At some point during 3rd period, you will be asked to go to the library and pick up either "Black Boy" by Richard Wright or "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou. When you return to class (or before you go down to get the book), complete the following assignment (due at end of class):
Please post a comment to this blog entry about Monster. What was your reaction to reading this play? What stands out foremost in your mind? Is a play like this valuable? Would it be, in your opinion, an interesting play to watch? What did you like/dislike most about the play? Did you feel the characters were necessary or interesting? Why or why not? Explore.
Make sure you post your comment by the end of class.
Then, please move on to the following task:
1. In your journal, please jot down some notes about the author of the book you chose. Either research Richard Wright or Maya Angelou depending on what book you chose to read. Hint: search the author's name or title of the book to start. Then see where you go from there.
2. Find out a little bit about the author. Use the internet to conduct your research. You may also try to find a video interview on Youtube.com with the author--or see them perform some of their work. Either way, make note of important key facts and information that you find interesting in your journal.
3. Spend some time today reading. There will be journal responses next class that will help you as you read. We will also discuss non-fiction (memoir) next class.
FAQ: How far should I read?
A: As far as you can. Your education and getting better at reading requires you to try it. Get into the book. See how far you can read at one time. Note in your journal your feelings. Is the book, for example, drawing you in? If not, why not? If so, why? These are always questions you will want to ask yourself as a writer.
FAQ: Why should I take notes on the author or as I read in my journal?
A: Using your journal to gather information can help you understand a difficult text or to remember key scenes or situations in a book--particularly if you find the book too complex or skim more than read. Your journal is a great place to put questions you can ask in class about writing. Knowing a little bit about an author is helpful in understanding what they are trying to accomplish or communicate through their writing.
Keep notes in your journal for the upcoming test on this memoir. You will be able to use it for the test.
HOMEWORK: Read Black Boy or I Know Why...Sings. Please bring your books to class next class. Complete any research you did not finish during class.
23 comments:
I really liked the play Monster, although sometimes it was difficult to keep up with because I found some parts boring. I was really amazed with this play, though. I thought the characters were so fantastic because they had such huge personalities and I could relate to a lot of their problems. A play like this is really valuable, in my opinion. It's not particularly world changing, but it does turn heads. This play would be excellent to see live. I would really want to see it. Sometimes, when we read works, it can seem lifeless. When brought on stage by an actor, it can bring this zeal to the writing. If this was performed, I can only imagine what it might be. I disliked one of the formats that Monster was in. Also, I didn't like Beula as a person. Although, she was beautifully crafted, I did not like her at all. I found it frustrating to read her parts. All of the characters played an important part, in my opinion. It's like seeing different perspectives of the same story, except you get to understand the characters better when they speak and it's not always the same story that they talk about. It's more like their opinions on one topic, which I enjoy reading. Overall, I thought Monster was really cool and my mind definitely kept changing sides when I read all of the character's opinions and thoughts.
My reaction to reading this play was being horrifying, repulsive and disillusioned for two hours of my young life. This play was not uplifting at all. This play nearly made me cry and I didn’t appreciate how emotionally invested I was, just to be broken down again by this gut-wrenching and eye watering play. I especially don’t like how Winfred RAPES Theresa! What was the justice in that matter? The purpose? I hate guys like that who can’t take no for an answer! If you don’t want to go out on a date with someone, then that person needs to accept it and move the fuck on! How in the Hell did he get in her room? Why didn’t she try to gouge his eyes out? Why didn’t she have a gun underneath her pillow? OH MY GOSH I am so paranoid about these things! When I get older I will defend myself in anyway possible, and place whatever I need underneath my pillow, so nothing tragic like that can ever happen in my COMFORT ZONE! (My bed is my comfort zone, how could she be violated like that in her comfort zone? then crawl in his pee?) WHY DID HE PEE ON HER FLOOR? What is the justice in that?
