Krik? Krak! Scene Review

Looking back on my group’s performance and written scene, I wish we could have done better. Overall, I think our scene was too short and unorganized. While I understood it’s intentions, we should have executed our ideas in a more efficient idea. While I really enjoy being in a class with Kathleen and Kat, I believe we don’t exactly work that well together; we tended to get distracted, and therefore, it was difficult to collaborate and create what was asked of us, especially because our first draft did not fit the project’s description. What made it even more difficult was the fact that our group had trouble communicating with one another, so we were never on the same page with our project. You may have noticed when we started our scene, I set up two chairs, thinking Kathleen and Kat would be sitting during their conversation. It was not until the performance that I was corrected, and it caused for unsure blocking- mostly us crammed in the corner. Another difficulty was that we had to perform it a lot later after the other groups, so we had forgotten what we discussed about the scene, and no one had the exact same script.

If I could redo our scene, I would have explored the letter more. I would follow where it went, and in the second half of our presentation, I would introduce who she took blame for and why. I feel as though this was the most important, as well interesting, part of the scene, and I feel it got neglected. If we explored this, it would have allowed us to become more creative by exploring a self-created ending.

Our scene showed a lot of potential, so I know that if my group were to focus more and think about how we could expand on our material, it would greatly improve.

Top Five Scene Choices

My top five choices are as follows (in no particular order):

Nadya’s

Julia’s

Abigail’s

Betty’s

Nancy’s

A common link in all of these the theme of relationship. In Nadya’s, I would love to explore how each story affects another character in the book club. In Julia’s I am very curious as to how the audience will see how and why each character is effected by other charactes story (do they tell the other characters about how and why they are effected? Or do they keep it to themselves? Why?). I like the idea of Betty’s. I think her scene will be emotional, as now we have a different perspective and a more personal view of a child growing up and moving on. In Nancy’s I really thought understanding cultural difference through a family is a creative and complex idea that would be challenging but ultimately rewarding. I included mine on the list because I really want to explore the theme of relationships, but also female empowerment, and the defiance of an overpowering government. I also think creating an ending with my group would make the scene more shared and creative. 

Endgame Review

I was really excited to see Endgame. To be honest, seeing pictures of the set online before going made me really interested in the play. I thought it was going to be very creative (which it was), but seeing the garbage bags, the bland, limited furniture, and trash around the stage made me curious as to what the play was about.

When the play started, I was really thrown off guard by the music. It made for a very tense and dramatic entrance, which I would later find out, carried throughout the duration of the play. That being said, one thing that really stood out to me about the play was how capable the actors on stage were able to create tension, as well as deep emotions for one another. Although they wanted to be away from one another, they all had no choice but to rely on one another to survive and for companionship. This was especially evident when Nell died, and Nagg was left helpless; when his wife died, and his son stopped acknowledging him, it left him, and Hamm completely alone.

My favorite part of the play was Nell’s performance. After her one short part, I wanted to see more of her, as she was the one character who was still in touch with her natural emotions. We could instantly tell that she was full of love and sadness, and that she still cared for her family tremendously.  This made it especially hard to watch when she asked her husband, “Do you have anything else to say to me?” and he went on to telling a useless story, instead of what she wanted to hear.

Obviously, her character was completely different than that of Hamm’s. While she was in touch with her emotions and easily able to express them, he was not. Hamm was verbally abusive to Clove, the one person that he relied so much on. Instead of treating him with kindness, he was nasty. I believe he did this because he wanted not only to be in control, but because he did not want Clove to leave him. If he scared him enough, Clove would stay, but of he allowed him to have independence and know that he was of value, he could easily leave Hamm, leaving him helpless.

