A Cream Cracker Under The Settee'
GCSE English Literature - 20th Century Drama Coursework The melancholy of life, death and old age, are one of the many issues dealt with, in Alan Bennett's heart-rending tale. It tells the story of an isolated, fragile, elderly woman, who feels ensnared in a modernised society in which she strives for her sovereignty and prominence. In a culture where the old are forgotten, neglected and depicted as useless. 'A Cream Cracker Under The Settee' seems to be the perfect title of the play as the double entendre epitomizes this remarkably. In addition, another reason for the dramatic piece being called 'A Cream Cracker Under The Settee'. Is because a cream cracker was indeed found under a settee in the play, this makes the title rather ironic. As the title in many ways also symbolises the character of Doris as she is depicted as a lost soul, abandoned, waiting to be found and cared for. Throughout 'Cream Cracker', the protagonist: Doris, speaks to an unseen audience, this could be seen to be another allegory used to signify the title of the play. As although the audience is unseen to Doris as 'the cream cracker under the settee' is unnoticed, this may be used to indicate that although the object is concealed, this does not make it any less important than the objects that are perceived. Doris as a tragic woman confides her anguish and despondency in the spectators, placing, yet
Cream Cracker Under the Settee
How Does Alan Bennett Make the Audience Feel Sympathy for the Character of Doris in a Cream Cracker Under the Settee? A cream cracker under the settee is a monologue written by Alan Bennett about Doris, an old woman aged 75, who lives alone in her house and has a mad obsession with cleanliness. At the start of the monologue we see Doris sitting on her chair, talking about Zuleema and how she fell trying to dust her wedding photo. She was talking about Zuleema and how she doesn't clean properly, then she looks up ate her wedding photo and notices it needs dusting. She tries to climb up and dust it, but she slips and hurts her leg. Doris tries to get up to make a cup of tea, but her leg gives way and she falls and is stuck on the floor. This is where Doris finds the cream cracker under the settee and starts complaining about Zuleema again and talks a bit more about her life. A boy comes onto her lawn, and she tries to get help, but he urinates on her front lawn so she tells him to go away. Doris manages to edge herself to the doorway, were she is stuck for the last part of the monologue, trying to get help but when it comes to her, she refuses it. In this essay I am going to be writing about how Alan Bennett makes the audience feel sympathy for Doris. One reason the audience feels sympathy for Doris is because she is lonely. Doris says "I don't know anyone around here," then
A Cream Cracker Under the Sette
How does Alan Bennet interest his Audience and make us feel sympathy for Doris in the play "A Cream Cracker under the Settee"? Alan Bennet the write behind the monologue a cream cracker under the settee is infamously know for letting the voices of isolated and overlooked people in the society heard. A cream cracker under the settee is a monologue about "Doris" who finds it hard to cope with the modern society around her. She is used to voice the opinion of the elderly people. In the play Bennet creates sympathy for her ( something common in monologues) people shouldn't be judged by their first impression because Doris comes across as fierce at first but it is due to what has happened to her in her life. The play is a monologue, a monologue is an acting technique in which a single character voices out their thought without interruption. In a monologue although the character opinion is voiced, it can be biased and hard for the audience to keep interest. Alan Bennet chose a monologue for the play so he could provide a voice for the elderly Doris the main character in the play who is in her 70s and is lonely and isolated from the modern world resents on how society has lost its value. She says "people were friendly with each other but now no one shows any respect to their elders they just take them for granted". Bennet not only generate sympathy for Doris but for her
Explore the idea that it is Bennett’s ability to create a Unique voice for each of his characters which provides The main interest in these monologues.
Sam Clayton 12I Explore the idea that it is Bennett's ability to create a Unique voice for each of his characters which provides The main interest in these monologues. After reading Bennett's monologues it was clear that the story line was not the only thing which provides an interest. Therefore, after analysing them it became clear that it was the acute methods Bennett uses to create his characters that provided the main interest. His characters are realistic, but he is also able to skew the characterisations just enough to achieve caricature, while retaining the audiences sympathy and belief. Also his subtle sense of humour adds to the entertainment level, while brightening up an otherwise tragic and depressing set of short stories. While none of his characters intend to add humour, Bennett makes each of them speak in ways which cause the audience to laugh either at their situations or their turn of phase, for example, in " A chip in the sugar" Graham's mothers comment " he has been up for exposing himself in a Sainsburys doorway, at Tesco you could understand it". In fact the humour mostly comes from the seriousness of the characters, all of which use what they perceive to be appropriate language to recount their stories. The audience, therefore, laughs at their situations and at their pretentious behaviour and often their ignorance within those situations. Bennett
Explain how Alan Bennett conveys the changes that take place in Miss Ruddock, during the course of the monologue?
