Setting and Characters in Act Two of the Play Clybourne Park

During the intermission of Bruce Norris play Clybourne Park, the stage undergoes a significant transformation. The former home of Bev and Russ (from Act One) ages fifty years. In the process, it erodes from a quaint, well-kept home into a residence that features, in the words of the playwright, an overall shabbiness. Act Two takes place in September of 2009. The stage directions describe the altered environment: The wooden staircase has been replaced with a cheaper metal one. ( . . . ) The fireplace opening is bricked in, linoleum covers large areas of wooden floor and plaster has crumbled from the lath in places. The kitchen door is now missing. During Act One, Karl Lindner predicted that the community would irrevocably change, and he implied that the neighborhood would decline in prosperity. Based on the description of the house, it seems at least part of Lindners forecast has come true. Meet the Characters In this act, we meet an entirely new set of characters. Six people sit in a semi-circle, looking over real estate/legal documents. Set in 2009, the neighborhood is now a predominantly African-American community.   The black married couple, Kevin and Lena, maintain strong ties to the house in question. Not only is Lena a member of the Home Owners Association, hoping to preserve the architectural integrity of the neighborhood, she is the niece of the original owners, the Youngers from Lorraine Hansberrys A Raisin in the Sun. The white married couple, Steve and Lindsey, have recently purchased the house, and they have plans to tear down most of the original structure and created a larger, taller, and more modern home. Lindsey is pregnant and makes every attempt to be friendly and politically correct during Act Two. Steve, on the other hand, is eager to tell offensive jokes and engage in discussions about race and class. Like Karl Lindner in the previous act, Steve is the most obnoxious member of the group, serving as a catalyst that exposes not only his prejudice but the prejudice of others. The remaining characters (each one Caucasian) include: Tom, the real estate lawyer representing the interests of Kevin and Lenas Home Owners Association. Tom continually tries (but usually fails) to keep the conversation on track.Kathy, the lawyer for  Steve and Lindsey, also tries to keep the proverbial ball rolling. However, she does go on brief tangents, such as when she mentions that her family (the Lindners from Act One!) once lived in the neighborhood.Dan, a contractor who interrupts the debate when he discovers a mysterious box buried in the yard. Tension Builds The first fifteen minutes seem to be about the minutiae of real estate law. Steve and Lindsey want to change the house significantly. Kevin and Lena want certain aspects of the property to remain intact. The lawyers want to make certain that all parties are following the rules established by the lengthy legalese they page through. The mood begins with casual, friendly conversation. Its the sort of small talk one might expect from newly acquainted strangers working towards a common goal. For example, Kevin discusses various travel destinations -- including ski trips, a clever call back to Act One. Lindsey talks happily about her pregnancy, insisting that she doesnt want to know the sex of their child. However, because of many delays and interruptions, tensions increase. Several times Lena hopes to say something meaningful about the neighborhood, but her speech is constantly put on hold until she finally loses patience. In Lenas speech, she says: No one, myself included, likes having to dictate what you can or cant do with your own home, but theres just a lot of pride, and a lot of memories in these houses, and for some of us, that connection still has value. Steve latches onto the word value, wondering if she means monetary value or historic value. From there, Lindsey becomes very sensitive and at times defensive. When she talks about how the neighborhood has changed, and Lena asks her for specifics, Lindsey uses the words historically and demographically. We can tell she doesnt want to directly bring up the subject of race. Her aversion becomes even more prominent when she scolds Steve for using the word ghetto. The History of the House Tensions ease a bit when the conversation removes itself from the politics of property, and Lena recounts her personal connection to the home. Steve and Lindsey are surprised to learn that Lena played in this very room as a child and climbed the tree in the backyard. She also mentions the owners before the Younger family (Bev and Russ, though she doesnt mention them by name.) Assuming that the new owners already know the sad details, Lena touches upon the suicide that took place over fifty years ago. Lindsey freaks out: LINDSEY: Im sorry, but that is just something that, from a legal standpoint, you should have to tell people! Just as Lindsey vents about the suicide (and its lack of disclosure) a construction worker named Dan enters the scene, bringing in the trunk that has recently been dug up from the yard. By coincidence (or perhaps fate?) the suicide note of Bev and Russ son lies in the box, waiting to be read. However, the people of 2009 are too concerned with their own daily conflicts to bother opening up the trunk.