I believe the topic of relationships, and the ultimate end of life, were the two main themes in this play. While they are sometimes difficult themes to fully express, I believe this play did an excellent job. This play clearly showed the reliance one person will ultimately have on another, and how important having others in your life is. I believe this is why I enjoyed the play so much. It dealt with complicated and difficult problems, some that people do not generally like to think or talk about. It brought them to light, in an unusual way, and for this reason, I believe every person should see Endgame at some point in their life. It is important theater that expresses ideas and emotions that are not foreign to people, but that are not normally expressed, even though they should be.

Scene Idea

I have a few ideas for the IB IA of Krik? Krak! What I found most interesting in these stories was the idea of courage. In Children of the Sea, I was curious as to what might have happened if the narrator's mother would have stood up to the guards. Could she have actually saved her neighbor's life? Would she have been in trouble by the guards? My idea, although open to change, is to portray that scene, but to have the mother actually go and stand up to the guards. Why I want to do this is to show a strong theme of unity. Throughout all of these stories, every character has either had, or needed, someone else to rely on. Therefore, I wanted to make a scene where the one character who does not have someone,  gets someone to help her. In order to complete this scene, I believe it would need three people. One for the guard, the neighbor, and one for the mother. As to changing the physical location of the scene,  I thought it might be interesting to put the scene into modern day with modern issues while still keeping the reason for why she is being prosecuted.  I am not entirely sure at the moment how to properly show this, but I would love if maybe we could incorporate modern day costumes and setting. I feel as though this would be a good idea because we could show a major theme that exists throughout the novel, but we would also be able to expand on a minor detail (that of what happened to the neighbor) and make it more eye opening and interesting to the audience. The lead character would be the neighbor, so that in addition to the new story/plot, we would have a new focal point and perspective. While this may be hard to execute, I think the scene would be really captivating. In addition to the theme of courage, we would also be able to see the theme of women helping women. Throughout the novel, there is motherly affection, and close friendship among women. Because this scene in the book lacks this, I think it would be a big change to incorporate this alternate ending.

Even if we decide not to do this scene, I would love to participate in one that reflects some of the bigger themes in the book. Whether it ends up being courage, friendship, or unity, I really enjoy being a part of it. I hope that our class is able to come up with some unique ideas that incorporate the themes of the novel and perhaps even establishes alternate endings. If we are able to do this, it would give a new perspective and feeling to the stories of the novel. In addition, I believe this scene will teach the audience as to why it is so important to help others. We already know the ending that happened, but this new ending is the what could have been.

Endgame Notes

Endgame Notes:

• Written by Samuel Beckett. Samuel Beckett was born in 1906 of Irish descent and died in 1989. Novelist, poet, playwright and director, Beckett lived mostly in Paris, and wrote his works in either English or French. He attended Trinity College in Dublin and his writings were influenced by World War Two and The French Resistance. He wrote mostly dark comedy. During his life, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature. His most well known works are as follows: Murphy, Molloy, The Unnameable, Watt, Endgame, Krapp’s Last Tape and How It Is.
• It first premiered in London in 1957 and one of Beckett's most well known and accomplished works.
• One act (no intermission)
• Cast of four characters: Hamm(main character. He is unable to see or walk.), Clov(Hamm’s servant), Nagg(father of Hamm), and Nell (mother of Hamm)
• It is Theatre of the Absurd, or tragicomedy, meaning it combines these two genres.
• The play follows the story of Hamm, who acts out. In the end, he is left alone in a room where he has been trapped for the duration of the play and for many years.
  The cast includes: Reg E. Cathey, Lynn Cohen, Brian Dennehy, and Joe Grifasi.
  
  

Blog Number 8

I believe that storytelling, in relation to Krik? Krak! Is very important. By having her short stories be part of story that is being told, allows the reader to embrace the story with an understanding that it took place perhaps in Danticat’s family.  That being said, there is a lot of sentiment behind each story, and a gentle way in which it reads. By having storytelling be a part of them, the reader is able to sense the impact each story has/had on their family. Many address struggles, happiness, sadness, hope, etc., so to know that they (the characters) may have been part of the author’s family, gives it a deeper, more heavier feeling.

