Hey, guys!
Second week of the semester and I already have to start thinking about writing two papers . . . at the same time. Yikes. So, as you can understand, I will most likely only have time to blog on Mondays, when I have the most free time.
Also, I won't have time to read books that aren't in any of my courses' syllabuses. I will, however, write reviews for the books I will be reading for my courses. Trust me, there are plenty. And that is the topic of today's blog.
So far, the only literature I've read so far was a play for my World Literature class. This play is A Lesson from Aloes by Athol Fugard.
I know that thus far I haven't written any reviews for my blog. But, since I'm all out of ideas right now as I type with fifteen minutes before my next class, I figured I would do something different.
So, A Lesson from Aloes is set in South Africa, about a political activist and his wife and friend and how politics affect their lives.
After being inspired by protests that attempt to effect change, Piet is struck with the idea of making a statement. That's what he and his friend, Steve, have done in the past all the time. They pass out pamphlets and cause all sorts of trouble for the current government. But does anything really get done? Do they ever really inspire change?
Well, as I said, they cause plenty of trouble. The secret police went into Piet's and Gladys's home to search for names, locations, anything that gives any information at all about potential threats.
So why would they ready Gladys's diary in front of her and then take it as evidence and never return it? She is content with her life and groans at the mention of politics between her husband and Steve. Why would they think that she has something to hide?
Well, I'll tell you what: Gladys did not appreciate it. She writes her innermost thoughts, the goings-on of her day-to-day life in that diary. So when they come and take it as though it's theirs to have, Gladys is traumatized. She feels so violated that she must go to a mental asylum for a time. While she is better now, she is still rather anxious all the time.
The play picks up in the present with Piet tending to his aloe plants while he and Gladys await Steve and his family as guests to dinner. And what does the aloe have to teach Piet, Steve, and/or Gladys? Find out by reading the play for yourself.
Okay, it sounds kind of boring, but let me tell you something: the beauty of this play is that it is short, simple, and exquisitely crafted.
Point number one: it's short. I'm not even kidding. It only takes up less than eighty pages in my copy and it's only two acts long. I finished it in about three hours. The language is not very difficult either.
Point number two: it's simple. For one thing, there are only three characters: a man, his wife, and his friend, as I've mentioned before. Not only that, but there are also roughly three props throughout the whole play. The simplicity of this play allows it to be performed anywhere at any time and to be performed in a short amount of time.
Point number three: it's well-written. The characters are extremely complex, yet the playwright manages to convey all of their hopes, aspirations, flaws, and dirty little secrets with such brevity. If you really take the time to close read the play, you would be astounded by how much the play says.
It's a quick and simple read with a complex cast of characters. As an English major, I really enjoyed it. Which helps, since I may have to write a paper on it, but we'll see how that goes.
Well, I hope you guys enjoyed this brief little review and that you'll forgive me for its brevity. I hope that you'll check out the play for yourself and that you'll check back here for more fun stuff. Until next time.
Happy reading!!
Second week of the semester and I already have to start thinking about writing two papers . . . at the same time. Yikes. So, as you can understand, I will most likely only have time to blog on Mondays, when I have the most free time.
Also, I won't have time to read books that aren't in any of my courses' syllabuses. I will, however, write reviews for the books I will be reading for my courses. Trust me, there are plenty. And that is the topic of today's blog.
So far, the only literature I've read so far was a play for my World Literature class. This play is A Lesson from Aloes by Athol Fugard.
I know that thus far I haven't written any reviews for my blog. But, since I'm all out of ideas right now as I type with fifteen minutes before my next class, I figured I would do something different.
So, A Lesson from Aloes is set in South Africa, about a political activist and his wife and friend and how politics affect their lives.
After being inspired by protests that attempt to effect change, Piet is struck with the idea of making a statement. That's what he and his friend, Steve, have done in the past all the time. They pass out pamphlets and cause all sorts of trouble for the current government. But does anything really get done? Do they ever really inspire change?
Well, as I said, they cause plenty of trouble. The secret police went into Piet's and Gladys's home to search for names, locations, anything that gives any information at all about potential threats.
So why would they ready Gladys's diary in front of her and then take it as evidence and never return it? She is content with her life and groans at the mention of politics between her husband and Steve. Why would they think that she has something to hide?
Well, I'll tell you what: Gladys did not appreciate it. She writes her innermost thoughts, the goings-on of her day-to-day life in that diary. So when they come and take it as though it's theirs to have, Gladys is traumatized. She feels so violated that she must go to a mental asylum for a time. While she is better now, she is still rather anxious all the time.
The play picks up in the present with Piet tending to his aloe plants while he and Gladys await Steve and his family as guests to dinner. And what does the aloe have to teach Piet, Steve, and/or Gladys? Find out by reading the play for yourself.
Okay, it sounds kind of boring, but let me tell you something: the beauty of this play is that it is short, simple, and exquisitely crafted.
Point number one: it's short. I'm not even kidding. It only takes up less than eighty pages in my copy and it's only two acts long. I finished it in about three hours. The language is not very difficult either.
Point number two: it's simple. For one thing, there are only three characters: a man, his wife, and his friend, as I've mentioned before. Not only that, but there are also roughly three props throughout the whole play. The simplicity of this play allows it to be performed anywhere at any time and to be performed in a short amount of time.
Point number three: it's well-written. The characters are extremely complex, yet the playwright manages to convey all of their hopes, aspirations, flaws, and dirty little secrets with such brevity. If you really take the time to close read the play, you would be astounded by how much the play says.
It's a quick and simple read with a complex cast of characters. As an English major, I really enjoyed it. Which helps, since I may have to write a paper on it, but we'll see how that goes.
Well, I hope you guys enjoyed this brief little review and that you'll forgive me for its brevity. I hope that you'll check out the play for yourself and that you'll check back here for more fun stuff. Until next time.
Happy reading!!
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