The Middle Ages Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

â€Å"The Middle Ages designates the time span roughly from the collapse of the Roman Empire to the Renaissance and Reformation† (â€Å"The Middle Ages†). Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was written in the thirteenth and fourteenth century, along with Morte D’Arthur. Both medieval epics exemplify bravery and courage as their themes. â€Å"The only universal European institution during the Medieval Era was the Catholic Church which had all the local power within the local bishops† (Sagona). The church saw itself as the only spiritual place of Christian believers, thus it had a large amount of influence on Medieval people, including knights. Christian roles and the act of chivalry played a part in becoming a knight in the Medieval Era that can be seen in†¦show more content†¦To be a knight, his fitness level had to be exceptional enough to last through a long, intense battle. Knights had to face a variety of challenges and were expected to handle th em as any knight would. For example, some battles would last long periods of times, so these knights were expected to handle different weather changes, tiredness, and hungriness. The most important qualification that a knight had to have was modeling bravery due to the extreme battles that would be fought. Through these long battles, knights had to stay positive and not give up for what they are fighting for. â€Å"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, perhaps the most perfectly wrought of all medieval English romances, has called forth a wealth of scholarly commentary, in regard to its main symbol, the Pentangle† (Beauregard). Christianity is evident in this epic poem. â€Å"Some knights in the Medieval Era would carry a shield symbolizing bravery and battle; Sir Gawain is symbolized by the Pentangle that shows his morals† (Beauregard). The pentangle symbolizes the virtues to which Gawain aspires: to possess brotherly love, courtesy, piety, and chastity, â€Å"First he wa s deemed flawless in his five senses;/ secondly his five fingers that were never at fault;/ thirdly the five wounds Christ received on the cross/†¦The fifth set of five which I heard the knight followed / including friendship and fraternity/, purity and politeness that impressed at all times/, and pity whichShow MoreRelatedLiterary Analysis Of Sir Gawain And The Green Knight1200 Words   |  5 Pagesbeen expressed and implemented through the depiction of the heroes’ experiences on their journeys and the knowledge they gain by the quest’s end. For example, in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, a chivalric romance written in the Late Middle Ages, Gawain epitomizes a knight with the characteristics that knights from the Late Middle Ages were expected to possess according to the requirements outlined in the rules of chivalry, such as honor and valor. Likewise, Beowulf, the hero of the folk epic BeowulfRead MoreThe Cultural Values And The Archetypal Patterns Of The Nove l Hero With A Thousand Faces 1331 Words   |  6 PagesAs the heroes make their way through the journey, the reader learns the culture through the character’s actions and mistakes. For instance, in the early Middle Ages, women were seen as inferior and were not put on a pedestal, unlike their deception during the Late Middle Ages after the advent of chivalry and courtly love. On that note, Sir Gawain and Beowulf both reflect the cultural values and the archetypal patterns found in Joseph Campbell’s Hero with a Thousand Faces which are expressed throughoutRead MoreSir Gawain And The Green1627 Words   |  7 Pages11/25/14 Sir Gawain and the Girdle In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Gawain is presented a green girdle by Lady Bertilak after their sexual encounter (1830-1835). There have been many differing opinions on what the girdle represents, but I believe the most pertinent symbol that the green girdle stands for is the temptation that Gawain faces several times throughout the story. The girdle not only stands for the temptations that Gawain faces, but ultimately shows the ignorance Gawain exhibits throughoutRead MoreSir Gawain And The Green Knight1218 Words   |  5 Pages The alliterative poem â€Å"Sir Gawain and The Green Knight† is a story of bravery, yet fearfulness of a young knight and his willingness to stand up out of respect for his king. This Middle Age poem, originated in the late fourteenth century by an unknown author called Gawain’s poet, follows the journey of King Arthur’s nephew, Sir Gawain. Sir Gawain is a knight for the royal court during the time and when the Green Knight questio ns the loyalty of King Arthur’s court, Gawain is the only person to standRead MoreSir Gawain and the Green Knight, and One Thousand and One Nights1097 Words   |  4 Pageswork. â€Å"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight† and â€Å"One Thousand and One Night† both are marvelous works. The similarities between these Arabian tales and Sir Gawain and the Green night are very striking. The scholar Edward L. Risden in his analysis of â€Å"One Thousand and One Nights,† mentioned â€Å"Sir Gawain and Green Knight† and some of the main subjects of both of these tales. After reading Norton’s â€Å"Sir Gawain and Green Knight† and Geraldine Mccaughrean’s â€Å"Arabian Nights,† I intend to show that â€Å"Sir GawainRead More Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Essays847 Words   |  4 PagesSir Gawain and the Green Knight As with so many stories written in the Middle Ages Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is filled with wonders, magic and knightly pursuit of fame and nobility. It combines folklore and romance as does, according to The Norton Anthology, no other known work. The character of the Green Knight fascinates and amuses. Most people would not think of it as an Arthurian-time creature. The Green Man in fact, is a part of an ancient folklore where the beheading of a green manRead MoreImportance Of A Pentangle And Their Long Uses And The Past History Associated With It1534 Words   |  7 Pagesthis paper, my approach and analysis will be based on the pentangles meaning coming from the days of Solomon, who took the Jewish star and modified it in such a manner that the symbol began to be associated with the five virtues and, protection for knights and royalty. Pentangles began as crude drawings as diagrams that were found scratched into the walls of caves. From this point onward the assumption is, they began to have a belief encompassing some realm of spiritual significance but, the real meaningRead MoreSir Gawain and The Green Knight Essay1109 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight† Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a very interesting and stimulating narration, filled with mystical creatures and wonderful details, the author known as Gawain-poet did a wonderful job in portraying the characters throughout the story. During the story, The Green Knight challenges King Arthur to a game, which Sir Gawain accepts. Gawain participates in the game by chopping the head off of the green knight, who picks it up and leaves, Gawain is to meet the greenRead MoreSir Gawains Shield and the Green Night: A Semiotic Analysis1378 Words   |  6 PagesIn the poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Sir Gawain must go on a quest to find the Green Knight from whom he accepted a challenge a year earlier. Because Gawain lives the chivalric code, he must keep his promise to the Green Knight and let him get one swing of the axe one year and a day after he swung the axe on him. Before leaving for this quest, Gawain was given amazing armor and a descriptive shield. This shield was more th an just a shield; it had a much greater meaning like many otherRead MoreSir Gawain And The Green Knight Chivalry Essay796 Words   |  4 PagesKnights and shining armor, is a modern day description of knights. These knights road on horseback, jousted, but more importantly, served by a code. This was a code dealing with chivalry, in which knights obeyed by. The article Nighthood and Chivalry, defines it by, â€Å"In modern English, chivalry means the ideals, virtues, or characteristics of knights,† (Velde). There is one specific knight who shows this code in the story, Sir Gawain and The Green Knight. The knight is Gawain, a noble and courageous