What stands out in my mind is how in the end, when Theresa is fighting that woman, how she reminds her of herself, that satanic part stood out to me. Like how she could just call herself the evil like that. I can see why since she’s battering random people in the streets, but she must have gotten so lost to a point of no return. A play like this is valuable I guess, with the way its written, with the monologues. If this was a book, and told from Theresa’s perspective I just would have stopped reading it right after she was violated. (WHAT WAS THE POINT OF THAT?) Of course the play would be interesting to watch, it was a bloody hysterical mess (no offense to the author) in a really weird, complicated interesting way. If it was a movie, I’d watch half of it and frown at the end. I’d probably cry a lot. So I’d need to snuggle up on a blanket and have a box of Kleenex if I prepared to watch it. And some cookies.
I dislike her mother. Greatly. If her mother has to degrade her and be derogative, what’s the point of taking care of her? Raising her? It seems like her mom’s just hating on Theresa’s swag, you know? If her mom has a problem with that, then she needs to go somewhere else with all of that shit. I liked how Theresa was different from all of the people in the neighborhood. I guess I can relate to that because I’m different from my family. I’m the only one who appreciates different cultures (you know, white people and their music) my family members aren’t so accepting. Please I’m the only sibling with a decent amount of IQ points to be sufficient enough for myself in the future. I think Theresa is the same way… before she lost herself.
I felt all the characters was necessary. EXCEPT for the Russian guy. I didn’t understand his part in the play… and when he first started talking, he didn’t have an accent, but then towards the end of the monologue he did. I didn’t get that part. Winfred DEFINITELY was not necessary at all, and it would have been nice to see at least one decent father figure in the play. Also, I think Theresa’s friend (whose name I cannot bear to remember) was a really good character. Given her psoarsis (sp, w’ever) and the whole I–hate-myself-so-I-must-hurt-myself blah blah blah masochist concept was a good point to add and how she couldn’t get a therapist because she was black was a good point too. My mom says the same thing. Whatever.
All in all, the play was a good read. I am partially glad I finished and can now rest my peace. Seriously though, I don’t enjoy reading such horrible things like that, (especially from the rapists point of view, oh my gosh, how could he not care about her, but care about the police coming? WHERE ARE HIS MORALS?) but I guess I do not have a choice. If I write a real book and it gets published, I’ll make sure not to harm my readers’ emotional state by giving them a tragic piece of work such as that.
I definitely liked this play. I thought it painted a picture of a cruel upbringing in Harlem, through many distinct, seemingly irreconcilable parts. Though the part that probably should've affected me the most was the rape, I was more intrigued by Marsha's character. I thought that monologue really gave, though it was just about two full pages, a picture of the character: her daily life, her beginnings, her relationships, how her life would go, in the future. This would be an interesting play to see performed. I think that, however, it might be confusing to see had I not read it first, because there are many characters, and they and their relationships to one another are almost barely alluded to in each monologue. So, basically, I had to keep flipping back to remember who was speaking and how they were related to Theresa. It's also a one-woman show, which I find really cool. The person playing all these characters would have to be so versatile--switching voices, personalities and stories. I found all the individual stories, as well as them put together as a whole, really compelling. When I read some of the characters, such as Christine, I found them unnecessary, but after I finished the play, I found that I liked the fact that those characters were there--they helped to weave the story deeper.
My reaction to Monster was astonishment and awe. The overall play not only is interesting in that there is only one actor needed, but the slash-writing that Theresa speaks in. All of the characters lead incredibly difficult lives in which race and money play huge parts. The most striking part of the play was when Beula was talking to Theresa. It reveals how terrible their relationship as mother and daughter is, in that she doesn’t accept Theresa for who she is and speaks so vulgarly to her own daugher. It also is clear that Theresa despises her. Another part that stuck in my mind was Theresa’s rape, because both sides were told. The whole incident was just extremely traumatic, and to hear Theresa talk about it was incredibly saddening. Furthermore, to hear Walter’s stupidity and adrenaline was a maddening experience. If acted out well, I think the play would be captivating and moving, however, if cast wrong, the play would fall flat. All of the characters were well thought out, and were all necessary because they all gave insight into why Theresa decided to sell the house against some people’s wishes. My favorite part was when she decided to move away at the end, because things where she was were so hard on her. It gave hope to the reader that she may find a place she loves. On the contrary, it broke my heart that Marsha would be all alone and friendless without Theresa. Despite this, I think Monster is an extraordinary play.
