George and Marthas Essay Example for Free

George and Marthas Essay The very title of Edward Albees Whos afraid of Virginia Woolf? has immediate connotations as to the relationship between the two main characters of the play, George and Martha. The well known nursery rhyme in fact goes, Whos afraid of the big bad wolf? As we find out in further reading of the play, the big bad wolf is obviously supposed to be seen as Martha, and the victim is George, her long suffering husband. However, in hindsight, both characters suffer just as much as each other. The title of Act one is Fun and Games. This proves to be slightly ironic as the games Martha and George play, mind and verbal matches, do not seem at all fun, but appear as more of a power struggle. Apparent simple requests from Martha become games for both her and Martha to play. Martha says, Why dont you want to kiss me? whereupon George replies, Well, dear, if I kissed you Id get all excited As one critic of the play wrote, They (George and Martha) club each other on the head with gleeful scorn and leave huge patches of scorched earth. Emotions from both George and Martha become integrated into an ongoing power struggle, and Martha dwells in Georges anger as she likes to see the stirred up effect she has on him. As the night wears on, more alcohol is consumed and the clearer it becomes that it is not blood running through Martha and Georges veins, but booze, spite, nicotine and fear. When Martha first rants about a Bette Davis film that she quotes from, Hey, wheres that from? What a dump, it seems that George almost ignores her. Marthat ahs already appeared as the stronger character in the play, but in retrospect, she relies an George for a great many things, such as the name of the film that Bette Davis was in, and the name of the professor coming to have drinks. Both characters appear to totally confront one another. Martha, according to George, brays, and George shows a passive display of apathy. However, this is not merely strength versus weakness due to Marthas obvious reliance on George. In Martha and Georges relationship, Martha firstly behaves like a mother towards George, saying, Cmon over here and give Mommy a big sloppy kiss. She then acts more childlike, with (imitating a child), Im firsty. It is as though Martha cannot decide as to whether she is the controlling mother or the child who needs protecting in their relationship. The action of this Act takes place in George and Marthas cosy yet cluttered home. In an outline, Martha is furious that George, an academic, hasnt advanced at the college where her father is President, that is, George hasnt become President himself. The fact that George didnt even fight during the War, but stayed in the History Department at the college, makes George and Martha doubt his manhood all the more. In a sense, George almost feels below Marthas father. Understandably so, as Martha calls him a flop and continues to praise her father. George and Nicks (the slightly self contained younger guest) chosen departments in the college are again an example of total contrast in the play. George appears to be bogged down in his department and not going anywhere academically or in his career. He is almost a relic of the past himself. Nick, however, is at the forefront of new discoveries and is also young, handsome and extremely successful. This is the type of man whom Martha initially wanted to marry, yet the type of man to whom George could not fit the bill. George is therefore understandable threatened by Nick and his young, liberal way of thinking. George pretends to shoot Martha in another of their games, but this is almost the opposite to the restrained George we are used to seeing. Laughter and arguments between the characters of Martha and George demonstrate to us the dialectic of love and hate in Act one. When Martha demands a kiss from George, a display of affection to his own wife, George knocks it back and rejects her. The fluctuation in their relationship demonstrates that hating each other hasnt precluded form simultaneously loving and needing one another. Illusion appears to be a very important part of the play. George and Martha both had an illusion of what life would be like when they got married; they saw George becoming president of the college and living a happy married life under its roof. Clearly this did not happen, and both feel somewhat bitter for it. Honey and Nick also appear almost as an illusion of a happy marriage, so it seems. They seem to slip into the background in that they both pretend not to notice George and Marthas arguments and laugh at things that they dont particularly find funny. Another example of an illusion is that of Marthas and Georges apparent son. Martha is always very keen to talk of him whereas George is not so, almost closing down the subject. We never actually see the son in Act One and there is even confusion between the two as to when his birthday is. The supposed perfection of the boy, blonde hair and blue eyes, and the fact that George refers states, Dont bring up the bit about the boy, depersonalises and deludes his actual existence. This is obviously a particularly sore point of conversation between George and Martha, as it results in a number of heated arguments. Martha and George constantly hurl abusive and hurtful words at each other, as though throwing knives. In striking out at those closest to them, that is each other, they represent the typical dysfunctional couple. However, in doing so the romantic notion of love keeps their relationship almost together. Both saw each other as the way to a new, perfect way of life yet the fantasy was not fulfilled, and in verbally abusing each other, they take the blame from themselves and place it on each other. Albee has captured perfectly the way two completely different people can come together and the dramatic consequences it can have on each other, not always in bringing out the negative.