Fairness Principle Free Essays

Compare and contrast the guiding principles of the Global Business Standards Codex and the Mixed Framework principles. Global business standards codex captures eight major underlying principles in which ethical behavior can be interpreted and evaluated. The eight ethical principles are fiduciary, property, reliability, transparency, dignity. We will write a custom essay sample on Fairness Principle or any similar topic only for you Order Now fairness, citizenship and responsiveness. Fiduciary Principle. As part of the legal structure of a business organization, each officer and director of a company has a legal fiduciary duty to act in the best interest of the stakeholders and other employees within the firm. Furthermore, there is also an implied fiduciary duty for every employee within the organization to also act in a way that generates positive benefits for the firm. Property Principle. The property principle is based on the belief that every employee should respect property as well as the rights of the owners of the property. This principle has been expanded to intangible property and now also includes the misappropriation of intellectual property or other types of information. It expected that an employee would protect the tangible and intangible assets of the firm and the employee should be a good steward to the resources the employee has access to. Reliability Principle. It is based on the belief that it is the employee’s responsibility to honor the commitments he or she has made to the firm. It is expected that the employees will follow through with the promises and commitments that have been made between the employees and the firm. Transparency Principle. It is based on the belief that every employee should conduct business in a truthful and open manner. It is expected that the employees will not make decisions based on a personal agenda and not to act in a descriptive manner and to keep accurate and current records of all the business obligations that are currently the responsibility of the employee. Dignity Principle. It is based on the belief that each employee needs to respect the dignity of all individuals. It encourages the enhancement of human development not only within the company and marketplace, but also in the society at large. Therefore, any type of humiliation coercion, or other type of human offenses is in direct violation of the dignity principle. img class="aligncenter wp-image-46496" src="https://phdessay.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/2870137723_4d097f2476_z-300x198.jpg" alt="Fairness Principle " width="411" height="271" / Fairness Principle. It is based on the belief that stakeholders who have a vested interest in the firm should be treated fairly. There are four types of fairness: reciprocal fairness, distributive fairness, fair competition and procedural fairness. Reciprocal fairness addresses the issues of treating another party fairly and having the other party treat the firm fairly. Distributive fairness is based on the assumption that the allocation of finite resources within the firm will be distributed fairly based on maximizing the benefits of those allocations. Fair competition focuses on the fair treatment given by the firm as it interacts with its existing and potential competitors, Procedural fairness deals with ensuring that parties that interact with the firm are treated fairly from a due process perspective. Citizenship Principle. It is based on the belief that every employee should act as a responsible citizen in the community. It is also expected that employees respect the laws of the community. Furthermore, it is expected that employees protect and preserve public goods or commons available to the community. It is also expected that employees should be cooperative with community officials. Responsiveness Principle. It is based on the belief that employees have a responsibility to respond to requests for information about the operations from the various stakeholders. As a result, employees must not only reply to stakeholders’ request for information, but also be responsive to ideas presented by the stakeholders to help improve the operations of the firm. A responsive firm is expected to react in a timely manner to resolve any outstanding issues that have been raised by the employees, interest groups, suppliers, the local community and any other stakeholders that has a vested interest in the company. Mixed Framework principles: a)Fidelity: an individual needs to keep explicit and implicit promises. b)Reparation: an individual must act an repairing the consequences for previous wrongful acts. c)Gratitude: an individual must be able to show gratitude for the kindnesses that others have given him or her. d)Justice: an individual should try to see that any goods are fairly distributed. e)Beneficence: an individual should focus on trying to improve the lives of others. f)Self-improvement: an individual should improve oneself by focusing on virtue and intelligence. g)Noninjury: an individual should not cause any harm to others. How to cite Fairness Principle, Essay examples

