2004. Critic Roland Barthes has said, “Literature is the question minus the answer.” Choose a novel, or play, and, considering Barthes’ observation, write an essay in which you analyze a central question the work raises and the extent to which it offers answers. Explain how the author’s treatment of this question affects your understanding of the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary.
Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead offers up many more questions than answers. As more of a philosophical work and less of a conclusive one, this makes sense. The play offers two big questions. Is there an end to the role people play in the lives of others and is there a point to their existence.
This work certainly exemplifies the prompt of asking questions without providing answers. The first question is answerable on an individual level, drawing on the reader's religious, social and philosophical knowledge and ideas. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern obviously play a role in Hamlet, but outside of that do they have free will or options other than their repeating roles? This play raises the question and allows the reader to draw their own conclusions. Throughout the play the only real significance R and G have is when they are performing in Elsinore, up until the very end where readers are left to decide what really happens to the two. Their lives end in darkness and it's likely that they begin again at the start, but that is up to the reader to decide.
The next question is supported by the first. Is there a point to their existence? Is there a point to our existence? R and G seem to have a purpose in being on call for Hamlet, but is that really their only purpose? Of all the activities they do while offstage and an all the conversations they have questioning things, is there a point to any of it. What significance do they have in the lives of the Tragedians, the Player, each others'. Also, do they serve a purpose in the lives of readers, other than asking unanswerable questions?
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern seem to simply exist with no purpose, but maybe their only purpose is to ask the questions Stoppard wants to know the answers to- or maybe, in the arrogant fashion of a true philosopher, he expects readers to find his answers in the questions of R and G.
You should reformat it. The AP people prefer an intro, three body paragraphs, conclusion set up. I also didn't see a clear thesis, other than the sentence that was phrased as a question but with improper punctuation. If that's the case, don't write your thesis as a question. Make it a statement.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of questions, you asked too many. The prompt said to explain. A question is okay in the conclusion or the intro, just to leave the reader with something, but other than that, avoid them altogether.
I also didn't see a concrete point that you were arguing in either body paragraph. I guess that's alright, seeing as you didn't have a thesis to begin with.
To start off, I didn't really see the connection you were trying to make between varying audience interpretation and the first question you mentioned (the question of a finite end to relationships). Perhaps it just need a few more sentences to clarify.
ReplyDeleteSo all you really need to do with this is o get into detail with not only how the questions are being asked, but also the different ways that the audience, or even you, try to answer them. You can't exemplify the author's point without providing more than just the questions presented.
Finally, THEME! Where is it?
P.S. I totally got what your thesis statement was. Clearly at the end of the first paragraph! Where else would it be?? come on now
Jason--Comments for 3rd quarter emailed to you.
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