Talking Heads Alan Bennett Essay Example

Talking Heads Alan Bennett Paper The following text is an essay based on two of the six Talking Heads monologues written by Alan Bennett: Bed Among The Lentils and Her Big Chance. The essay attempts to explain whether anything is lost or gained by reading these plays as short stories rather than seeing performances on television or the stage. The Talking Head monologues were originally written for performance on television, though they are also available as a collection of short stories. It has been suggested that Bennett created the pieces for specific performers, all of who are, to a certain extent, associated with him. It is therefore probable that he tailored the material to suit the individual actors styles. Bed among the Lentils starred Maggie Smith as Susan, who can be thought of as a typical English actress synonymous with intelligent, straight-laced, aloof characters, i. e. Miss Brody, while Her Big Chance starred Julie Walters as Leslie, who, at that time, was best known for her ditsy, flamboyant, comic roles. Casting of this kind makes a difference to the way in which the characters are accepted by the audience. The Actors individual nuances and deliverance would have been taken into account when the plays were written and would make a vast difference to the way in which the characters are shown. Being aware of a particular Actors performance strengthens the language the character uses. It makes the language used appropriate to the characters social background and since all the pieces were intended for performance, there is a musical quality to the text, which makes it sound more effective when read aloud. We will write a custom essay sample on Talking Heads Alan Bennett specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Talking Heads Alan Bennett specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Talking Heads Alan Bennett specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Though the text also stands reasonably well as a series of short stories, the fluent language used by each individual Actor as a repetitive musical rhythm of speech, i. e. Susan with her monotone delivery and Leslie with her high-octane quality, does add to the performance. One of the features of these stories is that there is an invisible barrier between the main characters and the real world. Each person has a secret which is well hidden but never revealed or acknowledged voluntarily. Each person hides her weakness Susans alcoholism and loss of faith Lesleys promiscuity and lack of talent. Each character keeps up a pretence of normality and Bennett shows us, through the eye of the camera, how each person struggles to maintain a facade. The characters dont seem to talk to the audience, but at it. Susan, the vicars wife, tells the story of her alcoholism and rehabilitation. She feels she is trapped in a loveless marriage to an Anglican clergyman, has taken to drink and begun an affair with an Asian grocer. Initially, Susan does come across as someone who is full of contempt for sex, with her description of sex as frightful collisions, or her own sex with Geoffrey as desiccated conjunctions. This at first suggests that she is simply a woman who lacks sexual desire. However, we later discover that it is a mere lack of desire with regards to Geoffrey. Her constant reference to Rameshs wonderful legs indicates great sexual desire. We therefore have this image of Susan as an unfulfilled woman in every respect, which is enhanced by the envious tone in her voice when she notices people, on a Sunday afternoon, Living, but when she refers to Mr Ramesh it is enhanced by the smile on the Actors lips. Susan despises her husband and his loyal band of parishioners and what they stand for but her involvement in the church is so fundamental to her life that she has even started to date important events in her life by holidays and occasions in religion. She remembers sleeping with Ramesh as being the second Sunday after Trinity. This is highlighted by the Actors voice, for example, when Susan is heard to recant part of the Lords prayer it is with a musical preaching tone which had been preceded and immediately followed by a mono-tonal quality, used when she is speaking of her life. Susans appearance is a good indicator as to how she is feeling about herself and her life. When the audience first sees her she is dressed in dull, shabby clothing and has unkempt, lank hair. She makes no mention of her problem with alcohol, except by allusion, until the final scene when she reveals that she has been to Alcoholics Anonymous. Even her rehabilitation is seen by her as another religion and Geoffreys attitude to it and to her are recounted with scant affection. It is apparent by the Actors delivery that there is no love lost between Susan and Geoffrey. He is, we are told, more interested in using the experience as a means of acquiring status as an upwardly mobile parson and according to Susan, this is what is in store for them both as Geoffrey brandishes Susans hand and tells her story all over the diocese. Susan is a changed woman at the end of the story, having, for the time being, given up drinking. This is clearly visible as the character is now well dressed, clean and smart with perfect hair and makeup. She is still Mrs Vicar, but the audience is left thinking that this might not last and there is an uncertainty to her future. Her attitude has not softened at all and this is obvious in the Actors delivery, the same mono-tonal voice and blank expression. It seems that though she is well aware of her situation, she has not yet decided what to do about it and her future is unclear. Susan remains, despite her reformation, a vicars wife who has lost her faith and is still dissatisfied with her marriage and her husband. With Leslie, in Her Big Chance, it would seem that Bennett based this character on various types he had seen in theatrical auditions and we can assume that she does have a certain accuracy. This is heighten by casting Julie Walters in this role. The character is first seen on a sunbed, a pastime considered to give the appearance of health though it is widely known to actually cause health problems. Using this in the opening of the play helps to build an image of Lesley of someone who is superficial and spends a lot of time on her appearance. Lesley believes herself to be professional to her fingertips when in fact she is almost completely lacking in any talent other than taking off her clothes and sleeping with the stage-hands. The parts she has played are minor, although she believes that they are important. From the first moment, Lesley builds up her small role in her head, ignoring the obvious facts that she has the part only because of the size of her breasts and that the (possibly soft-porn) production will have only a small audience. She tries desperately to improve herself, but her efforts at collecting people result only in more casual bed partners. Bennett makes her language very luvvie, and lards her story with theatrical jargon. This is delivered brilliantly by Julie Walters who is stereotypically cast in this kind of role. Lesley has no sense of humour at all, and displays a certain amount of waspishness when other characters puncture her ego. This is heightened by the expression on the characters face that shows that she is completely unaware of the sarcasm in others voices. Her naivety is displayed by the hopeless way in which she records others put-downs, and by her failure to see how distant she is from stardom. Fed by the flattery she receives from her lovers, she has an unrealistic idea of her success. Her self confidence is immense and in fact she is very difficult to like. Bennett, however, cleverly uses enough humour to prevent us from despising Lesley and we feel at the end rather sorry for her, left alone and determined to acquire another skill so that she can offer more as a person. She says at the end of her story that acting is really just giving but what she has to give is really not worth very much at all. The awful truth is that she is a victim of the fast dollar and doesnt even know that she is being exploited. Although neither of the characters intend to be funny, Bennett makes each of them speak in ways which cause the audience to laugh either at their situations or their turn of phrase, for example, Susans account of the flower arranging session with Mrs Shrubsole or Lesleys attempt to be interesting at a party. The humour comes from the seriousness of the characters, they use what they perceive to be appropriate language to recount their stories. The audience, therefore, laughs at their situations and at their pretentious behaviour and often their ignorance within those situations. They are touching and real, and at the same time both tragic and funny and this is heightened when it can be seen on the screen.

