Canadian Drama: Only Drunks and Children Tell the Truth
Dramatic Conflict Identify at least two character. What held your attention about these characters? What was their struggle?
Janice:
Janice is a thirty-six year old lawyer living in Toronto. She has no close family and is somewhat isolated. As an infant, she was taken into custody by the Children’s Aid Society. They removed her from a loving mother under the false belief that their home was unfit for an infant to reside in. Janice was adopted by a new family. This event puts her in between two cultures. She loves her adoptive family, yet still wishes to know her birth family. The most compelling part of Janice, for me, was the illustration of cultural divide shown by her internal …show more content…
They are attempting to overcome the unfortunate events and bridge the gap between cultures. Growing up, Janice assumed that she would dislike and pity her mother, but when she had finally arrived after thirty five years, she found “this wonderful, sweet, caring woman who had her baby taken away by the system for no good reason.” (Hayden 93). This creates internal conflict for Janice because she has to face the fact that she didn't get to be with such a lovely woman and she feels guilt for thinking of her negatively. Barb is dealing with the death of her mother and all of the turmoil that comes with it. She blames her sister because she believes that her mother gave up on living after she walked out on them. The events of the play take place over three days, but things that happen before the play are relevant as well. In 1957, Janice, then Grace, is taken from her home by the Children’s Aid society. She was raised by an english family, knowing nothing about her culture and blaming her birth mother for her differences. Then, in 1991 at christmas, Janice is finally reunited with her family. Barb, her long lost sister, is apprehensive because she knows that her mother has high hopes for Janice. Janice ultimately lets her down and this leads to her death shortly after. Five months after their meeting at Christmas, Barb goes to Janice’s apartment so that she can visit …show more content…
This theme is seen when Janice struggles to figure out who she is, caught between the two cultures. Her birth family influenced her significantly even though they had little contact with her.
To what extent does this play mirror life? Explain.
The events of the play are, for the most part, realistic. Many First Nations children were wrongfully displaced during the eighteenth century and it is not unrealistic to say that they could eventually be reunited with their family. The feelings that people would likely feel in that situation are depicted accurately by Taylor’s dialogue. The only part that is highly unlikely is when Amelia Earhart is said to live in Otter Lake, though it is technically possible.
Considering the topics in analyzing a play’s reflection on its age, what topics could be found in this play? Explain.
The topic of family is prevalent in this play with Janice being in between two very different families, and Barb having recently lost her mother. Isolation also plays a part in the play. The two sisters are very lonely and wish to connect because they are the only family each other has left. Life and death is present as well, with the death of Janice and Barb’s mother. These themes are what make this play able to stand the test of time because they apply to everyone of every time period, making the play
Dramatic Conflict Identify at least two character. What held your attention about these characters? What was their struggle?
Janice:
Janice is a thirty-six year old lawyer living in Toronto. She has no close family and is somewhat isolated. As an infant, she was taken into custody by the Children’s Aid Society. They removed her from a loving mother under the false belief that their home was unfit for an infant to reside in. Janice was adopted by a new family. This event puts her in between two cultures. She loves her adoptive family, yet still wishes to know her birth family. The most compelling part of Janice, for me, was the illustration of cultural divide shown by her internal …show more content…
They are attempting to overcome the unfortunate events and bridge the gap between cultures. Growing up, Janice assumed that she would dislike and pity her mother, but when she had finally arrived after thirty five years, she found “this wonderful, sweet, caring woman who had her baby taken away by the system for no good reason.” (Hayden 93). This creates internal conflict for Janice because she has to face the fact that she didn't get to be with such a lovely woman and she feels guilt for thinking of her negatively. Barb is dealing with the death of her mother and all of the turmoil that comes with it. She blames her sister because she believes that her mother gave up on living after she walked out on them. The events of the play take place over three days, but things that happen before the play are relevant as well. In 1957, Janice, then Grace, is taken from her home by the Children’s Aid society. She was raised by an english family, knowing nothing about her culture and blaming her birth mother for her differences. Then, in 1991 at christmas, Janice is finally reunited with her family. Barb, her long lost sister, is apprehensive because she knows that her mother has high hopes for Janice. Janice ultimately lets her down and this leads to her death shortly after. Five months after their meeting at Christmas, Barb goes to Janice’s apartment so that she can visit …show more content…
This theme is seen when Janice struggles to figure out who she is, caught between the two cultures. Her birth family influenced her significantly even though they had little contact with her.
To what extent does this play mirror life? Explain.
The events of the play are, for the most part, realistic. Many First Nations children were wrongfully displaced during the eighteenth century and it is not unrealistic to say that they could eventually be reunited with their family. The feelings that people would likely feel in that situation are depicted accurately by Taylor’s dialogue. The only part that is highly unlikely is when Amelia Earhart is said to live in Otter Lake, though it is technically possible.
Considering the topics in analyzing a play’s reflection on its age, what topics could be found in this play? Explain.
The topic of family is prevalent in this play with Janice being in between two very different families, and Barb having recently lost her mother. Isolation also plays a part in the play. The two sisters are very lonely and wish to connect because they are the only family each other has left. Life and death is present as well, with the death of Janice and Barb’s mother. These themes are what make this play able to stand the test of time because they apply to everyone of every time period, making the play