The play Monster, by Dael Orlandersmith is very interesting and different than any other play I've read.
I really got the feeling that I could relate to the characters, despite the different ages and the obvious different in race between myself and the characters. I think a play like this is valuable because of the structure (being written in monologues) and also being written as a one-woman show. This in itself shows the capability of a female.
I really liked Theresa's character and the way her monologues are written. I enjoyed reading and speaking aloud the different rhythms written into her pieces. When they had the pauses to make them more musical, I enjoyed the stream of consciousness that occurred, with the repetition of certain phrases.
I think that for the purposes of the play, maybe less characters could've been introduced and more characters (Theresa, Marsha, Beula) could have had more monologues, because I think visually, it'd be easier to watch and reading, it'd be less of a challenge to remember the mindset of the character, especially a character who appeared once. However, I do think all the characters were interesting and if the play wasn't meant to performed by just one individual, then having more monologues for all the characters in the original script would've been very interesting.
The play Monster, by Dael Orlandersmith, was actually interesting to me. Although it was one of the longer plays I have read, it kept my attention. It was a very easy read, and easy for a person to relate to. Even though many of us teenagers do not face the problems Theresa has, it still gives us the feeling of imagining yourself in a better place. The dialog was very discriptive and it would make a wonderful play. Some of the format I did not like, such as the blocking. It became confusing and sometimes messed up the pace at which I'm reading. Other than that, I enjoyed the play and I would honestly read other pieces by Orlandersmith.
The play "Monster" was very interesting. I loved the concept of the dialogue being monologue after monologue. This writing style helped get insight on the situation from all angles. In my opinion, Theresa's rape may have been an unnecessary tragedy for the story. It seems to me that the theme of the play was to live your life how you want, and not be held back by family obligations. While Theresa's rape probably pushed her, the play didn't focus very much time on Theresa's recovery. I believe watching this play would be very interesting, as well as emotionally provoking. This play was very valuable to read. I think it teaches a good lesson of not letting your family life or problems hold you back from what you love to do.
Erin Cotton
I thought that the play Monster was a very powerful play. I felt that it was possible for many people to relate with the plot. The setting of the play was very much realistic and shows that hard times still continue for many people of today. I liked the character Herman the most. It seemed as though Teresa was so ready to leave what she had and start a life of her own but then Herman came and told her the legacy of the house. I didn’t think it would make her second guess her choice but the fact that she had someone there to tell her about struggle was something I really liked. I feel like this is a very valuable play. I feel that it could teach people to always know your surroundings and where you came from. But also it’s okay if you want to start a life for yourself and leave your past in the past. I really enjoyed reading Monster.
I personally have never read anything like this before. It was interesting in a weird way. Some people may be able to relate to *Monster* well. It would be an interesting play to watch but I think it might be a little boring. I mean monologue after monologue, I wouldn't be interested. I may sound like I am contradicting myself but I didn't say I would go to the theater to watch it. It may be interesting to other people, just not myself. But, maybe seeing it on a stage, with people, live might change my views.
I didn't like Winfred all that much. He sounded like he thought that Theresa surrounded her whole life around him. And he doesn’t treat her well at all and I mean AT ALL.
On a different subject, the slash writing that Theresa spoke in was very interesting. I thought it was different and unusual. It kept me reading.
the play was definitely challenging to read at first and a little difficult to understand so i had to read it twice to get the actual meaning it shows a very different view of new york than i thought of it before the characters are out gong to see this play in action would be great because the story is already alive so if it was made into a play it would definitely have a lot of great responses.