Rudy essays

Rudy essays At the beginning of the movie, Rudy's family holds him to a very meager image, a negative Pygmalion, laughing at his childhood determination to play football for Notre Dame. From being laughed at and told he was "too small" to his father telling him at the bus stop not to chase a "stupid dream", Rudy's family was not supportive of his ambitions to play football, nor did they believe that he could achieve such a feat. However, Rudy's friend Pete imposed a positive "Pygmalion" effect upon Rudy by giving him a Notre Dame Varsity jacket for his birthday, and telling him that he was "born to wear that jacket". Pete's words and unfortunate death we! re major factors in motivating Rudy to attain self-fulfillment. 2. Although Rudy did not have a lot of support from others, he did posses a "Galatea" self-fulfilling drives that enabled him to reach his goal of becoming a Notre Dame Football player. His behaviors and actions contributed to his success in several ways. Although a teacher once told him that "not everyone is meant to go to college", Rudy realized that he was better than just a laborer and decided to go for his goal of becoming a college football player. A lot of his inner drive was based on his desire to make his family proud of him, but he was also interested in his own sense of fulfillment. Rudy took a leap of faith by showing up on Notre Dame's campus, and his persistence and hard work after his several rejections, eventually lead to the transformation of his own expectations into reality. 3. After viewing the LAM movie and attending the Self Fulfilling Prophecy class, I have learned some valuable lessons that I will incorporate into my leadership style. I will make it a point to ensure that my subordinates work in a supportive and healthy work environment. I will speak to them in a friendly way and give them words of encouragement. I will be sure to provide adequate information pertaining to their tasks, and ...

