All reviews and analysis of West African Examination literature ,NECO AND JAMB 3

 

The Home

“The Younger apartment is the only setting throughout the play, emphasizing the centrality of the home. The lighting seems to change with the mood, and with only one window, the apartment is a small, often dark area in which all the Youngers—at one time or another—feel cramped. While some of the play’s action occurs outside of the apartment, the audience sees this action play out in the household. Most of what happens outside of the apartment includes Travis’s playing out in the street with the rat and Walter’s drinking and delinquency from work. The home is a galvanizing force for the family, one that Mama sees as crucial to the family’s unity. The audience sees characters outside the family—Joseph Asagai, George Murchison, Mrs. Johnson, Mr. Lindner, and Bobo—only when they visit the apartment. These characters become real through their interactions with the Youngers and the Youngers’ reactions to them. The play ends, fittingly, when Mama, lagging behind, finally leaves the apartment.”

Symbols

Symbols are objects, characters, figures, and colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts.

“Eat Your Eggs”

“This phrase appears early in the play, as an instruction from Ruth to Walter to quiet him. Walter then employs the phrase to illustrate how women keep men from achieving their goals—every time a man gets excited about something, he claims, a woman tries to temper his enthusiasm by telling him to eat his eggs. Being quiet and eating one’s eggs represents an acceptance of the adversity that Walter and the rest of the Youngers face in life. Walter believes that Ruth, who is making his eggs, keeps him from achieving his dream, and he argues that she should be more supportive of him. The eggs she makes every day symbolize her mechanical approach to supporting him. She provides him with nourishment, but always in the same, predictable way.”

Mama’s Plant

“The most overt symbol in the play, Mama’s plant represents both Mama’s care and her dream for her family. In her first appearance onstage, she moves directly toward the plant to take care of it. She confesses that the plant never gets enough light or water, but she takes pride in how it nevertheless flourishes under her care. Her care for her plant is similar to her care for her children, unconditional and unending despite a less-than-perfect environment for growth. The plant also symbolizes her dream to own a house and, more specifically, to have a garden and a yard. With her plant, she practices her gardening skills. Her success with the plant helps her believe that she would be successful as a gardener. Her persistence and dedication to the plant fosters her hope that her dream may come true.”

Beneatha’s Hair

“When the play begins, Beneatha has straightened hair. Midway through the play, after Asagai visits her and questions her hairstyle, she cuts her Caucasian-seeming hair. Her new, radical afro represents her embracing of her heritage. Beneatha’s cutting of her hair is a very powerful social statement, as she symbolically declares that natural is beautiful, prefiguring the 1960s cultural credo that black is beautiful. Rather than force her hair to conform to the style society dictates, Beneatha opts for a style that enables her easily to reconcile her identity and her culture. Beneatha’s new hair is a symbol of her anti-assimilationist beliefs as well as her desire to shape her identity by looking back to her roots in Africa.”

 

 

 

 

 

OLIVER GOLDSMITH

SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER

 

 

‘She stoops to conquer’ is a comedy by the famous 18th century Anglo-Irish novelist playwright and poet Oliver Goldsmith. Oliver Goldsmith is best known for his novel The Vicar of Wakefield (1766), his pastoral poem The Deserted Village (1770) and his play The Good-Natur’d Man (1768). He is said to have been born on 10 November 1730, either in the townland of Pallas, near Ballymahon, County Longford, Ireland where his father was the Anglican Curate of the parish of Forgney, or at the residence of his maternal grandparents, at the Smith Hill House in the diocese of Elphin, where his grandfather was a clergyman.

 

 

TYPE OF play

She Stoops to conquer is a stage play in the form of a comedy of manners, which ridicules the manners (way of life, social customs) of a certain segment of society, in this case the upper class.

 

LANGUAGE

 

Goldsmith’s style is wry, witty, and simple but graceful from beginning to end, the play is both entertaining and easy to understand, presenting few words and idioms that modern audiences would not understand. The author constructed the play well and it moves along rapidly.

