Glengary Glen Ross

I believe the use of profanity in Glengarry Glen Ross is very appropriate. Mamet uses profanity for a variety of reasons:
1. Anger - The salesmen are placed under tremendous stress at their jobs. They are pressured to make sales at the cost of their jobs, but receive dead end leads every day. The profanity expresses their frustration.
2. Insecurities - With the question of manhood being brought up on a regular basis, profanity is used to cover insecurities these men feel. They harshness of their words are meant to protect these men from suspicion.
3. Dominance - Profanity is used when one character is expressing dominance over another. This is visible especially in the movie with Alec Baldwin's character.

Profanity is used appropriately in this play because it matches the intensity of the mood in the play. These men have their livelihoods in jeopardy.

Rear Window

Being stuck at home for weeks with a broken leg, Jefferies finds entertainment by watching the lives of his neighbors. Despite never having dialogue with these neighbors (except Thorwald), Jefferies' observations help develop these characters as important parts of the story. Furthermore, watching the other tennants in his apartment building serves to define the relationship Jefferies has with Lisa.

-Miss Torso, a beautiful dancer, has many suitors working for her affection. However, throughout the movie she never shows interest in any of them. It is only at the end of the movie that her wayward soldier boyfriend returns home. They look like a very mismatched couple, but appear to be very happy. In comparison to the relationship between Jefferies and Lisa, Miss Torso clearly represents Lisa. Being a gorgeous, successful woman, Lisa can have any man she wants but chooses Jefferies. Throughout the movie Jefferies argues that he and Lisa live very different lives and she would not be happy living his lifestyle. Despite being rejected constantly by Jefferies, Lisa eventually wins him over. In the end, they make a very happy, mismatched couple, similar to Miss Torso and her boyfriend.
-Miss Lonelyhearts is a depressed middle aged single woman. Despite her best efforts, she cannot find a man to love her and contemplates suicide through the movie. This depression can be directly compared to Lisa's frustration with Jefferies. Rejecting her every advance, Jefferies refuses to commit to Lisa. Lonelyhearts represents what Lisa's life could become if Jefferies continues to reject her.
-Mr. Composer has a similar function. Being a lonely bachelor, Mr. Composer writes music or gets drunk in his studio apartment. Mr. Composer represents what Jefferies' life could become if he does not commit to Lisa. As a photographer, Jefferies can relate to Mr. Composer as an artist.
-The Newlyweds represent Jefferies fear of marriage/commitment. At the beginning of the movie, the newlyweds are completely in love with each other. However as time goes on, the groom is constantly going to his window in an effort to get away for a little while. Signs of pain and annoyance can be seen in his face when his wife calls him back to bed. Eventually an argument between the two can even be heard in Jefferies apartment. Witnessing this, Jefferies is afraid of what might happen if he marries Lisa.
-The Thorwalds are the worst example of a relationship in view of Jefferies' rear window. Murdering his bedridden wife, Mr. Thorwald is clearly not satisfied with married life. Ironically, it is this heinous act of violence that brings Jefferies and Lisa together. Jefferies is left compeltely helpless in his wheelchair and could not have solved the crime without Lisa's help. Watching Lisa put herself in harms way to get to the bottom of the mystery, Jefferies realizes that she is perfect for him and that he loves her.

All the tenants in Jefferies' bulidng tell a story of love or a relationship. Each having a unique story, these tennants' situations shed light on the relationship between Jeffereies and Lisa. It is only through watching these characters that they unite at the end of the story. It could even be said that they would not have ended up together if Thorwald had not killed his wife.

King Lear

I think Coppelia Kahn's essay is very interesting and provides a unique insight into King Lear as his story progresses. As a king, I think Lear feels as though he has to supress any emotion he feels, so as to maintain his role. This act of stoicism gives him a misguided belief of strength. King Lear's attitude towards women and feminine instincts changes a great deal throughout the play. Looking at the first scene, King Lear forces his daughters to profess their love to him and punishes Cordelia for not acting like her sisters. He acts coldly, forgetting the connection that had existed between him and his youngest daughter, and banishes her. This reminds me of a temper tantrum a toddler would throw. He acts rashly, making serious decisons while angry. I like to believe that if Lear's wife had been alive she would not have allowed this to happen. She would have acted as a voice of reason in Lear's ear. It is this lack of a strong feminine influence that contributes to his downfall.

