Kathryn Blog post #3

The concept that a character can be developed deeply through their appearance makes a good amount of sense to me. When you meet a person for the first time before they even say anything you have most likely gotten a glimpse at who they are by their facial expressions and personal style. Similarly we can learn a lot about Carol and John by the way they dress and act. In the beginning Carol is portrayed as a dowdy and helpless student. Her clothes and attitude make her seem as though she has complete lack of confidence. Her speech shows that she is not the brightest and is very confused. On the other hand John is portrayed as a very well put together and successful man. His speech is intellectual and he exudes confidence. Throughout the entire first act it is clear that John has control of the setting. Now into the second act you see the complete reversal or control. Carol is dressing more confidently, she no longer has her glasses and frumpy clothes, and speaks with a larger vocabulary. This very drastic and sudden change makes it hard to believe that the original Carol is the true one. It made me think that she had been planning all along to manipulate John. As she goes deeper into control you see John's character begin to deteriorate. He no longer is dressed in a suit and tie. He looks disheveled and tired, speaking less fluently and appearing more desperate, until he finally falls into her trap and beats her. In defense of Carol, I do see how some of John's actions could lead to her believing he was sexually harassing her. The closing of doors and talk of private sessions were unsettling, and along with his grabbing her by the shoulders or insisting her to sit seemed he had other motives. While these are understandable caution cues, Carol took the situation too far with the accusation of rape.