Analysis of Yasmina Rezas Play God of Carnage

Conflict and human nature when presented with it, are the predominant themes of Yasmina Rezas play God of Carnage.  Well-written and a display of fascinating character development, this play gives the audience an opportunity to witness the verbal battles of two families and their complex personalities. An Introduction to God of Carnage God of Carnage is written by Yasmina Reza, an award-winning playwright.   Rezas  other notable plays include Art  and Life x 3.  Author Christopher Hampton translated her play from French into English.  In 2011, it was made into a film  titled Carnage, directed by Roman Polanski. The plot of God of Carnage  begins with  an 11-year-old boy (Ferdinand) who strikes another boy (Bruno) with a stick, thereby knocking out two front teeth. The parents of each boy meet. What begins as a civil discussion ultimately devolves into a yelling match. Overall, the story is well-written and it is an interesting play that many people will enjoy. Some of the highlights for this reviewer include: Realistic dialogueBelievable charactersInsightful satireSubtle / vague ending Theater of Bickering Most people arent fans of ugly, angry, pointless arguments — at least not in real life. But, not surprisingly, these types of arguments are a theater staple, and with good reason. Obviously, the stationary nature of the stage means that most playwrights will generate a physically sedentary conflict that can be sustained in a single setting. Pointless bickering is perfect for such an occasion. Also, a tense argument reveals multiple layers of a character: emotional buttons are pressed and  boundaries are assaulted. For an audience member, there is a dark voyeuristic pleasure in watching the verbal battle which unfolds during Yasmina Rezas God of Carnage. We get to watch the characters unravel their dark sides, despite their diplomatic intentions. We get to behold adults who act like rude, petulant children. However, if we watch closely, we might see a bit of ourselves. The Setting The entire play takes place at the home of the Houllie family. Originally set in modern Paris, subsequent productions of God of Carnage  set the play in other urban locations such as London and New York. The Characters Although we spend a short time with these four characters (the play runs about 90 minutes with no breaks or scene changes), playwright Yasmina Reza creates each with a sprinkling of commendable traits and questionable moral codes. Veronique Houllie  (Veronica in American productions)Michel Houllie  (Michael in American productions)Annette ReilleAlain Reille  (Alan in American productions) Veronique Houllie At first, she seems like the most benevolent of the bunch. Instead of resorting to litigation regarding her son Brunos injury, she believes that they can all come to an agreement about how Ferdinand should make amends for his attack. Of the four principles, Veronique exhibits the strongest desire for harmony. She is even writing a book about the atrocities of Darfur. Her flaws lie in her overly judgmental nature. She wants to instill a sense of shame in Ferdinands parents (Alain and Annette Reille) hoping they will, in turn, instill a deep sense of regret in their son. About forty minutes into their encounter, Veronique decides that Alain and Annette are terrible parents and miserable people in general, yet throughout the play, she still attempts to maintain her crumbling facade of civility. Michel Houllie At first, Michel seems eager to create peace between the two boys and perhaps even bond with the Reilles. He offers them food and drink. He is quick to agree with the Reilles, even making light of the violence, commenting on how he was a leader of his own gang during his childhood (as was Alain). As the conversation progresses, Michel reveals his uncouth nature. He makes racial slurs about the Sudanese people whom his wife is writing about. He denounces child-raising as a wasteful, grueling experience. His most controversial action (which takes place before the play) has to do with his daughters pet hamster. Because of his fear of rodents, Michel released the hamster in the streets of Paris, even though the poor creature was terrified and clearly wanted to be kept at home. The rest of the adults are disturbed by his actions, and the play concludes with a phone call from his young daughter, crying over the loss of her pet. Annette Reille Ferdinands mother is constantly on the brink of a panic attack. In fact, she vomits twice during the course of the play (which must have been unpleasant for the actors each night). Like Veronique, she wants resolution and believes at first that communication can ameliorate the situation between the two boys. Unfortunately, the pressures of motherhood and household have eroded her self-confidence. Annette feels abandoned by her husband who is eternally preoccupied with work. Alain is glued to his cell phone throughout the play  