Master Harold... and the Boys by Athol Fugard // A Play Filled With Important Themes

Master Harold... and the Boys by Athol Fugard
Publication: October 13, 2009, by Vintage
Genre: Adult Fiction, Play, Classic
Pages: 55
Format: Paperback
Source: Borrowed
Rating: 

This play about a young white boy and two African servants is at once a compelling drama of South African apartheid and a universal coming-of-age story. Originally produced in 1982, it is now an acknowledged classic of the stage, whose themes of injustice, racism, friendship, and reconciliation traverse borders and time.

My Thoughts:

From all the books I was required to read this year for school, Master Harold... and the boys honestly was the best. As you can see from my five-star rating, it wasn't amazing. It wasn't life-changing. But I can admit that it was very excellent, and enjoyable. Even though it seemed rather simplistic from the fact that it literally featured three present characters in one boring setting (a room in the midst of a rainy day in South Africa, it was meaningful and special. More books (or plays) need to address the issues highlighted by Fugard's writing. It's also SUPER important to have high school-aged teens read this so that they can use the lessons and topics addressed in the real world. That's one of the reasons why I personally love reading: it teaches us things without us even knowing. It just becomes second-nature to spread the loving messages that authors attempt to showcase.

THIS PLAY WAS ALSO REALLY SAD AND MEANINGFUL. Especially in the way that if you read the background story of the author, you can tell that the story is based on the author's life, in a way. Athol Fugard lived a similar life to the play's main character, Hally. Hally's family is fortunate to be white and wealthy, allowing them to receive some extra help from two black men who are forced to see that even the connections and relationship they established with Hally did not change anything about the way society works. It's heartbreaking. 

This is a tiny, QUICK read so I highly recommend picking it up at any time. You'll understand the message immediately and it'll come so easily. It's important to realize the themes and use them in modern literature.

Master Harold and... the boys is a read everyone should pick up. You know those lists that state, "30 Books to Read Before You Die"? Yeah, this should be on all of those lists. Help me make that happen by reading this meaningful, deep story.

What are some classics that talk about racism?

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams // My First 'Southern' Classic Experience

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, by Tennessee Williams
Publication: September 17, 2004, by New Directions
Genre: Adult Fiction, Play, Classic
Format: Paperback
Source: Borrowed
Rating: 

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof first heated up Broadway in 1955 with its gothic American story of brothers vying for their dying father’s inheritance amid a whirlwind of sexuality, untethered in the person of Maggie the Cat. The play also daringly showcased the burden of sexuality repressed in the agony of her husband, Brick Pollitt. In spite of the public controversy Cat stirred up, it was awarded the Pulitzer Prize and the Drama Critics Circle Award for that year. Williams, as he so often did with his plays, rewrote Cat on a Hot Tin Roof for many years—the present version was originally produced at the American Shakespeare Festival in 1974 with all the changes that made Williams finally declare the text to be definitive, and was most recently produced on Broadway in the 2003–2004 season. This definitive edition also includes Williams&rsquoi; essay “Person-to-Person,” Williams’ notes on the various endings, and a short chronology of the author’s life. One of America’s greatest living playwrights, as well as a friend and colleague of Williams, Edward Albee has written a concise introduction to the play from a playwright’s perspective, examining the candor, sensuality, power, and impact of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof then and now.

My Thoughts:

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof was literally a high school student's dream. Or, in other words, MY DREAM. I always wanted to read a book that took place in the South or Mississippi so this was it. Although this is an older play published during a time in which it was difficult to talk about "controversial issues" like gay rights and so forth, it delivers a message effectively and shows readers that these issues and topics should be spoken about. Tennessee Williams is an excellent writer who is able to create a memorable play out of one setting and a small cast of characters. That is what amazes me, and is causing me to become more interested in reading plays and that kind of literature.

This play had a cast of characters I surely will not forget about due to their distinct personalities. We have Maggie, the wife of Brick, and she is who the play is really named after. Maggie is one of those stereotypical Southern characters who is all in for the old money and lives a luxurious life on a plantation. Brick, her husband, is absolutely troubled and is an alcoholic, drinking away his problems, even though he is the favourite child. His parents adore him, and despise his brother and his wife who are secretly waiting for Big Daddy to die and leave the estate to them. It's all about family drama, honestly.

I believe that more people should become aware of Williams and his writing, and the messages that his stories spread. Of course, A Streetcar Named Desire is his most popular story, however, this one should be crowned as just as popular.