Explain how Alan Bennett conveys the changes that take place in Miss Ruddock, during the course of the Monologue? Lady of Letters presents an ordinary middle-aged woman in a furnished room with a bay window. As we know, a bay window is arched it allows you to look further out into the world, we as an audience get the impression that she's more of a observer rather than an participant. Miss Ruddock is a typical woman of her generation; she is a busybody with a compulsion to write letters about all that she finds objectionable, such as complaining about hearse drivers who smoke at a crematorium. We also get the sense that her childhood memories are based on traditional attitudes and values. We as an audience, sum up the impression that Miss Ruddock is aged between 40 and 60, who was unable to keep up with the dramatic change of world, in the course of her life. Her only real contact is through her bay window, where she looks out at people's lives, without actually interacting with them, we also learn that she has become an obsessive letter writer because she hasn't got a place in society. Miss Ruddock letters are a form of communication to her. Initially, Miss Ruddock creates the impression that she would like to be recognized as an upper class and sophisticated character. This is created, from the letter she wrote to the crematorium, complaining about the lack of service,
A cream cracker under the settee
"A Cream Cracker Under the Settee" "A Cream Cracker Under the Settee" is about the way old people are treated by society. This monologue was written by Alan Bennett in 1987 for the BBC. "A Cream Cracker Under the Settee" is about a lonely old woman called Doris (played by Thora Hurd) who has had a fall and is coming to the end of her life. Doris is reminiscing about her life, regrets, dreams and interests; "Ought to have had a dog." To me, growing old is where you feel that you are incapable of doing certain things because your body wont let you. People reach old age at different points in their life. This is why I disagree with company's not employing people because of there age. I believe that all people should earn and be given a certain amount of respect. I think that old people get a certain amount of respect but not maybe as much as they should. When a lot of people think of old people they think of smelly old people that cant do anything; " I said, 'Yes. Smelling of pee.' " This view is apparant in "A Cream Cracker Under the Settee." Doris quite abuptely shows her disagreement with the Stafford House (the nursing home she is to be sent to). By making this comment Doris shows that you grow old at different ages and she has not yet grown old. Doris is a seventy-five year old woman who lives alone. Doris likes all things being neat and tidy. As Doris is
A Lady of Letters.
A Lady of Letters. A Lady of Letters is a 20th century drama, which is by the writer Alan Bennett. Alan Bennett was an English writer and actor born in Leeds on the 9th May 1934. Alan Bennett gained a first-class degree in history, which was from Exeter College in Oxford. In August of 1960 Alan Bennett achieved his first fame by appearing at the Edinburgh festival in the revue of beyond the fringe. Since that time he has become one of England's most famous and well-loved playwrights. Like A Lady of Letters most of his plays are about normal people living normal lives in England and many of them are monologues. This play is a monologue, which means all the dialogue in the play is spoken by one person. In a monologue all of the drama is produced by the way the lines are spoken and all the attention of the audience is focused on the person saying them. The story is all about one character and their experiences through their eyes. This is hard for the actress because she hasn't got any one else to depend on and she has to learn all of the lines her self. She hasn't got any one to get cues from when doing the play. She has got all of the audience looking at her so she has got to use a lot of expression to keep it interesting. It needs a lot of non-verbal expression, that is body language and facial expressions, to help the character come alive. Also the scenery is important
Examine the ways in which Bennett explores the theme of isolation and loneliness in Bed among the Lentils and A Cream Cracker under the settee
Examine the ways in which Bennett explores the theme of isolation and loneliness in “Bed among the Lentils” and “A Cream Cracker under the settee” In his collection of monologues, talking heads, Alan Bennett explores the themes of isolation and loneliness through the characters of Doris in ‘a Cream cracker under the Settee’ and Susan in ‘Bed among the Lentils’. The opening stage instructions of ‘a Cream cracker under the Settee’ describes Doris as a woman “in her seventies... sitting slightly awkwardly on a low chair”. This chair is set in the middle of the room which subtly suggests that she feels islanded in her own home; this implies a feeling of isolation from the outside world. As well as being a widow, she has no regular contact with friends or neighbours, so instead of in confiding in other people, she expresses her feelings by talking to a photograph of Wilfred her late husband. “She looks down at the wedding photo on the floor... We’re cracked, Wilfred.” This shows that despite her desire to live alone and be independent, she still craves social interaction. However the only regular contact that she has with others is with her Cleaner, Zulema. Doris views Zulema as a patronising annoyance and even tries to get her fired after finding a cream cracker under the settee. She only puts up with Zulema because she knows that it is her
What are the different attitudes that the various teachers and students have towards education in Alan Bennetts play the History Boys?
Margarita Myskovets What are the different attitudes that the various teachers and students have towards education in Alan Bennett’s play the History Boys? (Up to page 40) It is clear to say that the attitudes towards education alter greatly between the various teachers and students in Alan Bennett’s play the History Boys. One of the most peculiar and interesting characters to look at in the History Boys is Hector. Hector is the teacher devoted to infusing his students with a love of books, words, and even the necessary un-necessaries of life. He manages to override all stereotypical aspects that one might find in a teacher and shows the audience a completely new way of teaching and through this conveys his own view on education. Hector’s supposedly teaching the boy’s ‘General Studies’ but his definition of 'General Studies' includes a French conversational class set in an imagined “brothel”, regular renditions of Gracie Fields' classics and an ongoing bet with the boys as to whether he can guess the names of the films they act out for him. “Now. Some silly time. Where’s the kitty?” By using moneys Hector motivates the students to learn different films in the hope of one day finding a scene that Hector cannot recognise. Upon looking inside the kitty Hector discovers there “sixteen pounds” showing the audience that the money has accumulated over
Cream Cracker
6th March 2008 A Cream Cracker Under The Settee In most dramas and programmes the characters have good relationships in their scenes. This makes the programmes exciting and fun. 'Cream Cracker Under The Settee' is a great monologue, which is set in one place, which is a house and only has one character called Doris. Even though there is only one setting and only one character unlike other dramas this monologue is still exciting and interesting. In the opening scene there is a great lack of movement from Doris because she is sitting in a low chair. This is a great scene because Alan Bennett creates suspense "It's such a silly thing to have done." The thing is we don't know what she has done so it also leaves us interested. Another way that Alan Bennett had made this play appealing is the relationships between Doris and Zulema. It is like Zulema is in control of Doris and is making all decisions for her. Zulema says, "You can't run anywhere. Your on trial here." Zulema should be on trial because she's working at the house but actually Doris feels like a child. Also Zulema has more power than Doris. It is like Doris has to give in to her commands. I think this because Doris says like a child "Yes Zulema." Zulema has told Doris not to dust but Doris does. We can tell because