Heart of Change Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Heart of Change - Research Paper Example All these transformations often require change in order to serve the customers in the most efficient manner. From American Competitiveness (2012), change is not easy to accomplish by managers in the organizations, as most companies believe that change is making people think differently. They more often base their ideas on idealistic, unseen promises of reward that makes it difficult in moving people into action. People often resist change because the risk of change might be seen to be greater than the risk to remain in the same position they were as before. Making people change requires them to have faith that enables them to believe in unseen promises or developments in the company. Moreover, other people resist change because they often want to be associated with people and companies who are identified with the old way. Humans live as social species and always wish to be connected with the people or companies they are familiar with. In addition to the above the employees of compani es fear change because reformers might have hidden agendas that may make them lose their jobs (Schuler 2003). Therefore, change requires competent managers who have to make people feel differently than changing their thoughts. Change therefore would be effective if it makes those to be changed see and feel the change. Companies should be heart centered rather than being mind when effecting change. Thus, winning people’s commitment to change requires managers to engage people emotionally and rationally. Companies do not well understand that emotional change goes a long way to making their workers accept the new ways of doing things in their offices. However, failure to listen to and respond to workers’ rational objections and their beliefs by organizations is a show of disrespect to them and making assumptions that the workers will be aware the importance innovative change would have to them (Costello 2012). By following the right procedure in effecting changes in an or ganization often boosts the morale of employees who feel that their culture is also taken care of. Forcing people to adopt certain changes is a show of lack of respect and the company would not achieve her goals by so doing. He continues to assert that managers and organizations often make mistakes in attempting to make changes. It is true that a few only companies manage in effecting change successfully unlike what happens in other organizations. Poor knowledge of how change should be done often leads to the loss of big sums of money by organizations may cause lots of pain and headache in trying to make workers believe the effectiveness of the change. With regard to this, there are steps that must be followed in trying to effect change. The first is the establishment of the need for change in the organization. As one who is articulating for reforms, the need to make the management and organization trust the need for any change is vital. Through this, the reformer gains enough coope ration. Should this be impossible, the team players would be dissatisfied and would lack a feeling of contentment for the change process. Knowing what complacency implies and coming up with proper strategies to overcoming complacency go hand in hand in establishing a sense of urgency amongst the team players. Next is the establishment of the right members in the team. Members who understand what it takes to bring about change. The members must have the

Walmart Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Walmart - Research Paper Example Walmart stands distinguished among the crowd of aspiring organizations because the managers vigorously and regularly collaborate with employees to improve the policies and gain more customers. This proves that organizational designs which integrate such effective tools improve service behaviors of the employees and make them invest extra time, hard work, and brainwork in the functions they perform. Such motivated style service delivery inflicts a very different and fresh influence on the customers also. Apart from organizational design, the organizational culture of Walmart fully acknowledges the importance of both positive organizational behavior and diversity as a way of winning loyalty of more customers from diverse background. All such aspects of Walmart’s management will be analyzed in this research paper and will also be compared with the service practices of other large retail stores to find out how Walmart corporation manages to stand out of the crowd. Introduction: Wa l-Mart Stores, Inc. or simply Walmart is an American multinational retail corporation which runs a large chain of department stores around the world. The success of this renowned business corporation is such that Fortune 500 has revealed it to be the world’s third largest public corporation. As one of the world’s most prestigious companies, currently over two million employees are privately employed at Walmart. It is also the largest grocery retailer in the US. There are already 8500 stores operating in as many as 15 countries under different names and the head of Walmart has thrown light on more plans for growth on an international level. While addressing the Wake Forest University students recently, Mike Duke who is the president and CEO of Walmart claimed that in order to face the fierce competitiveness in the present global economy and to stay ahead of the other reputable national and international organizations, Walmart will have to speed up its growth process. In the same address, Duke announced plans to conquer Africa also â€Å"by making a preliminary offer to buy Massmart Holdings Ltd† (Daniel). This paper aims at reviewing literature as a way of finding out what it has to say on the success of Walmart and what management strategies are employed by the management of this corporation to satisfy the needs of both employees and customers. Role of innovation in sustaining business success and growth: The growth of the international Walmart business outside the US is described by Duke as absolutely phenomenal and accelerated in context of building new department stores and serving dynamic needs of a diverse line of customers (Daniel). It is claimed by the Walmart organization itself that innovative leadership, concerned management, and a deep commitment to save public’s money have together given this business a global reputation due to which it is still in