until Annette finally loses control and drops the phone into a vase of tulips. Annette is the most physically destructive of the four characters. In additional to ruining her husbands new phone, she intentionally smashes the vase at the end of the play. (And her vomit incident spoils some of Veroniques books and magazines, but that was accidental.) Also, unlike her husband, she defends her childs violent actions by pointing out that Ferdinand was verbally provoked and out-numbered by the gang of boys. Alain Reille Alain might be the most stereotypical character of the group in that he is modeled after other slimy lawyers from countless other stories. He is the most openly rude because he frequently interrupts their meeting by talking on his cell phone.  His law firm represents a pharmaceutical company that is about to be sued because one of their new products causes dizziness and other negative symptoms. He claims that his son is a savage and doesnt see any point in trying to change him. He seems the most sexist of the two men, often implying that women have a host of limitations. On the other hand, Alain is in some ways the most honest of the characters. When Veronique and Annette claim that people must show compassion toward their fellow man, Alain becomes philosophical, wondering if anyone can truly care for others, implying that individuals will always act out of self-interest. Men vs. Women While much of the plays conflict is between the Houllies and the Reilles, a battle of the sexes is also interwoven throughout the storyline. Sometimes a female character makes a disparaging claim about her husband and the second female will chime in with her own critical anecdote. Likewise, the husbands will make snide comments about their family life, creating a bond (albeit a fragile one) between the males. Ultimately, each of the characters turns on the other so that by the plays end everyone seems emotionally isolated.

The Evolution Of Humans And Humans - 978 Words

Humans have existed on Earth for approximately 3.4 million years. The oldest known human ancestor is Lucy, an Australopithecus. Over this extensive period of time, humans have evolved significantly. Homo Sapiens have grown from 3 to almost 6 feet (average), lost most of the body hair, became leaner and adapted to walking. Humans have come a long way, from Australopithecus to Homo sapiens, from living in trees to living in cities. Slowly, through hundreds of thousands of years, we mutated over and over again, natural selection ensuring that no destructive mutations continue. From the slow evolution, four distinctive species emerged and died out, each giving way to its descendant: Homo Habilis, Homo Erectus, Homo Sapiens Neanderthalesis, and Homo sapiens Sapiens. The Australopithecines were the first to walk upright, or became bipedal, although rather clumsily. Their walk was unsteady, judging by their bone structure (Figure 1.), and they most likely were quadrupedal the majority of the time. The Australopithecines had a brain about the size of an orange, high up cheekbones, and big molars. They were about three feet tall, and had small thumbs. Australopithecines, while definitely possessing some human characteristics, humans are still much closer to the chimps. Australopithecines were vegetarians; even if they knew that animals were edible, they still had no reliable means of killing animals for food. About 2 million years ago, highly evolved Australopithecines made theShow MoreRelatedThe Evolution Of Human Evolution1103 Words   |  5 PagesHuman evolution according to research started over 6 million years ago. The outcome of the evolution process is the current human beings. Scientific studies have revealed over the years a remarkable a ffinity between the chimpanzees/Apes and human beings. Even though this reality is not a definitive prove that human beings evolved from apes, it does show that the human beings are in one way or another related to other primates. Scientists suppose that the humans and the primates shared a commonRead MoreEvolution of Human3142 Words   |  13 PagesHuman evolution is the biological and cultural development of humans. A human is any member of the species Homo sapiens, meaning wise man. Since at least the Upper Paleolithic era, some 40,000 years ago, every human society has devised a creation myth to explain how humans came to be. Creation myths are based on cultural beliefs that have been adopted as a legitimate explanation by a society as to where we came from. The science of paleoanthropology, which also tries to create a narrative aboutRead MoreHuman Evolution And The Human Race Essay1126 Words   |  5 Pagesof an earlier work written for this class. I feel there is room to no t only clarify ideas proposed, but expand and introduce supplemental ones to further define previous claims. The aim is to propose that though evolution and innovation are incredibly beneficial and important to the human race, through a series of