When reading, I especially enjoyed the message that this story spread and the pacing. I found it relatively interesting and captivating, better than the recent plays I have been reading for school. This did not seem like something I was forced to read for school, you know? You know how Shakespeare can be boring and/or difficult to understand, causing you to find no motivation to read? Well, this was the complete opposite. I actually looked forward to English class to pick this one up and analyze, read and enjoy.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof was my first 'southern' classic experience. We constantly hear about Harper Lee's books and Gone With the Wind, but Tennessee Williams' writing should be more frequently heard of. It was a true, real read.

What are some other good 'southern' classics?

Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller // A Lovely Classic

Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller
Publication: October 28, 1976, by Penguin USA
Genre: Adult Fiction, Play, Classic
Pages: 140
Format: Paperback
Source: Borrowed
Rating: 

Ever since it was first performed in 1949, Death of a Salesman has been recognized as a milestone of the American theater. In the person of Willy Loman, the aging, failing salesman who makes his living riding on a smile and a shoeshine, Arthur Miller redefined the tragic hero as a man whose dreams are at once insupportably vast and dangerously insubstantial. He has given us a figure whose name has become a symbol for a kind of majestic grandiosity--and a play that compresses epic extremems of humor and anguish, promise and loss, between the four walls of an American living room.

My Thoughts:

I had mixed expectations for Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman solely because I did not want another Great Gatsby redo or copycat. I had previously heard that the American Dream is a major theme featured in this play, and I was quite skeptical of it as the message usually tends to be the same in these kinds of story: money isn't everything. DON'T LET YOUR EXPECTATIONS CHANGE YOUR EXCITEMENT FOR THIS PLAY: this was a fantastic play that was so impressive and easy to analyze. In fact, Miller's writing made analyzing fun for me. I'm usually not the type of person who's interested in seeing beyond the lines and trying to distinguish the author's purpose for writing a certain piece of literature. However, in Death of a Salesman, it was impossible to not search for some extra meaning. 

To quickly summarize the story, this basically focuses on the Loman family, specifically on Willy Loman and his struggles of living in a world which highlights the importance of gaining some kind of American Dream. Willy is a travelling salesman who travels around New England and the New York City area. The point of attack of this play allows audiences to enter the point of time in Willy's life where he is realizing that he has a greater potential and deserves a better job, and life. However, Willy establishes a facade towards his family, causing them to believe that Willy is more "well-liked" and successful than he seems. This disturbs the relationship amongst Willy and his eldest son, Biff, who views Willy as a role model.

I enjoyed reading every single page of this play. In fact, I would be totally interested in seeing this being performed live. I love the realistic aspect of the play, as it surely addresses the lives of many Americans to this very day. The tensions in the relationships of the characters were interesting to examine, and made me become more interested in the 20s era of the twentieth century. As for any flaws in the story, if I were to give this play a five star rating, it needed an extra dash of something. Some kind of entertainment or plot twist or suspense, as, evidently, the fate of Willy Loman is already spoiled to us readers from the title. Whoa, how surprising it is that Willy's story will end in tragedy and he will die. This cannot even be identified as a spoiler. It's just common sense. The ending is where I can say that the book lost its entertainment aspect and caused readers to look in between the lines of the play. I do not know if that is my favourite approach to reading a story, that's for sure.

Death of a Salesman is some excellent, classic literature that should be continued to be read in classrooms all over the world. I found that it was easy to be entertained whilst reading it, and to analyze it for academic purposes (I had to read this for school, so finding some 'greater' message was beneficial). But even if you're not a student, READ THIS. Pick it up - it is not some kind of play that is difficult to understand (COUGH Shakespeare COUGH)! 

What are some other works of literature that focus on the American Dream?

Top Girls by Caryl Churchill // Difficult to Comprehend

Top Girls by Caryl Churchill
Publication: July 15, 2008, by Bloomsbury
Genre: Adult Fiction, Play
Pages: 176
Format: Paperback
Source: Borrowed
Rating: 

Set in the early Thatcher years, Top Girls is a serminal play of the modern theatre, revealing a world of women's experience at a pivotal moment in British history. Told by an eclectic group of historical and modern characters in a continuous conversation across ages and generations, Top Girls was hailed by The Guardianas "the best British play ever by a woman dramatist."

