Monday, August 5, 2013
Memory Play
What is the significance of Tom's telling us this is a memory play? Does he, as one of you suggested, want us to doubt the "truth" of his story? What is his intention? Why not just tell the story as if it were an accurate account of the events? Post your ideas then reply to at least one classmate.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
T.W. wants audience to conscious about "the 4th wall" and break it.
ReplyDeleteUsually, the 4th wall is unconsciously accepted by audience and tries to make audience avoid thinking "it's unreal."
However, in this play, T.W. tries to make audience think "it's unreal."
"The scene is memory and is therefore nonrealistic." (1.3.21-22), this quote exactly explain about my opinion.
I think this is a part of significance of "memory play."
After mentioning "this is a memory play therefore it is unreal," audience have margin in this play and starts create their own thoughts.
Because audience knows that memory is relative, adjusted by one's unconscious and they will never know if Tom tells truth or not.
Audience may think about Laura's and Amanda's point of view.
However, there is no answer, and which means, every idea can be an answer.
I think this is one of essentials that make this play thick and flavorful.
I believe that Tom said it is a memory play because he is trying to let the audience know about his life and experience. I suppose that his intention is trying to convince the audience about what he faces in his life. Also, people might see the way that he has to struggle with his life and all the obstacles that he has to overcome. I think he doesn't want to make doubts to the audience and readers.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your opinion that Tom does not want to make doubts to the audience.
DeleteIn terms of your idea, Tom just want to share his experience. (Is that correct?)
I have slightly different point of view.
When you wants to share experience, do you have any reasons?
For me, there should be some reasons.
When I tell about my past, there are some messages.
Also, this is a play, there maybe some messages.
I think this idea of "memory play" related with that "messages."
Tom want to tell his experience is truth, but I want to see behind of the truth, why he start telling his experience.
I agree with your comment. I think he wants to share his experiences, but we don't know why he is doing that. I suppose he wants to teach or give us something for our life.
DeleteIn my opinion he says that to give us a chance to be more open mind about the play. Maybe he's trying to tell us that no everything is exactly the way he is telling us, that maybe he is actually changing some things to the way that he remembers or maybe the way he wants to remember.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of memory's uncertainty, we need to think about how long has it been since "the memory play."
DeleteThe monologue Tom makes to audience is hold in future from "the memory play."
If it has been decades since "the memory play," I do agree with your point without any doubt.
However, if it has been only couple of months or less, I have doubts on your opinion.
Would you tell me your opinion about time?
Certainly, that's true. I think Tom modifies some things. Maybe he is telling us the story the ways that he remembers; however, I don't think he is lying to the audience.
Delete"Tom narrates his memories at about the time of the outbreak of World War 2 (1939-1945)" This passage is put on the bottom of left column in page three. On the other hand, time of memory is about 1937 in which Guernica was bombed. Therefore, the interval is about two years.
DeleteI think,Tom in this memory play,he would like the audience to understand the truth of the life his family used to have I mean (Tom,Amanda his mother and Laura his sister)in the house and the environment where they were living.Tom want to make his family story more understanding by the audience because hi is not only the character but also the narrator.The actions, reactions and behaviors of each character in his memory play are very important to make his family story vivable in his memory play.Many of them could noy be repeted exactely in the memory play but he would like the audience to understand his true story by actions,reactions and behaviors of all of the characters because he knew what happened and how was his family life,i mean how was acting each character in the true story.
ReplyDeleteIf Tom wants audience to know "what happened," why does he say "it is not realistic?" (I.p.4.7).
DeleteIn this point, I think he tries his story to be unclear.
Also, I think "the memory play" have nothing to do with "truth."
If he wants audience to know about truth, why did he tell in unconfident way?
What is the truth of this play? Family's truth? This play, glass menagerie's truth?
"I give you truth in the pleasant disguise of illusion." (I.p.3.73-74)
I think "the truth" which Tom telling in this quote is not his family's truth, but the play's truth.
Like you said in this post, he is not only a character but also narrator.
Because of that fact, he may care about "the play."
I think your point of view that "Tom is not only a character but also narrater" is really important.
I agree with that Tom or the author tried to tell us the environment of the family life. I think that is the part of the truth we are supposed to know through this play.
DeleteBut I also feel if he had intended to express the real sitution of the family in the South at that time, he would have written this play like a nonfiction.