Briyanna Brinkley
Monster Reply
The play Monster by Dael Orlandersmith was really interesting. The play was kind of confusing at first because of how the pages were stapled but other than that I really enjoyed it. I like how the author put you right smack in the middle of the drama and how everybody’s lives linked together. It always seems that teenagers have an easier time relating with people who somewhat have the same dysfunctional families they do, even if they don’t share the same issues. Most teenagers seem to like how the author didn’t beat around the bush with each character’s problems, which also makes it easier to understand where a character is coming from. Orlandersmith just put everything out there and that’s manly why I liked the play so much. I would really enjoy reading some more of her work in the future.
Gracie Elliott
Without a doubt it was a very moving and powerful play. It wasn’t the kind of play I enjoy or read in my leisure time, but it was definitely worth the read. I think that it would be an interesting play to watch. For me it would be difficult to see and although it would be interesting I would most likely not go. Reading it was enough.
The thing that stands out most in my mind is the language and the way the characters talked. That painted the most vivid picture in my mind. From that you could tell that the people were uneducated, and Theresa’s situation became all the more real.
A play like this is incredibly valuable. Most people, and I am ashamed to say myself included, would rather not hear about or see the unpleasant parts of life. This play brings things like rape, abuse, poverty, and things of that nature. The parts of life that some people would rather ignore. When people read these plays they have a better understanding of the pain that some people go through. The events of this play have happened to someone before. Her name may not have been Theresa, but there is a girl out there who was raped by her best friends brother. This play is an eye opener and incredibly valuable.
I didn’t like the line break monologues that Theresa had. I couldn’t follow them. If they had been broken into lines as a poem I would have been able to understand, but the backslashes were too distracting.
I felt that the characters were very interesting. They were well developed for having such small amounts of time to develop themselves. I found myself loathing Winfred and pitying Marsha. I respected Theresa and thought that Sophie was the best of all the characters. I liked her monologue the best. I didn’t think that the character Emma was necessary but she did help develop the story further.
Overall I thought the play was very good. I didn’t enjoy reading it because it was so graphic and vulgar, but I am glad that I read it. I also changed my mind. I think I would go see it if I had the opportunity. It would be interesting and I think it would be very worthwhile.
The play Monster struck me as very emotional right off the bat. As a reader I saw how much responsibility Theresa, being only 15 years old, had to take on as her mother, Beula, dies from being an alcoholic. Through the play my favorite character was Theresa's grandmother, Sophie. Even though she is comes across harsh to Beula you soon see that she is wise and knows what's best for her granddaughter. Being threw hardships herself; Sophie seems to be the only one in the play who understands how Theresa feels and what she wants. She tells her that she can get out of Harlem and away from poverty. Sophie encourages her to do something more with her life, to explore the new kind of music she likes and to not be like her mother.
The thing that stands out to me the most is how Dael Orlandersmith sectioned some of Theresa’s lines with slashes. I found this technique different, this being the first time I've ever read a play written like that before. Even though the slashes in the text are for if someone was going to write her part out as a poem, I took them as scattered thoughts. Things that were going through Theresa’s mind as she faces her everyday life. I also like how Theresa is into what the characters call "white music" and how she dresses and talks differently and stands up for herself too. No matter how much tormenting she has to go through she still stays an individual and doesn't care what people think. She doesn't get sucked into doing everything the way she's expected to.
In my opinion this play would be interesting to watch. I think it would be interesting to see how the characters acted out this play, how they thought the character should be displayed, especially Theresa. I thought all of the characters in the play were necessary. Theresa was obviously necessary because she's the main character. Sophie was necessary because she showed that there was a family member that cared and loved Theresa enough to look out for her. Marsha’s important because her character shows that Theresa has at least one friend even if she isn't the best. Emma was necessary because she shows Theresa that her momma was good and that she does have good in her, even though all she shows is hatred and spite. Even though Winfred is a treacherous character for what he does he's important because he shows what Theresa really has to go through and deal with. The only thing I didn't like about the play Monster is that it seemed to go too fast and the ending seemed to cut off. Besides that I really enjoyed this play. I would recommend it to many, especially writers, actors and anyone interested in reading emotional and dramatic plays. - Mariah Gonzalez
The play Monster had a good development of characters, though I think some parts were difficult to follow. It was annoying that only Theresa's parts had the slash marks. It was sore on my eyes. I also didn't like how the play time skipped. I like that I can connect with Theresa because for most of the play she is my age. I think this play would be good to watch,but I wouldn't want to pay for it. This play did have a good plot and character development, I just don't think the writing was good enough to pay for. The rape towards the end would probably traumatize the audience. I think that it was very graphic, and probably too graphic for the stage.