 

SETTING

Most of the action takes place in the Hardcastle mansion in the English countryside, about sixty miles from London.

 

 

Plot Analysis/overview

 

She stoops to conquer Or, Mistakes of a Night was an immediate success for Goldsmith, his last literary triumph. The play opens with Mrs. Hardcastle and Mr. Hardcastle, Mrs. Hardcastle complains of lack of excitement in their city. Mr. Hardcastle complains about Tony. Tony comes and reveals his desire to go out and he leaves. Two gentlemen from London looking for the home of Mr. Hardcastle. They are tricked by Tony into thinking that the home of Mr. Hardcastle is an inn and conduct themselves accordingly. One of the young men is there to woo young Kate Hardcastle. Kate pretends to be a barmaid until the hero declares his love for her. The Londoners behave boorishly to all concerned, and the non-stop frolic escalates rapidly. They mock Mr. Hardcastle. Later Marlow discovers that the inn is Mr. Hardcastle’s house. Marlow mourns and pledges to leave. Kate begs his father and tries Marlow’s decency again to prove his worthiness.

She stoops to Conquer contains vital energy, many farcial elements and amusing irony. Goldsmith’s major theme is exploring the follies of blindness that all humans commit. After poking fun at the characters, the playwright ends the comedy on a note of discovery. The hero finds himself and discovers the meaning of politeness and true love, marrying the perfect woman for him.

 

 

 

 

 

ACT ONE

 

SCENE ONE

 

Enter Mrs. Hardcastle and Mrs Mr. Hardcastle in the chamber. Mrs. Hardcastle complains about their country’s lack of excitement. Mrs. Hardcastle says she hates Hardcastle’s old stories of Prince Eugene and the Duke of Marlborough but Hardcastle says he loves it. He loves everything that is old: old friends, old times old manners, old books, old wine and oldwife. Mrs. Hardcastle says she is not old. Hardcastle says twenty added to twenty makes just fifty and seven. Mrs. Hardcastle rebuffs this claim. Hardcastle complains about Tony and Mrs. Hardcastle backs him up. Tony tells her mother that he is in haste and cannot stay to give Papa and Mama a little company. Mrs. Hardcastle tells Tony that he should not go out that evening because he looks shockingly. Tony says he cannot stay. Tony exists. Miss Hardcastle enters. Her father praises her and ironically teases her dressing. She reminds her father their agreement to allow her put on whatever she pleases. Hardcastle remembers and tells Miss Hardcastle (Kate) about the gentleman he choose to be her husband and the young man’ father’s letter to him. Miss Hardcastle says she wishes she had known something of this before. His father tells her that the young man is a bred scholar and designs for an employment in the service of his country. He praises the youngman and Kate admires. Miss Neville enters. Kate is glad and asks Miss Neville how she looks. Miss Neville says she is perfect. Kate tells Neville that her father threatens her with a lover and Miss Neville asks his name. Miss Hardcastle says he is Marlow, the son of Sir Charles Marlow.

 

 

SCENE TWO

 

An Alehouse Room occupies several shabby fellows with punch and tobacco. Tony sits at the head of the table, a little higher than the rest, a mallet in his hand. Tony requests to sing a song he made called three pidgeons. He sings. Omnes hails him. Second fellow says he loves to hear him sing. Landlord enters and announces that two men lost their way upon the forest and they are talking about Mr. Hardcastle. Tony says one of the men might be his sister’s suitor. Landlord believes and says they look like frenchmen. Exits Landlord and enters with Marlow and Hastings. Tony asks the gentlemen whether they know which part of the country they are. Hastings say no but says he will appreciation if Tony gives them information. Tony tells them that they have lost their way. Marlow says they want no ghost to tell them that. Tony says they should pray and Marlow says that is not necessary towards directing them. Tony says that they should pray because the Hardcastle they seek might be the cross-grained, old fashioned, whimsical fellow with an ugly face, a daughter, and a pretty son. Hastings says they have not seen the gentleman but he has the family Tony mentioned. Tony condemns Kate, says she is a tall, trapesing, trolloping, talkative maypole but the son is a pretty, well-bred agreeable youth that everybody is fond of. Marlow says their information differs in this. He says the daughter is well bred and beautiful, the son an akward booby reared up and spoiled at his mother’s apron string. Tony says they will not reach Mr. Hardcastle’s house this night.