One story that comes to mind when I think of this is “Nineteen-Thirtyseven”. Out of all of the stories we have read, including the epilogue, I found this one to be most heartbreaking and emotional. Because the main character literally watches her mother be abused by the prison, suffer, and die, it makes her realization of how strong her mother was even more genuine to the reader. Like the narrator, we (the reader) can feel as though we went through it with her; we read about her mistreatment, we read about her difficulties, and we read about her death. We as a reader were able to conclude how strong of a woman she already was, so when the narrator comes to that conclusion on her own, it is very powerful to herself, and to us. Then, in addition, if this a true story, we can realize that Danticat had many of the same feelings as we did. If it is not a true story, but rather just a tale, it still teaches us strong morals. Her story telling allows us to read and view the story from our own perspectives and to feel as though we truly know the characters as well as recognize the emotions that the narrator is going through, despite whether we have been in their shoes or not. We learn how their emotions feel through the telling of the story.

In the epilogue, it was hard for me to think that the writer was any but Danticat. Assuming it was her, it was inspiring to read about her desire to write about the women in her family. Not only that, but looking back on the stories, I find them to be even more compelling and gripping. When I first thought it was her, it taught and showed me all of the appreciation she has for the women in family, the different paths they took in their lives, the struggles they faced as well as their successes. If it truly was her who decided to write about her female ancestors, than I believe, at least for me, that she has done such a marvelous job at showing readers how much you can learn from your own family and their personal experiences. Then, by sharing it, she proved how much other, outside people can benefit and learn from them.

Comparison Blog #7

There is an apparent difference between the daily lives of those living in Haiti, and those living in New York in Krik? Krak! Not only are they treated differently socially, but the characters  lead different lives with various opportunities. While it is apparent that in Haiti many of the characters struggle to cope on a day to day basis, the women we have read about in New York are presented with job opportunity and learn how to live outside of Haiti. However, a common link between stories such as New York Day Women and Night Women is the character's ambition and desperation to provide for their families.

As we discussed in class, the main character in Night Women sees no other choice but to provide for her son by becoming a prostitute. While she does not enjoy this opposition nor does she feel comfortable to be honest with her son about it, she has hope for her future. By doing this, her sacrifice to provide for her son is evident and most of the time, heart breaking.

In addition to this main character,  another example of sacrifice to provide for their families is clearly seen in New York Women. Although this woman is less concerned about her relationship with child (compared to Night Women), she gives up most of her time in order to work as an au pair. By spending her time caring for other children instead of her own, she is able to earn a steady income, most of which helps pay for her own daughter.

In Caroline’s Wedding, the reader is given a very different focus than any other story we have read so far. Although the story surrounds a family, there is less unity amongst them. Because the main character was born in Haiti, unlike her other sibling, Caroline, she struggles with her nationality and feeling like she belongs in her family. While this may seem upsetting to follow a character who feels like they don’t fit in with their family, it teaches the reader so much about unity that can be created from nationality and origin.

Overall, I would say a common theme between these three stories is family and the sacrifice one makes for their family. While each contains heart-wrenching situations, it is clear that these stories show how people individually benefit from putting family first and having such a strong reliable support system really is.  

In Class Writing: "Night Women"

Throughout “Night Women” I was astonished by the Narrator’s cling to hope despite the fact that she was living in such a desperate situation. She used symbols, such as Angels, to represent her hope, and how she continued to wait for them to visit her. When I think of Angels, I associate them with beauty and happiness, so when I read how she believed they would come and change her life, it allowed me to associate a magical feeling with the short story. That being said, I got much more of a sweet feeling from the story and it’s tone, rather than a dark and/or depressing one. To say the least, her constant seeking-out-the-positive attitude made reading about her unfortunate career redeeming. She had something to look forward to, and in return, I, as a reader, did as well.

