Plot and sub plot of road

Plot & sub Plot

Episodic Structure

The structure used in this play is episodic. This structure was first created by Brecht he used this so the audience wouldn’t get sucked into the play. This structure consists of lots of shorts scenes with a range of different characters and genres and conventions but they will have one theme or setting, which holds the play together and connects the scenes to each other. The audience are allowed to believe in the naturalism as it is made extremely naturalistic so they get the sense of real life but a monologue would be inserted in parts of the play to make it evident it was unreal as the characters would break the fourth wall and connect to the audience also Scullery affects the realism as he narrates the play. The audiences are wanted to think about unemployment depression and poverty. Different sections contain different themes and dysfunction but the main thing the all have in common is living on the road. Carwright also uses Brecht style because Brecht made plays extremely political and road becomes political mainly in joeys story. Cartwright used this style so he was allowed to use lots of different genres conventions and styles to make a bigger impact on the audience.

Plot

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Plot

This play was in based in the 1980’s and set in a depressed town on a random road. It is chaotic and uses a mixture of styles. The audiences go through a journey with the characters of unemployment and poverty. Scullery is the narrator leading the audience around the play and explaining their lives. But he is the only character that seems to love the dysfunctional life and enjoy the way everyone lives. There are different stories in the play which all show how people cope with there lives such as poverty unemployment dwelling in the past and how they escape for a while from it such as using alcohol violence and sex. All characters describe their feelings towards the world and hopes for something better in life. Some characters just constantly look back to the past such as Joeys character “I cant get over the past” which shows no prospects for the future so the future doesn’t look very bright for him. All characters live in poverty and squalor and are waiting for something to happen which the results for Joey were worthless, as he dies waiting for his escape route. The characters hate the repetitiveness of there lives and feel imprisoned by it so they are waiting for a big change which at the end of the play the audience are left thinking as well if there lives will change and if they may escape as the play is left on a cliff hanger as we leave the road the way we found it but with the hang over of another day to cope with.

Sub plot

The sub plot of the play is Joey as his life is described over a longer period of time to the other characters. The thoughts and feelings he has in his monologue last for 3 weeks as other characters only consists of one night. His sections mostly consist of monologues apart from short scenes involving conversation with his girlfriend Clare. This is where most of the political part of the play exists. He is confused and longing for a better life he asks questions towards the audience, which they are unable to answer he also states, his physical feelings and his inner emotions. He starves himself alongside his girlfriend waiting for this sign or something bigger to happen in his life but as he does this his aggression to life and the world grows stronger and stronger till he really has no way out and the starvation results in the death of his girlfriend and the death of him.

Themes

Lost

The characters in this play are lost in the dysfunctional lifestyles that they have been leading for so long. The repetition and no sign of escape rout gives them no prospects and no hope in life at all so they lead the life they are used to and have always lived. The only solution would be to move away from they dysfunctional road but with no money unemployment there is no chance so there only means of escape are temporary. This is where alcohol is used to forget, Sex to feel wanted or just boredom and violence to feel power. Escape is used a lot in this play the main person that used escape was skin lad as he used violence “the tingle” he loved the adrenalin rush also “I do every Saturday night, with my friends at weekends, fight.” These are all means of escape to the characters.

Poverty

All the characters have no money and have no means of earning any. The beg friends and family members but as soon as they receive it is spent in the pub so they cant forget there troubles and escape from there life. This is noticeable from the beginning of the play with Brenda begging for 50p and a fag and betting on a pool game for it. It is also shown between Brenda and Carol as Brenda begs her own daughter for money this shows the serious problem of dysfunction and poverty.

Scullery

He connects the play together he is the ringleader of the play. He represents the road in every line and movement he performs. He is the main key that drags the audience in whilst pushing them away. He carries the audience down the road introducing the characters and their lifestyles but also slips back into the play at times and just becomes an ordinary character. There is a contrast though between him and the other characters as he loves this lifestyle him and his n friends are leading whilst they hate it.