questionable morals and vast amounts of wrongdoings have created a situation of over-innovation, or innovating past the point of benefit. Though from a cynical perspective, it is vital thatRead MoreHuman Evolution2755 Words   |  12 PagesHuman Evolution Human Evolution, the biological and cultural development of the species Homo sapiens, or human beings. A large number of fossil bones and teeth have been found at various places throughout Africa, Europe, and Asia. Tools of stone, bone, and wood, as well as fire hearths, campsites, and burials, also have been discovered and excavated. As a result of these discoveries, a picture of human evolution during the past 4 to 5 million years has emerged. Human Physical Traits Humans areRead MoreHuman Primates And Human Evolution990 Words   |  4 PagesNon-human Primate Behaviors Intissar Khalaf Anthropology/Human Evolution Question #3: Why are non-human primates studied for how their behaviors related to our own origins? What types of studies are conducted and have these studies changed in recent years? Why or why not? We study nonhuman primate behavior to help us better understand us as humans and our behavior compared to nonhuman primates. Clearly there are differences in behavior among different species of primates - especially humans. SimilarRead MoreHuman Evolution Of Human History879 Words   |  4 PagesThe beginning of human history, is no longer a gray area on the behalf of historians, scientist and perhaps geologist. Many specialized in their respectful field. Move toward together to get a world view of human life. History is a word that is always driven out, to look back at a period of time and one might compare the pervious time to the present. It’s vital for us mortal to understand where came from and where we are going. Since history often does repeats itself, it may be good, to look backwardsRead MoreEvolution And Its Impact On Human Evolution910 Words   |  4 Pages Humans have gone through many stages of adaptation, allowing for great expansion and our unrivaled dominance of the earth. So it could seem as though humans have reached the peak of evolutionary development. Evolution is often thought of as a natural process, and were it not for humans, this might be true. However, evolution, in the strictest sense, is a change in the genetic structure of a population (Jurmain, et al., 5). While natural selection is a major contributor to the process of evolutionRead MoreEvolution And Its Effect On Human Evolution1826 Words   |  8 Pages It is the key to our evolution is very much correct. Beneficial mutation can be a next step of human evolution as people get more adapted to their environment, greatly increasing their chance of successfully reproducing. Evolution is the process of the characteristics of an organism changing over a long period of time. There are two types of evolution: micro, where gene frequencies are shifted within the population, and macro, where a whole new species arises. Evolution occur through naturalRead MoreConvergent Evolution Of Human Evolution972 Words   |  4 Pagesinstance of human evolution has been detected among the peoples of East Africa. It is the ability to digest milk in adulthood, conferred by genetic changes that occurred as recently as 3,000 years ago, a team of geneticists has found.The finding is a striking example of a cultural practice — the raising of dairy cattle — feeding back into the human genome. It also seems to be one of the first instances of convergent human evolution to be documented at the genetic level. Convergent evolution refers toRead MoreHuman Nature And Its Effects On Human Evolution872 Words   |  4 Pagesfound the fossils of a human that looks so diff erent than anything they have found before and that existed not that long ago. I believe based on the evidence and the different articles that it is a new species. If that truly is the case, then that is amazing to even think about. There is dissimilarity within species; there are also discrete species. The term hominid is a member of the zoological family Hominidae. Hominidae incorporates all species instigating after the human/African ape familial divided

An Ethical Dilemna Essay Example For Students

An Ethical Dilemna Essay Dilemma- Taken from: Business Ethics Ethical Decision Making and Cases A Real Life Situation pages 62-63 After three years with the company, Sandy was promoted to assistant plant manager. This was a big step for Unity Welding and Construction, as well as for the industry; Sandy was one of only a handful of women who had broken through the glass ceiling and made their way into management. She had proved to the men around her that she deserved the job, and she was now being toasted by assistant managers from other plants across the country John, her boss, had been her advocate with the company. He had personally lobbied upper management in her behalf. Unity Welding and Construction is a national firm with twenty fabrication plants, primarily