This is most likely due to her outpouring love for her son, and the lengths she went to to protect him from the truth. By doing this, we can see her desire to protect his innocence, and hers, as well. I think the reason for protecting innocence and maintaining hope is to prove to the reader that despite what situation you may be in, and no matter how awful it may be, there is still hope for change.

Throughout all of the stories we have read so far, the characters are going through rough and horrendous life-altering situations- yet each one has hope and believes that their life can change in some way. “Night Women” only elaborated on this theme. By having a tone that is soft, honest, and to the point, it shows that she was aware of her situation, but that she knew her life could improve. This is important, because so far, all of the characters in every story we have read wants their lives to be better. The Narrator in “Night Women” was a strong character who reinforced this.

Blog Number Six

Despite these stories having many themes such as pain, independence, betrayal, and unity, family is the one major theme that has stood out to me. These three stories all highlight on the hardships, as well as the benefits, of having such a strong family and how they affect all types of people. That being said, I believe the most important stories with the theme of family is “Children of the Sea” and “Nineteen-Thirty Seven”. Although each of these story’s family has different relationships, goals and obstacles, it is clear that each member is closely united with one another. In return, each family plays a crucial role in each character's lives, their decision making, and in their self growth and exploration.

In the first story, it was evident that the narrator (who was not living on the raft) had a family that solely aimed to protect one another. This is mostly evident when their neighbor was being attacked. In order to save his wife, it took strong, independant will for the father to hold back the mother in order to protect her and sacrifice the neighbor’s life. This may seem selfish, but in the end, he was able to protect his family. However, it is not to be said that the other narrator does not have a family as well. Although his peers on the raft may not be related to him by blood, he makes strong ties and develops emotional relationships with those around him- which in return, creates a family of his own.

People often refer to their family as “home”, however, in this story, both the narrators and families are being torn apart, one is literally separated from them, and the other is losing their home due to the macoutes. That being said, I believe the narrator’s families are so important to their story. The changes in their families and homes show the dramatic changes in their lives. Once they are no longer able to rely on their family, they lose their home.

In the second story, Josephine reflects on her mother’s, as well as her family’s history. She struggles to witnesses how badly her mother is being treated due to her being accused a witch, however in the long run, she benefits by learning about her mother’s choices. In this story, Josephine looks back on her family roots, and acknowledges the role they have played in her life. In this story, family helps the main character’s self-development and growth. By watching her mother slowly deteriorate, Josephine herself becomes stronger. In a sense, she was able to come to term with her family’s past, learn how to accept her origins and who she was. In addition, Josephine has to learn how to live and cope with knowing what her mother faced. By watching her only family member suffer, she learned how important family was to her.  Because of this, she became a stronger and more in touch person. Once her mother passed away, she was able to look back on her life and learn more about her family’s history.

Quote Analysis for "Krik?Krak!"

“The past is like hair on your head…” quote immediately stood out to me and made me think of the second story from “Krik? Krak!” I can only imagine that what happened to Josephine's mother would play a big role in her life. Despite her mother’s death and not having to bare witness to the mental and physical tolls her mother took from being accused a witch, Josephine herself, can never escape the brutal reality of watching her mother be effected from society’s harsh treatment of her mom. In that, and the quotes's sense, it seems to me that Josephine would never be able to escape, let alone get closure, to what happened to her mother. Despite the quote being about Danticat’s own recognition of her origins, I think this applies to Josephine's self-knowledge that she is her mother’s daughter, and her mom’s experiences will always have an effect in her.

“It is the calm and silent waters that drown you” made me think back to the first story we read in class. I found the hardest part of that story to read was when one of the narrator’s mother wants to help protect her neighbor from being killed by the macoutes. Because she was forced to be silent (in order to save her own life), she felt guilty about the neighbor’s death. Knowing that if you were to speak up, you could have saved some one, is an incredibly difficult thing to live with. In this quote, it states that staying silent, and doing nothing, can make a person feel awful, and in this story, I believed it did.