The Biology and Ecology of White Sharks Research Paper

The Biology and Ecology of White Sharks - Research Paper Example The research, therefore, includes information on the ecology and biology of the white shark, the species’ recent conservation status, a clear description of the major threats endangering the species’ survival in the Australian water bodies and appropriate recommendations for future research. Â   Other names for the white shark include the white pointer or great white shark. It is a close relative of the porbeagle shark and mako shark popular in the mackerel crook family Lamnidae. The white shark has an average stout and torpedo-shaped body, its color is blue-grey to grey-brown on the upper region and white beneath, has very big serrated teeth, and unique horizontal tip lengthways the physique middle line just near the semicircular designed tail. Another physical fact about the white shark is; large apex predator that grows to at least six meters in length. Some reports that are not yet proved to indicate that the white shark grows up to seven meters in length and can weigh up to a mass of three thousand kilos (Bright, 33). A unique heat-exchanging circulatory system allows the white shark to maintain a favorable body temperature of up to fourteen degree Celsius above that of the surrounding water masses of the sea. This enables the individuals to tolerate a wide range of temperatures. The white shark is a species that lives for a very long period of time that is approximately sixty years but this is not certain information. Averagely the reasonable period is in between forty to fifty years according to scientists and researchers. The species has a relatively slow development and low reproductive rate with a long pregnancy period that is close to eighteen months. These features indicate a low reproduction capability that has difficulties for the vulnerability of the white shark to non-natural mortality and the rate at which populations deplete and recover. These factors have substantial defects for the conservation of the white shark species.

Multiculturalism in Melbourne

Multiculturalism in Melbourne INTRODUCTION: It is indeed true that the world is getting smaller nowadays. More and more people are moving into different places for a myriad of reason, mostly for seeking greener pastures and finding their luck with hopes that they will earn higher income in places other than where they were raised. With this, more adjustments are necessary as someone who has been new in the place is indeed required to adapt to the new culture and environment in order to establish a living in that particular community. As more and more people are considering the possibility of immigration, more and more adjustments are taken into consideration as well. More often than not, immigrants were able to successfully adapt to the community of their choice because of the help of people around them and on efforts extended by the necessary groups to make them feel comfortable on what they will be considering as their new home for the next chapter of their lives. This paper will discuss briefly the Spanish community in Aust ralia including present demographics and other information which are related into their way of living. THE MELBOURNE COMMUNITY The population at Melbourne is very diverse comprising of different groups of people from a variety of ages and mostly was from different countries with varying tradition and culture. Most of the residents in the city include young professionals, international students, and elder couples who were looking forward into enjoying the city or the rest of time that they still have. In a recent survey conducted in the United Sates, Melbourne is one of the most livable cities in the world outstripping Sydney. This was mainly attributed to multicultural diversity because of the increasing number of expatriates and immigrants residing in Melbourne. Part of the citys population, which was mainly the reason why it was said to be diverse, include multicultural and indigenous communities. The city of Melbourne is said to have been the hub of the worlds most culturally diverse and harmonious nationalities, with residents from more than 140 nations brought about to the city by the four waves of migr ation in the citys history. These waves of migration happened during the European settlement in the 1830s, after the gold rush in the 1850s, during the post-World War II, and lastly during the time that the number of international students increased dramatically. The welcoming city of Melbourne serves as home for international communities such as those from New Zealand, Korea, and United Kingdom. SPANISH COMMUNITY IN MELBOURNE One of the international identities residing along the suburbs of Melbourne, joining other nationalities, are those from Spain forming the Spanish community and is also being influenced by the Australian culture in just the same way that they bring their culture, traditions, and beliefs in the rich heritage which was inherent to Melbourne. The start of the migration of the Spanish community in Melbourne the capital city of Victoria is attributed to the gold rush were seafarers migrated into the place to try their luck. At that time, 80 % of the immigrants are men and it continued to increase over the next years including the women population in Victoria. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, there is a significant number of Spanish Australians and the majorities of them live in the area of Sydney and Melbourne and also in Brisbane and Perth but with a significant lower population compared to the first two mention. The statistics also holds that there are 16,114 Spanish Australians which are residing in Melbourne, placing second after Sydney with a total of 29,230 Spanish Australian residents. In Melbourne, most of the Spanish population has been concentrated in Fitzroy, one of its suburbs. In Fitzroy, a number of Spanish establishments can be found which was attributed to the Spanish community living in its suburbs. During the year 1950s, Spanish was even used as a language in schools in Victoria. This goes to show the acceptance of the Spanish community not just in Melbourne, but in Victoria in general. MODE OF LIVING IN MELBOURNE Just like any nationalities, most of which were with greater population in Melbourne compared to the Spanish, they have established their own lifestyle in Melbourne from dining and entertainment to their religion and other personal beliefs. There are a number of Spanish restaurants and clubs which abound the city in order for the Spanish community to experience Spanish living at the very heart of Melbourne. A number of civic organizations have been busy and very particular about putting up events and relevant organizations which will enhance the mode of Spanish lifestyle in the diverse city of Melbourne. There is also a number of Spanish architecture in Melbourne which goes to show that the Spanish community has been in existent for ages, just that it really has no significant population in the community. The erection of the Barcelona Terrace is one example of architecture influenced by the Spanish community. Spanish cultural traces in Melbourne, as of today, has become more evident and obvious especially in the suburbs of Fitzroy with the existence of restaurants, clubs, houses, organizations, and other activities which are showing the rich Spanish culture. The very strength pf the Spanish community in Melbourne is the fact that they have been there, although in very small population, during the very early years of migration history in Melbourne. This gives them the fact that they have exposed their culture for long to gain acceptance from the Australian community. It is evident that because of the relatively small population of the Spaniards living in Melbourne, too little attention has been given in them in terms of civic activities and other activities related to immigrant living. The Spanish community should be more active in establishing their rights as immigrant. Aside from their traditional celebrations commonly done in Fitzroy, they should spread more of their culture and make the Australians more aware of their heritage so that they will establish a better name in the city. Their relatively small population should not be able to hinder their function in the community. REFERENCES: City of Melbourne; Multicultural Communities; Accessed on April 2, 2010 from http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/AboutMelbourne/MelbourneProfile/Pages/Multiculturalcommunities.aspx Exploring Abroad; Living in Australia; Accessed on April 2, 2010 from http://www.exploringabroad.com/australia/living-in-australia.htm Fitzroyalty; The Spanish History of Fitzroy; Accessed on April 2, 2010 from http://indolentdandy.net/fitzroyalty/2009/05/22/the-spanish-history-of-fitzroy/ Museum of Victoria Australia; History of Immigration from Spain; Accessed on April 2, 2010 from http://museumvictoria.com.au/origins/history.aspx?pid=57 Valverde, Estella; Unlocking Australias Language Potential: Profiles of 9 Key Languages in Australia; 1994