Plath’s Daddy Essay: Father and Husband as Vampires -- Plath Daddy Ess

Father and Husband as Vampires in Plath’s Daddy   Ã‚   The poem "Daddy" by Sylvia Plath concludes with the symbolic scene of the speaker killing her vampire father.   On an obvious level this represents Plath's struggle to deal with the haunting influence of her own father who died when she was a little girl.   However, as Mary G. DeJong points out, "Now that Plath's work is better known, ‘Daddy' is generally recognized as more than a confession of her personal feelings towards her father" (34-35).   In the context of the poem the scene's symbolism becomes ambiguous because mixed in with descriptions of the poet's father are clear references to her husband, who left her for another woman as "Daddy" was being written.   The problem for the reader is to figure out what Plath is saying about the connection between the figures of father and husband by tying them together in her poem.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A clue lies in the final image she uses, the vampire.   In today's movies and books vampires are portrayed as humans who have gained immortality and power in exchange for the need for blood and avoidance of sunlight and crosses.   However, Plath wrote her poem in 1962, and since then our culture's image of the vampire has changed drastically.   Historically, people who were transformed into vampires were no longer the same human beings.   Instead, they became monsters who retained only the physical appearance of their former selves.   Our interpretation of the poem is affected if we assume that when Plath wrote about a vampire she had in mind the older conception of a monster which took over the body of a now dead human.   With this image in mind we will tend to look for ways the duality of father and husband in the poem correspond to the vampire's dual i... ...the memory of her father's equally painful though unintentional abandonment.   Despite the mixing of father and husband in the antagonist of "Daddy" it is obvious which man Sylvia Plath is addressing with the poem's last line, written during the breakup of her marriage and three months before her suicide: "Daddy, daddy, you bastard, I'm through" (80). Works Cited Cam, Heather.   " ‘Daddy': Sylvia Plath's Debt to Anne Sexton."   American Literature 59   (1987): 429-32. DeJong, Mary G.   "Sylvia Plath and Sheila Ballantyne's Imaginary Crimes."   Studies in   American Fiction 16 (1988): 27-38. Ramazani, Jahan. " ‘Daddy I Have Had to Kill You': Plath, Rage, and the Modern Elegy."  Ã‚   Publications of the Modern Language Association of America 108 (1993): 1142-56. Srivastava, K.G.   "Plath's Daddy."   The Explicator 50 (1992): 126-28.               

High School vs College

As we go on in life we face many challenges and new situations that we deal with. A new situation that most people deal with is college and all the changes that come along with it. What many people don't realize is that high school, in many ways, is similar and different from college. Not only are people changing but the surroundings and work change as well. There are some things that seem to never change such as some work and people. High School and College are both educational grounds for a student to grow their lives with knowledge. Both places are full of experiences and filled with numerous memories. An individual graduates from High School and again in College with a degree. The government runs them. Both play an important role in making a person into a collected individual and a member of a society.. One of the biggest differences between high school and college is the atmosphere. When attending high school you wake up, go to school for a couple of hours of your day, and leave. This is very different when you get to college. Most of the time, when attending a university, you find schedule a lot different than in high school. For example, some people that go to college may live on their own meaning that they are responsible for getting themselves to class on time. Also, in college you usually don’t have all of your classes one right after the other like in high school. Instead, you may have a longer class period, followed up by a couple of hours in between your next class. Furthermore, you don’t have every class, everyday like you do in high school.