Lear's awakening to his own selfishness brings about a huge change in his behavior. Having originally thougt that tears and emotions belonged solely to women, his whole sense of identity is shaken when he finds himself alone, rejected by those he thought loved him. These emotions are a completely new experience for him and force him to bring his whole life into question. Going from a proud king, who believed emotional response as a sign of weekness, to a man wrapped in cheap clothes, kneeling before his beloved daughter truly emphasizes the gravity of his downfall.

Politics vs. Sentiment

In Persepolis, Marji's father tells her "politics and sentiment don't mix." In looking at the horrors of the war and revolution that their family is living through, it is easy to see how he could come to such a conclusion. He is watching his country be destroyed by people who repress the population. However, I'm not sure I agree. Political choicese come as a direct result of personal sentiment. The violence of the war that is terrorizing their country came as a result of politics. Is politics not a personal sentiment? People take positions on political issues because of how they think it will effect their country and the lives of those they care about. Those in power in Iran during the war force the citizens to adhere to strict religious conduct (the way they dress, who they see, or even how they walk down the street). But, are they not doing this out of a desire for, what they call, a good environment? While people may have different political views, everyone wants what is best for those they care about.

I think Marji may agree with this statement, but I'm not sure she would mean it. Marji's struggle throughout the story comes as a result of her conflict with politics. It is only through the love of her family and pride in who she is that she emerges on the other side of the conflict. Personal sentiment serves to combat the hardships of politics in this story. If Marji was an orphan, I highly doubt she would have emerged out of the turmoil of her childhood into the strong, confident adult she is at the end of the story. I think the women in her family would agree as well. The hardships women face in that part of the world, especially during that time period are more than I can imagine. However, Marji's mother and especially Marji's grandmother are both confident women who have turned into strong people. While sentiment and politics might not mesh perfectly, they definitely exist parallel to each other.

Nick is a very important character in The Great Gatsby. However, he is easily overlooked as he is the narrator and does not a have a great deal of action revolve around him. Instead, he serves as a detached character who sits back and watches the story unfold. This allows Nick, as a character, to develop and grow without actually being a major player in the progression of the story. Nick is the only character who takes away some kind of knowledge at the end of the story.

At the beginning of the novel, Nick establishes himself as an outsider, who has come to live in the ultra-rich lifestyle of Gatsby and the Buchannons. So, even though he becomes somewhat absorbed into their world, he is still reserved and never truly belongs there. It is this sense of detachment that allows us an insight into Nick's character and mentality towards the whole ordeal. As the novel opens, Nick is fascinated by Gatsby. Even as Nick finds out disreputable things about Gatsby's past and how he came to be so wealthy, he never adopts a negative opinion of him. It's almost as if Nick recognizes that Gatsby only wants everything he never had. I think that Nick views Gatsby as an embodiment of the common man; searching for the American Dream, willing to go to whatever lengths necessary to acquire the lifestyle he desires. In this regard, I think Nick empathizes with Gatsby. This would explain why Nick is the only one to go to Gatsby's side after he is shot. Gatsby is the only one that Nick sees before he leaves the East.

I don't think Nick's story is resolved at the end of the novel. On the contrary, I think it is just beginning. Having lived and watched the events and behavior of Gatsby and the Buchannons for some time, I think Nick is able to walk away form that lifestyle having learned a great deal. His insight into Gatsby's personality and ambition gives Nick a clear image of what the 'American Dream' really is and how it can be twisted and broken. I think Nick learned that you can not live your life obsessing over a single dream. Real life can never measure up to fantasy. Such is the story of Jay Gatsby.