That is the reason why I said,Tom would like to make his family story more understanding by the Audince in his memory play which is just fiction action and could not show exactly all details of the story.I can said again Tom inthis memory play as a Narrator is talking about some true stories like the problems around the world before world war 2.so his memory play is not a fiction story but is a lack of realistic ."In the Spain there was revolution.Here was only shooting and confusion" (i.3.83-84).Is that true story or not?
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis play is created by "memory and is therefore nonrealistic" (i.p.3.21-22), but Tom says "I give you truth in the pleasant disguise of illusion" (i.p.3.73-74). It may seem to be a contradiction, but I think it is reasonable and important to appreciate this play.
ReplyDeleteTom tells this story by his memory, so of course he cannot describe details of it precisely. Also, he must have arranged the story in a suitable way for his memory. I think that is why this play cannot be realistic, but it is the reason why he uses a lot of symbols in the play. Through the symbols, the author can express the characters' mind, their situation, and characters themselves in a poetric way. Consequently the audience may have to interpret the meanings of the symbols by themselves, and I think it is the way to approach the truth that the author wants us to find out.
Moreover, I think we are supposed to appreciate this play as a play, not as just a story about life of characters. In this play, theatrical devices such as screen, music, lightning play a significant roll. The atmosphere created by them is often dim and expresses fragility well. The form of memory play really matches such a circumstance.
In scene one, page three, line73~74, Tom says “I give you truth in the pleasant disguise of illusion.” This passage means that Tom gives audience truth through illusion. In my opinion, “illusion” is this play composed by his memory, which isn’t lie but lacks realistic: illusion. Actually, Tom’s roles given by T.W in this play are actor, narrator, author, and director (written in the cover page), so he makes illusion from his memory, which is edited and exaggerated in order to tell audience truth. However, as the magician does with audience, Tom has to share the premise that this play is exaggerated. Therefore, he tells audience that this play is memory play.
ReplyDelete“The scene is memory and is therefore nonrealistic. …The interior is therefore rather dim and poetic.” This quote is from Scene one, line 21~27, before starting. In short, this is the instruction by T.W, so Tom just conveys this premise to audience as another author.
I agree with you.
DeleteYou said that this play is not a lie but a lack of realistic. I feel this is a good expression.
I think that T.W. wants to attract the audience to the story. This play is written from Tom's view, so the audience cannot see it objectively. This play depends on Tom's subjective judgement. A happening that is important for Tom is emphasized and related in detail. Thus, The audience is controlled by T.W. without noticing the situation. I feel T.W. tries to bring us into the world of this play by using the character.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. As you mentioned, this play depends on Tom's subjective judgement. A happening which is important for Tom is mentioned as his words of that day with enthusiasm. On the other hand, Tom talks a reminder of past events as narrator because he can express equably. The author manipulated his double (Tom).
DeleteTom says that this is a memory play, probably because not everything he is going to tell can be true.
ReplyDeleteIt is impossible to remember, exactly, what happened, in the past, at one point of our life, and Tom advise us.
"the play is memory" (I, 5 page 4), so he, is telling us: this is my truth and I agree with that.
Also in real life the truth is not the same for everybody, so there is not only "one" truth.
The truth is an opinion, it is what you believe, the truth does not exist, as something abstract.
But what I missed is to understand why is so important to stress the fact that this is a "memory play". I did not get the message
In my opinion, Tom says that "This is a memory play" that means this story is written by Tom. This play is based on Tom's past but it is not exactly truth. There are some creation made by Tom.
ReplyDeleteFor example
"I am using this character also as a symbol he is the long he is long delayed but always expected something that We live for"(scene1,page4,line19)
So, music , properties ,metaphors in this play are all directed by Tom.
Why Tennessee Williams chose the Memory Play style is that he made Tom play two types of characters. Tom said the following sentence as a narrator, "Being a memory play, it is dimly lighted, it is sentimental, it is not realistic." (s1.pp4.l6-7) On the other hand, Tom expressed anger to his mother as one of the Play's character that "I haven't enjoyed one bite of this dinner because of your constant directions on how to eat it" (s1.pp4.l68-70) or "I don't want to hear any more!" (s3.pp10.l17) Those expression is brightly lighted, it is unsentimental, and it is absolutely realistic. From this point of view, the author wanted to express Tom's imperceptible sentiment by using both his words of those days with zealous and his current narration placidly. That way makes Tom's words more and more deepen. Therefore he used the memory play.
ReplyDelete