Haris Heganovic
My reaction to reading this play called Monster felt weird in a way for some reason. I also felt disturbed and emotional at the same time by some of the material in the play. But, it was a good play to read. The scene that stands out foremost in my mind from the play, Monster was when Theresa got raped by Winfred and she didn't do anything about it but cried. It was weird how Theresa left the door open and Winfred just went in because he thought that she wanted to have sex with him but she didn't. This play is very valuable to whoever had experienced something like this and whoever felt emotionally about it. Well, it would be an interesting play to watch because it expresses the emotional feelings in people who has experienced or would have a feeling how this would be like to someone. I disliked the way that the people in this play were treated by their elders in some of the scenes that they were beaten in. I liked the way how this play could've expressed what people may have ezperienced in their lives. The characters were interesting to me because each character was well developed and they were taking part in hard times during the 60's with racism and family in their way of a better life.
The book “Monster” displayed many ways of interaction with each character. From hared, to acceptance. The format of the story also changes from changes from time to time. Starts off as words and sentences phases being separated by a series of slashes, then it turns into a normal monologue. Although in my opinion I don’t think its play material.
The interaction between characters can sometimes be violent and racist. For example, in the scene where Sophia was talking with Theresa , she uses words of hate to get her word across. She uses words like “Nigger” and “pitch black” which is obviously talking about an African American. Words and phrases like such is proof that the story takes place around the times of discrimination was major or when it was still being practiced.
I don’t think its play-performing material because for it to be interpreted into one with the change in format throughout the play. And this may not matter, but it may not be audience-safe.
I thought this play was very intense, well written and powerful to read. It uses a very intriguing style of prose and each of the characters are so different. They really do pull you into this play, and that makes it incredibly wonderful. The message that this play sends, along with the plot and idea itself, really stand out and touch how you feel, and connect with ideas or experiences you might've had like the characters.
What stands out most in my mind is the intense language and imagery.
Yes, a play like this is definitely valuable, it's full of emotions and language that can reach to a person and make you feel what they feel. It's brilliantly written.
Yes, it would also be an interesting play to watch, however I don't think it should be one person who plays the parts. Seeing as they're all monologues, it makes sense to have one actor switch between characters but it'd be more interesting to see how two or more actors interacted in this play.
I've already mentioned my likings for this, so I'll go ahead and talk about what I didn't like. I was not fond of the rape scene, for obvious reasons. Not because it was mature, but because it was written in such an awful way, it made me hate the character doing it and was just really intense to read.
I didn't feel that Herman was very necessary, I didn't understand why he was there or who he was, really. But all the other characters played a very significant role in the play and in the development of Theresa.
Overall this play was fantastic and terrifying(in a sense) and I would like to see how somebody would produce this.
I really enjoyed reading the play Monster and would most definitely want to see it acted out. the characters are very interesting and versatile in some ways. Theresa and Marsha are the two characters that i like the most because of their personalities and ways of thinking. i like the fact that most of the characters live of of dreams that they wish to come true. Living in Harlem with nothing but they have such open minds on what they want to do with their lives. Marsha makes her life seem much easier than she knows that it is and all she wants is for her skin to clear up, she mentions that many times. I hated the whole thing about Theresa getting raped but it plays into the story to me, how things can be messed up in Harlem and in the lives of these black people. the way that the author repeats certain lines to help the reader get the impact of what is being said, i like that. This would be a great performance by the right actors, it's a deep and hard hitting play that can really catch a persons eye. like when i was reading it alone outside of class i didn't really want to keep reading yet every page made me wonder "what's next what's next?" its a great play and the characters are perfect to me.
