with his loyal maid, Marie. It is an office of the old professor, which also serves as a dining room. At that place, the professor teaches the lesson to the pupil.

3. Plot
There are four parts of plot: exposition, complication, climax, and resolution. The explanations are as follows:
a. Exposition
The exposition in “The Lesson” begins the introduction of major and minor characters, setting of place and time in detail description.
b. Complication
There is a conflict in this story. The conflict is about the pupil wants to get her doctorate so she come to the professor. She wants to get more knowledge. The professor is very enthusiasm for the lesson. He teaches fervently, but does not care about the pupil’s toothache. The pupil does not get the treatment, so she groans painfully.
c. Climax
The climax arises when the professor can not be calm anymore. He is angry to the pupil. He still continues the study without caring the pupil’s groan. The professor gets the knife to show a real practice to the pupil. The knife kills the young pupil immediately.
d. Resolution
The resolution is when the maid, Marie, comes to the office. The professor does not believe that he has killed his pupil. He considers that the pupil does not want to go home, because he looks at the pupil just keeps on silence. The maid tries to make the professor aware with the situation. She said that will be alright if the professor wear the armband of Nazi swastika. Surprisingly, the professor is obedient to his maid. They take the body of the young pupil move to hide her. And then, the bad event will go on and on.

4. Theme
The theme of “The Lesson” is “Violence in Education”. In the story, the professor wants to say that a teacher can kill his student unknowingly because he wears armband of Nazi swastika.

By: Sabilla Primadevi
A 320080315
University Muhammadiyah of Surakarta

ehem ehem

^^ buat Sabilla,
dari ****

Hah..
Mungkin suatu dosa besar
Di saat aku bilang bahwa..
Aku jatuh cinta padamu, Sabilla, Malaikat kecilku..
Entah setan apa yang merasuki jiwa
Sampai pd akhirnya hatiku berkata..
Maukah kau mengajariku apa itu cinta sejati??

U are my “ Love Private Teacher “

Be mine vo eva..

siapa itu pengirimnya?
adaaaaahhh ajaaahhh...
hehehe

KETIKA HATI ITU MERASA GELISAH

pada kelelawar ia mengadu

pada lampu-lampu jalan sandarkan angan
pada nada-nada lontarkan marah
pada alam raya ia berterus terang:
aku gelisah.
jiwa gelisah bagai halilintar.
(Gelisah, Kantata Takwa)




pernah kah merasa sepi ditengah keramaian?
merasa sedih tapi tak bisa diungkapkan?
merasa galau tidak tau apa yang digelisahkan?
semua bercampur jadi satu
tapi...
tak satupun kata yg keluar
yang ada hanya senyum dan tawa
:)