 

Hastings says it is unfortunate. Tony says it is a damn long, dark, boogy, dirty, dangerous way. Tony calls Stingo and orders him to show the gentlemen the way to Mr. Hardcastle’s quagmire marsh. He winks to the Landlord. Landlord directs the gentlemen wrongly. Hastings asks Marlow what to do. Marlow says the Landlord should accomodate them. Landlord says they have taken the bed already. Tony sends them to his father’s house as inn.

 

 

 

 

Act two

 

Scene one

 

An old-fashioned House, Enter Hardcastle followed by three or four akward servants. Hardcastle teaches them table exercise. Hardcastle tells Diggory to be so talkative, always to pay attention to the guest. Hardcastle exits and a servant enter with candles, showing in Marlow and Hastings. The servant welcomes Marlow and Hastings. Marlow and Hastings discuss about good inns and bad inns. They discuss about their future bride. Hardcastle enters and welcomes the gentlemen and tells them to do as they want freely in the hall. Hardcastle tells them the story of Duke of Marlborough. Hardcastle sees the men uncivilized behaviour. Marlow says aside that Hardcastle is an impudent fellow and sets to humor him a little. Hardcastle says he does not care about government any more. Hastings mocks him about only deriving joy from eating and drinking. Marlow asks for supper. Hardcastle gives their menu for them to select. Marlow demands what is not in the inn. Hardcastle apologises and says he has nothing they like. Marlow and Hardcastle exit. Hastings is alone and Miss Neville enters. Miss Neville says the place is not an inn but her Aunt’s house. Hastings says a young fellow sent them there as an inn. Miss Neville says it must be one of his cousin’s tricks, of whom he has heard her talk so often. Hastings says he whom her aunt intends for her. Miss Neville tells him that he has nothing to fear. Hastings and Neville discuss. Miss Neville says she is ready to obey Hastings but she needs her jewelleries from her Aunt. Hastings says the jewelleries should perish that all he wants is Neville. Marlow enters and talks about Hardcastle’s intention to dine with them. Hastings asks Marlow to guess who he is with there. Marlow says he cannot guess. Hastings introduces Miss Constance Neville. Marlow says they should postpone the happiness until tomorrow, says their dresses are in disorderly mode. Miss Neville says no that the ceremony will displease Kate. Miss Hardcastle enters. Hastings introduces them. Kate apologises Marlow for their accidents, Marlow says it is a good accidents. Marlow speaks with Kate and Hastings hails him for competence in his speech. Hastings and Neville exit for the next room while Marlow and Kate continue their discussion.

 

 

 

 

SCENE TWO

 

Enter Tony and Miss Neville, followed by Mrs. Hardcastle and Hastings. Tony asks his cousin Constance why she follows him. Tony says Miss Neville should keep a distance, that he does not want any nearer relationship. Mrs. Hardcastle says Mr. Hastings is entertaining. Hastings says she amazes him. Mrs. Hardcastle discusses fashion with Hastings. Mrs. Hardcastle says Tony and Neville fit each other, but Tony denies this fact. Mrs. Hardcastle laments Tony’s disloyalty and bad behaviour. Tony blames Mrs. Hardcastle for pampering him. Hastings takes permission from Mrs. Hardcastle to lecture Tony and persuades him to his duty. Mrs. Hardcastle goes out with Miss Neville. Tony sings. Hastings questions him about his mother’s choice of wife for him. Tony says he knows Neville more than anybody does that Neville is bad-tempered and unpleasant person. Hastings says Neville appears sensible and silent to him. Hastings asks Tony what he will say to a man who will take Neville from him. Tony says there is nobody to take her. Hastings says he is the one only if Tony will assist him. Tony says with the last drop of his blood that he will assist him.