Lord Of The Flies Foreshadowing By Use free essay sample

Lord Of The Fliess: Prefiguration By Use Of Conflicts Essay, Research Paper In the beginning chapters of Lord of the Flies, William Golding foreshadows action that will come in the eleventh and 12th chapters. He does this by presenting assorted struggles. These struggles are Ralph versus Jack, weak, represented by Piggy, versus strong and Ralph, stand foring order, ground, and humanity, versus pandemonium. It is obvious from the first clip that Ralph and Jack meet that there will be a battle between them. In chapter one when the two meet Jack automatically proclaims himself the leader while Ralph has himself in head for the place ( 22 ) . Although both male childs wish to be in charge, they think really otherwise. Ralph proves himself to be logical and responsible by proposing the edifice of a signal fire. He desires order, and deliverance is his precedence. Jack, on the other manus, sees the state of affairs as a game and becomes obsessed with hunting. We will write a custom essay sample on Lord Of The Flies Foreshadowing By Use or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He even allows the fire to fire out so that a passing ship can non see the fume ( 67 ) . As the novel progresses, the two distrust each other more and more, and Jack begins to follow animal-like features. For illustration, at the beginning of chapter three, Jack is creeping on the land looking for hog paths ( 48 ) . These differences and confrontations, such as the one where the male childs are on a Hunt for the animal and Ralph asks Jack why he hates him, lead to the concluding struggle between the male childs. By chapter eleven, Jack # 8217 ; s # 8220 ; tribe # 8221 ; has wholly separated from Ralph # 8217 ; s group. Ralph, Piggy and Samneric attempt to ground with Jack, but the tenseness that has been constructing since the beginning of the novel eventually erupts into a physical affray. Because of the hints that Golding has given the reader throughout the book, this event comes as no surprise. lt ;< br /> Another struggle brewing during the secret plan is one of the weak versus the strong. Piggy is fleshy, shortsighted, and wheezing. His physical lower status to the other male childs on the island makes him a representation of failing. Darwin # 8217 ; s theory of natural choice fundamentally says that merely the strong survive. In this natural, wild puting where endurance is cardinal, it becomes clear to the reader that Piggy will non do it off the island alive. Surely adequate, Piggy is knocked off of a drop and killed as he tries to step in between Jack and Ralph ( 180 ) . The 3rd struggle illustrated in the earlier chapters is one of order versus pandemonium. Ralph represents logic, duty, civility, ground, and order. He is clearly experiencing frustrated by the immature actions of the male childs when they refuse to assist construct shelters on the beach. The kids would instead run approximately wildly and play than make anything # 8220 ; grownup. # 8221 ; Despite the accent that Ralph places on the importance of the fire, he is the lone 1 who cares about it. In the concluding chapter, the male childs from Jack # 8217 ; s tribe are runing him with the purpose to kill. Roger has # 8220 ; sharpened a stick at both terminals, # 8221 ; connoting that the destiny of the slaughtered sow awaits Ralph every bit good. The concluding struggle is between the antique antithesis order and pandemonium. The male childs, with the exclusion of Ralph, have lost about all of their human behaviour and are running wild. They represent pandemonium. Ralph has managed to keep reason amidst lunacy, and he represents order. The illustrations of boding early in the fresh give the reader an thought of what types of struggle to anticipate. They hint that this is non a mere narrative of guiltless kids marooned on a desert island. These illustrations begin the weaving of an intricate secret plan full of terrorist act, savageness, and personal conflicts.