Classroom Management And The Classroom - 1455 Words

Classroom management refers to methods applied by an educator to ensure that students remain organized, attentive, and focused throughout a class in a productive way. Student’s discipline has for a long time been considered as the ultimate measure of a well-managed class which is false since classroom management is dependent on a compound of factors as opposed to a single factor (Cangelosi, 2014). Given that students and teachers spend a considerable amount of time in the classroom, it’s essential that the classroom environment is comfortable for both. In fact, classroom management’s effectiveness is between 80-85% of all students in all districts in the US. Other measures of a well-managed class include student involvement, clarity of expectations, time management, positive classroom environment and discipline as earlier mentioned. However, discipline stands out as the most intrinsic aspect of a well-managed class because all other aspects are only achievable if high discipline is maintained. Classroom discipline is set out through simple procedures such as students raising their hands for a chance to speak to how students treat each other. Discipline can only be cultivated and reinforced through rewards and punishment accordingly. This discussion shall focus on schools on statistics within districts in the state of Florida. Researchers tip motivation to be the most important factor in improving learning. As of 2015, it was suggested that 40% of students were detached fromShow MoreRelatedClassroom Management And The Classroom868 Words   |  4 Pages Classroom Management Explain the goal of the plan, including the grade level it addresses. Classroom management is important in Pre-K classrooms. The teacher should maintain control in her classroom at all times. One of the most effective interventions in the classroom is the student’s goal. When the goal between the student and the teacher has met a new goal is created. Teacher should set up behavior management instead of punishment in the classroom. Many teachers leave their profession due toRead MoreClassroom Management Plan For A Classroom975 Words   |  4 PagesClassroom Management Plan Before school starts teachers are responsible for organizing plans for how the school year will go. One of the biggest things teachers need to consider is classroom management. Those first few days of school are crucial. The first few days are important to build strong healthy relationships. During this time teachers will be trying to build relationships with each student, while each student is trying to build relationships with their peers. As teachers it is our job toRead MoreClassroom Management Plan For A Classroom1231 Words   |  5 PagesClassroom management is a key component to having a successful classroom that promotes learning for all students. Every teacher should have a plan for how there is going to run their classroom, as well as knowing what expectations they are going to set for their students. Considering students will have expectations for the teacher, teachers need to know how they are going to meet those expectations of every student. How a classroom is set up , the rules and routines, and policies that are going toRead MoreClassroom Management3057 Words   |  13 PagesClassroom Management Theorists and Theories/Burrhus Frederic Skinner lt; Classroom Management Theorists and Theories Contents 1 Overview of Skinners Theories of Classroom Management 2 Implementation of Skinners Theories 3 Critique of Skinners Theories 4 Questions for Consideration 5 References Overview of Skinners Theories of Classroom Management[edit] The Theory Skinner believed that the goal of psychology should be practical (Lieberman, 2000). As it relates to education, SkinnerRead MoreClassroom Management10289 Words   |  42 Pagespeer correction. If no one seems to know, then the teacher can give the correction/ answer. We should always keep in mind that not correcting an error is not the same as teaching incorrect forms. But in order to avoid problems in the classroom teachers should explain very clear the reasons they do not correct every single mistake so that the students have a better understanding of the reasons why the teacher does not always correct their errors. Making up a conclusion we wouldRead MoreThe Impact Of Ecological Classroom Management On The Classroom1341 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"Today’s generation of children can’t be controlled and I would never be a teacher†. This may be true, but as the ecological classroom management models show us that there are ways to create effective management in the classroom while keeping students engaged and interested. In today’s society, there is a need for increased discipline in the classroom. Having discipline in the classroom and using it appropriately is like having a tool box in your shed. You have all sorts of tools in your tool box, but youRead MoreClassroom Theory : Classroom Management Philosophy1351 Words   |  6 PagesToni Bentley Classroom Management Classroom Management Philosophy My Classroom Management Philosophy I believe that a well managed classroom provides safety, education and respect and fosters an environment of team work and empathy. In order to support and encourage learning in a classroom environment, students should feel comfortable and safe both physically and emotionally. Behavior, character, independence, attitudes, and academics are all learned in a classroom. They shouldRead MoreClassroom Management Philosophy. Introduction. Classroom1255 Words   |  6 PagesClassroom management philosophy Introduction Classroom management must be put in practice for any education setting to achieve its goal. Classroom management is the process that schools and teachers create and maintain the appropriate behavior of students in a classroom setup. The main aim of implementing the management strategies is to improve students’ academic engagement (Emmer Sabornie, 2015). In the context of Alfie Kohn theory, an ideal classroom is the one that curiosity and cooperationRead MoreClassroom Plan For A Classroom Management Plan1636 Words   |  7 Pagestimes. One way to accomplish this goal is through effective classroom management. It is important we take in to consideration the cultural diversity in our classroom before we make any final decisions on how to effectively manage our classroom. We must also decide what role our students, other faculty, parents, and the curriculum will play in choices we make to manage our classroom. Outlined in the next five chapters is a classroom management plan I have put together in hopes of creating a fun and safeRead MoreClassroom Management and the Instrumental Music Classroom1991 Words   |  8 Pagesmind when you hear the words â€Å"classroom management†? Many people think of a school classroom in utter chaos: students socializing during work time, projectiles flying across the room, a fight breaking out in the corner, and a helpless teacher wondering, â€Å"where did I go wrong?†. Eggen and Kauchak (2007) cite classroom management as the primary concern of preservice teachers (p. 369), and I am no exception to this citation. I am very excited to teach in a classroom someday, but confess my concern