Two Or Three Things I Know For Sure :: essays research papers fc

Two or Three Things I Know For Sure   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Allison illuminates the fact that we as women must appreciate each other and our beauty before we can truly cherish other forms of beauty around us. â€Å"Two or three things I know for sure, and one of them is that of we are not beautiful to each other, we cannot know beauty in any form†(86). We are so conditioned to see female beauty as what men see as beautiful, that we don’t even know what it means to us. If we can get to the point where women feel beautiful even if they don’t fit the societal ideal, it will allow us to open our minds to all other forms of beauty.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Morgan asserts in her article, â€Å"Women and the Knife†, â€Å"Rather than aspiring to self-determined and women-centered ideals of health or integrity, women’s’ attractiveness is defined as attractive-to-men...†(119). This ties in to a story that Allison tells in her book about a conversation with her sister. She had always thought her sister was beautiful and was jealous at the attention and admiration it entailed. Many women are envious of women that men view as beautiful...even lesbian women who possibly would have a different view of female beauty. Society ingrains in everyone what the standard of beauty is so much that we don’t even know why we believe it. As Allison talks with her sister, she discovers what it meant for her to be attractive growing up. She was constantly harassed by boys and goaded by mothers and sister who didn’t want her near their sons and brothers. People assumed that she thought she was better than them, without her having to say a word. So while Allison wanted to be just like her, she dealt with â€Å"...the hatred that trailed over her skin like honey melting on warm bread†(78). Though this story points out that beauty has its cost as well, the power of being beautiful holds a great deal of weight in our society as individuals and social beings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"...a woman’s pursuit of beauty through transformation is often associated with lived experiences of self-creation, self-fulfillment, self-transcendence, and being cared for. The power of these experiences must not be underestimated†(Morgan, 120). This is a major reason so many women are now choosing to have cosmetic surgery. But, as Morgan also points out, â€Å"elective† surgery is now becoming less of a choice for women. As more and more women transform their bodies into society’s ideal figure of femininity, the higher the standards become. If women begin seeing many other women having