The play Monster was kind of shocking. What was in the play was not really expected when i first started reading it.All the characters were well described but it was also difficult to read at first. Through the play the character went through a lot and it reminded me of the people that are misunderstood in this world. the play starts off boring but then it starts to get exciting and you can feel the drama.I think this play would probably be too graphic to be on stage because of all the things that are going on in it. But overall it was a good play.
The play Monster by Dael Orlandersmith, was a pretty straight forward play. I was able to get insight of all the characters, rather they served as an antagonist or a protagonist. At times I had problems trying to figure out who were the characters and what was their purpose in the play. I was able to see how Ms. Sophie ruined the childhood of Beula and how it still affected her. Also it displayed the way she carried those feelings on to Theresa. Theresa was one of those characters who seemed to be placed in a world with people she couldn't connect with. The fact that she was a reserved character frustrated me until the end of the play when she finally stood up for a child. I thought that she should've stood up for herself long ago. Overall the play never lost my attention. The format and the language of the characters also drew me into the literature.
the play was definitely challenging to read at first and a little difficult to understand so i had to read it twice to get the actual meaning it shows a very different view of new york than i thought of it before the characters are out gong to see this play in action would be great because the story is already alive so if it was made into a play it would definitely have a lot of great responses.temielle
The play Monster was fantastic! Usually when I read plays, I don't really connect well with the characters because all there is is dialogue, but this play really amazed me. The play shows how rough life can be in Harlem, and the characters diverse personalities made the play interesting to read. For example, Beula was a very intriguing character, who I didn't like, but was made well by the author. Her monologues lets the reader understand what kind of person she is. I felt really sympathetic during the play when Winifred raped Theresa. It was really sad, I felt bad for her. I think for her monologues, how fragments were used, was different and made the play better, because you can kind of understand how she thinks. And when the repeats certain phrases, it shows emphasis. Overall, all the characters in this play were well developed, and I loved the plot. I think it would be even better when performed as a play because you could see more emotion in it. I really enjoyed Monster by Dael Orlandersmith.
The play Monster was an interesting play, and a mighty, mighty powerful one at that. Its monologues act as varied–yet descriptive–portraits of these characters all played by one actress. It connects with the reader/viewer on a very raw, emotional level; characters are put through hell and we're told about it in vivid detail, somewhat subjectively, from the views of these characters. They're usually speaking in a stream of consciousness and, in a way, this increases the level of emotion dealt to us. They seem more real, instead of just mumbling along on rambling monologues.
A play like Monster is an important one to read in certain cases. It's great that plays like this exist and that we read them, to acknowledge the horrors of the world. It would also be very interesting to see staged, but I think it also works (maybe even better) as just a play to read. On the contrary, however, a part of me feels that this play doesn't bring much new to the table. Yes, we know crappy stuff like the godawful rape scene in this play exist in the world. And it's important to know that. It's important for plays similar to this to exist. But for me, and I think many others, I don't know if the importance is as pertinent. It's well-written and is a good example of monologues. But by the end of the play we are just depressed and disturbed. I don't feel any sense of greater understanding, and, moreover, I don't feel that I *needed* to *know* anything that the play told me.
Finally, I felt that, though very emotional, the play was a bit manipulative. These could be the truest of true stories in trueville, but that isn't a free pass to play with audience's emotions in a way that isn't necessarily a result of good writing or storytelling. For me, I didn't really care enough about the characters in a way that was actually done through *storytelling*, and not through pity or sorrow (that wasn't built up, but rather implied) towards who these characters are. We all know rape is terrible. The rape scene in Monster was absolutely horrid and graphic, and I felt terrible for Theresa and hated Winfred. And though I feel equally terrible to say this, in the end, it's just manipulative. It makes the reader/viewer feel distressed and disturbed, but I felt that Monster never really earned it. Everything in this play is tragic–yes, we know that! Tell us something more!
Just because it's sad, doesn't mean it's good.
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