My Thoughts:

Top Girls, from all of the books I was required to read for my English literature class, was the one I was the most excited for. However, it proved to be the worst one out of the four I read, especially due to the confusion it provided me with. Perhaps if I were to see a live performance of this play in a theatre, I would have enjoyed it more. However, this can easily be crowned as the most confusing play I have read. Move over, Shakespeare, Caryl Churchill is a playwright who may be taking your place in terms of confusing literature. To make it clear, I had mixed feelings about this play. It was quite boring and absolutely confusing - the overlap of dialogue especially made me react like: O_O

Even from the cover, it is easy to identify this book as feministic. And there's nothing wrong with that; today's society is strongly associated with the feminist movement and I feel as if this play is perfect for those interested in this topic. However, I was unable to find something unique or even shocking about this play that provided me with some huge, grand message. The message or 'moral' of the play was just cheesy and expected, which made me dislike the story more.

What I did appreciate was the abundance of characters Churchill wrote about, and how they were all women. There was not one male character (even though they were mentioned and alluded to), and this gave women more of a dominant role in this play, which I am sure many would adore to hear about. Each character represented a distinct personality trait, and they all came from different points of history, and some are even fictional characters. That was super cool, but to this very day, I am unable to distinguish why the author utilized these fictional and historical characters in the first act(?) of the play. Eeeeek.

The pacing of the play was quick and left me entertained; my class was able to read this play in two days, which is quite a record as most teachers tend to spend an abundance of time analyzing every statement and searching for dramatic devices. Whilst doing so, I was able to read this fairly quickly. The relationships created by the playwright were also very touching and heartwarming. The uniqueness and weirdness of this story will surely not be forgotten. I guess that factor makes me enjoy the book even more?

Top Girls lacked a sense of clarity in the writing which makes me identify it as a book I kind of enjoyed. Kind of. While it did entertain me with its fast-moving plot and interesting characters, the story lacked a unique message that will stun its future audiences. 

What is your favourite British play?

Death and the Maiden by Ariel Dorfman // Phenomenal Though Harsh

Death and the Maiden, by Ariel Dorfman
Publication: December 1, 1994, by Penguin Books
Genre: Fiction, Drama, Play
Pages: 96
Format: Paperback
Source: Borrowed
Rating: 

Ariel Dorfman's explosively provocative, award-winning drama is set in a country that has only recently returned to democracy. Gerardo Escobar has just been chosen to head the commission that will investigate the crimes of the old regime when his car breaks down and he is picked up by the humane doctor Roberto Miranda. But in the voice of this good Samaritan, Gerardo's wife, Paulina Salas, thinks she recognizes another man—the one who raped and tortured her as she lay blindfolded in a military detention center years before.

My Thoughts:

Death and the Maiden is warped - it has a truly messed up plot that makes you ponder about the relationships people have, but, at the same time, its warped-ness just makes it beautiful. Otherwise, it would have been a completely ordinary play that has a dark theme. This is a play that I will remember for the rest of my days. There's so much to analyze in Ariel Dorfman's writing that we can spend AGES going through it, trying to understand it all. I need to look Dorfman up and find more of his writing - it's addictive, to be quite honest.

I read this play a loooooooong time ago, but what I know I loved about it was the fact that it was so deep and carried an important message: we need to speak out. In addition, it was beautifully written and stayed true to its Chilean culture. It seemed that Dorfman had put a lot of thought into writing this story and making it fit for each of us. There were moments when I wanted to vomit because of the detailedness of Dorfman's writing and Paulina's actions, and times where I wanted to cry out because Paulina's character development was unbelievable. She began her story as a surprisingly tough woman who progressed to have feelings and understand her husband better.

You see, I read this in school and we even acted it out. That was the difficult part - but it also helped us understand the story and meaning much more. I cannot write so much without spoiling, but, short story short: YOU NEED TO READ THIS. It is deep and gory, but hey - it has a beautiful ending that will make you want more. 

Read this, fall in love, hate Roberto (you'll find out who he is), and be amused. This is a play with three AMAZINGLY CRAZY characters who are each so different yet alike. It's a literature masterpiece.

A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen // A Lovely Work of Modern Drama

A Doll's House, by Henrik Ibsen
Publication: December 1879, by Hard Press
Genre: Fiction, Play, Drama
Pages: 122
Format: Hardcover
Source: Borrowed
Rating: 

A Doll's House (1879), is a masterpiece of theatrical craft which, for the first time portrayed the tragic hypocrisy of Victorian middle class marriage on stage. The play ushered in a new social era and "exploded like a bomb into contemporary life".

