Blog #6 A. Leader

1. Compose a thematic statement for any of the stories/plays we've read thus far. Keep in mind that a thematic statement must contain a complete idea (i.e., "love" or "revenge" aren't themes -- they're simply the subject of a theme. You may want to look at the lecture on theme in Content to help you, especially as a) this isn't an unlikely question for the final exam and b) theme is a popular element to pursue in the final paper. The lecture also contains a number of thematic statements.
      Theme Statement from "Love in L.A.": Being dishonest only sets you back in life, and you won't get anywhere if you continue this deception. 

2. Explain where/how you see the dramatic elements (Freytag's pyramid) at work in "Trifles" "Love in L.A.", or "Battle Royale". What do you get (or DO you get) an exposition? Which moment/event signals the rising action? What's the climax? IS there any falling action? What's the resolution? Explain your choices using examples from the text.
     In the play "Trifles" written by Susan Glaspell begins with an exposition of the scene to help describe the setting and introduce the characters. It starts off describing the kitchen as "gloomy...and left without having been put in order." In the house the county attorney (Henderson), the sheriff (Peters), and a neighboring farmer (Hale) are looking for any evidence they can find for the murder of John Wright. All the men seem to believe that the murderer is his wife, Mrs. Wright; however, Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hales are trying to prove otherwise as they gather a few items for Mrs. Wright to have while she is locked up. When the three men go upstairs to look for further evidence in the bedroom where he was murdered, Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hales begin speaking about whether or not they think Mrs. Wright committed the murder,
MRS. HALE: Do you think she did it?
MRS. PETERS (in a frightened voice): Oh, I don't know.
MRS. HALE: Well, I don't think she did. Asking for an apron and her little shawl. Worrying about her fruit.
This is the signal of the rising action because from here the two women start finding more and more clues of evidence. After looking around the room, they find an empty, beat up bird cage. Both of the women did not know Mrs. Wright very well, so they never really went to visit her but neither of them could recall her having a bird or a cat that could have eaten the bird. Continuing with suspense, the story leads to the climax when they find a box and they open it. Inside was the bird that had been strangled. The falling action is when the women try to hide the dead bird with all the other items they're bringing Mrs. Wright, and they get away with it by hiding under quilt pieces. As the reader, we can conclude that the evidence of the strangled bird proves that Mrs. Wright is the one that killed her husband; however, without the men knowing about this evidence, she cannot be further convicted. This leaves the audience wondering if she will get away with this murder.