in the South. The company does contract work for other companies that require welding or fabrication of metals into items used in the construction of aircraft, ships, bridges, and component parts for consumer durables. Each plant caters to specific industries. Sandys plant produces parts primarily for the automotive industry and is located in Arizona. Arizona is perfect for Sandy because of her acute asthma problems. As a teenager, she once visited relatives in Atlanta and had to be hospitalized because of her reactions to the different plants and foliage. Sandys doctor told her at the time that she would have fewer problems with her asthma if she resided in one of the arid regions of the United States. Six months had passed since Sandys promotion, and her first performance rating from John was excellent. John told her that if she continued this type of performance, she would probably be a plant manager in three to six years. Sandy developed some innovative ways to increase productivity during her six months on the job. For example, she successfully implemented a team concept, which gave responsibility for certain projects to the workers on the plant floor. She offered incentives if they could decrease job times and increase profitability. John gave Sandy his full support, and the pro- gram was working well. Worker salaries on these special projects jumped from an average of $15 per hour to $24 per hour, yet the companys bottom line continued to improve. Workers in the plant began competing to get on special projects. With the increasing competition, Sandy noticed that the workers were starting to cut corners. Minor worker injuries began to increase, and Sandy was concerned about how some of the workers were disposing of toxic wastes. She informed John about her concerns, and he said he would write the following memo: Attention: Workers on Special Projects It has come to managements attention that minor injuries are on the rise. Please review the Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidelines to make sure you are in compliance. In addition, there are rumors of improper disposal of wastes. Please read again the statement from the Environmental Protection Agency. Finally, congrats to Special Project Team Wolf. Profitability on your job increased 8 percent with an increase of $4.50 an hour for each member of the group. Great job!! Shortly after John sent out his memo, the recession started to hit the automobile industry hard. Some of Sandys workers were to be laid off. Sandy went through the records and found that her most productive workers had been selected for termination. She went to John with the problem, and he said hed take care of it. By calling in some favors, John was able to save the workers jobs, and no pink slips were issued at the plant. Within a week the workers knew John and Sandy had saved them. Two months later, in November, the special project teams were working especially hard. .u292e5273266a9727d59417cd0ecaac92 , .u292e5273266a9727d59417cd0ecaac92 .postImageUrl , .u292e5273266a9727d59417cd0ecaac92 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u292e5273266a9727d59417cd0ecaac92 , .u292e5273266a9727d59417cd0ecaac92:hover , .u292e5273266a9727d59417cd0ecaac92:visited , .u292e5273266a9727d59417cd0ecaac92:active { border:0!important; } .u292e5273266a9727d59417cd0ecaac92 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u292e5273266a9727d59417cd0ecaac92 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u292e5273266a9727d59417cd0ecaac92:active , .u292e5273266a9727d59417cd0ecaac92:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u292e5273266a9727d59417cd0ecaac92 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u292e5273266a9727d59417cd0ecaac92 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u292e5273266a9727d59417cd0ecaac92 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u292e5273266a9727d59417cd0ecaac92 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u292e5273266a9727d59417cd0ecaac92:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u292e5273266a9727d59417cd0ecaac92 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u292e5273266a9727d59417cd0ecaac92 .u292e5273266a9727d59417cd0ecaac92-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u292e5273266a9727d59417cd0ecaac92:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Parts Of The Computer Essay Sandy noticed that the teams with the highest hourly wages were also the ones that were cutting corners the most. Sandy ran a spot inspection and found major quality problems with the products, as well as pollution problems. Additionally, she learned that several teams had procured software from the competition to reduce their production times. Sandy realized that something needed to be done quickly, so she went to John. John, weve got some major problems, she told him. Quality has decreased below our contracts specifications. Ive got workers cutting so many corners that its just a matter .