My Thoughts: 

A Doll's House was one of the three plays I was fortunate to read for English class this year, and I must say that it was just absolutely stunning and alluring. I have read about ten pieces of drama and this is one of the best for its different style of writing and subject matter. How often are we readers fortunate to read about a couple's crisis in the Victorian era in Norway? Never. Ever. After reading Ibsen's work, I feel more captivated to look into his other plays and see what he has in store for us. This can definitely be classified as modern drama, but it gives us the perspective of 1800s Europe before all of the violence and wars began. This was more about a couple's struggle in the sense of their marriage and social status.

We spent about a week reading this relatively short play and analyzing it in my class and I didn't want to miss a second of it. In the beginning of the play, we are introduced to Nora and her husband Thorvald who are a well-off couple living in a Norwegian town. The whole play takes place in a span of a couple of days, and it is so raw and real. Ibsen was definitely not influenced by any of the modern topics (like technology) that we are surrounded with, so he told us a different story about a couple that we haven't been surrounded with before. 

The characters were absolutely my favourite part of the play. Everyone, including Nora, Thorvald, Mrs. Linde etc. etc. are so well planned-out and amazing. Each of them has their own emotions and qualities that they are specifically known for in the play. We feel their pains, their struggles, their desires... and this is the reason why I appreciate drama so much compared to novels. There are only a few books that actually have the ability to create this raw feeling. A Doll's House did that. And it's so creative too; just look at the title. Occasionally we find these basic titles that are pretty much meaningless for the whole novel/play. In this case, IT BRINGS OUT SO MANY THEMES that can be discussed for decades and millenniums.... and forever.

The only thing I want is for a greater sense of background information in Thorvald and Nora's relationship. AND THE KIDS. AND THE MAID. We just need a sequel play, okay?

A Doll's House is lovely. It's a work that I would want to come back to all the time and analyze the themes over and over again. In addition to Shakespeare and Hamilton and all of THOSE lovely plays, read this. NOW. 

What are some other brilliant modern plays?

Othello by William Shakespeare // My Favourite Shakespeare Play

Othello, by William Shakespeare
Publication: January 1, 2004, by Simon and Schuster
Genre: Play, Fiction
Pages: 314
Format: Paperback
Source: Borrowed
Rating: 

In Othello, Shakespeare creates a powerful drama of a marriage that begins with fascination (between the exotic Moor Othello and the Venetian lady Desdemona), with elopement, and with intense mutual devotion and that ends precipitately with jealous rage and violent deaths. He sets this story in the romantic world of the Mediterranean, moving the action from Venice to the island of Cyprus and giving it an even more exotic coloring with stories of Othello's African past. Shakespeare builds so many differences into his hero and heroine—differences of race, of age, of cultural background—that one should not, perhaps, be surprised that the marriage ends disastrously. But most people who see or read the play feel that the love that the play presents between Othello and Desdemona is so strong that it would have overcome all these differences were it not for the words and actions of Othello's standard-bearer, Iago, who hates Othello and sets out to destroy him by destroying his love for Desdemona. As Othello succumbs to Iago's insinuations that Desdemona is unfaithful, fascination—which dominates the early acts of the play—turns to horror, especially for the audience. We are confronted by spectacles of a generous and trusting Othello in the grip of Iago's schemes; of an innocent Desdemona, who has given herself up entirely to her love for Othello only to be subjected to his horrifying verbal and physical assaults, the outcome of Othello's mistaken convictions about her faithlessness.

My Thoughts:

Othello is the third Shakespearean play I have read, and I must say that it was the best out of the three. Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth all stunned me, but this was something special and interesting. Even though Shakespeare lived SO many years ago, his talents of writing about racial prejudices, stereotypes that still live to this day, jealousy and romance shine in this gorgeous play. I read this play for school, and as with every Shakespearean play, we spent a long time examining this work and learning about its purpose and setting. I adored all of the characters in this stunning play and the whole underlying message. PLUS IAGO WAS THE BEST. Even though I despise villains in most books/plays, I kind of wanted Iago's ultimate plan to succeed. Towards the end of the play, my class was required to give this HUGE 15%-worth presentation on the play, and I talked about Iago's reasoning for doing what he did. 

READ THIS PLAY. If you are not able to understand some of the phrases and scenes, which I don't blame you for, you can totally go onto Sparknotes and read it all. It'll help so much. The romance here is deep and meaningful—you can't go wrong with reading Shakespeare and seeing how different and special it is. 

GO READ THIS PLAY RIGHT NOW. It'll change your life in so many ways and you'll want to become a Shakespeare hoarder. I believe many people hoard his plays like obsessed (cool) freaks. :)

What is your favourite Shakespeare play? What are some other issues he covers?