The Imaginary Invalid

Molière’s sentiment “to correct men by amusing them” is embodied in “The Imaginary Invalid,” or “The Hypochondriac.” Written in 1673, his final play defines his legacy, begun when he traveled through the French countryside with Madeleine Béjart and their Illustre Théǎtre. That was when he encountered the Commedia dell’Arte, the basis for modern comedy, adding its elements into his plays. Like many Enlightenment authors, including Corneille, Racine and Boileau, he resolutely applied Aristotle’s comedic principles as laid out in “Poetics.” Molière is also known for his scathing satirization of common institutions and politics. These traits define Molière’s work, combining to make “The Imaginary Invalid” a timeless tale. Commedia dell’Arte influenced…

affective. Medicine and surgery has significantly improved in the past several centuries, which has caused deaths by disease to decrease and life span to increase. Unlike doctors in modern times, physician in the 1600s, like the ones in Moliere’s farce, did not have advanced technology and research in medicine. Because of this, doctors in that time frequently guessed diseases and treatments, which was not healthy. In The Imaginary Invalid, medical care was futile because doctors lacked…

Moliere’s Imaginary Invalid , a musical, farce and a comedy all at the same time. A play like nothing I've seen before. I myself realized that I enjoy musicals, and this was no exception. This play keeps the audience attention, while at least my attention. The setting takes place in Paris during the seventeenth century. The play was originally written in French, and Dan Smith worked to translate it into English. There are nine characters in the Imaginary Invalid but I would say that their are…

governess’ unconscious or if they are truly haunting both Miles and Flora. These two differing viewpoints are a direct result of James’ use of ambiguity of the text. James’ story then changes from a simple ghost story about a governess, two ghosts, and two children to a story filled with ambiguity and questions, which contribute to the overall uneasy, eerie, and uncanny feeling produced. The development of the uncanny through James’ use of ambiguity within the text opens up a new perspective of…

It shows how one’s idea of Hell is that suffering can’t be ignored. It’s always there in the forefront of the person’s mind. There are other things in the room, though, they are not actually there: a bronze and a letter opener. The letter opener was in fact used when one of the character’s attempted to kill another. The action, of course, doesn’t work because all the characters are, as they tried to name it, “absent”. The use of an imaginary letter opener in place of a real one seems to signify…

The imaginary friend she develops conveys Pecola’s subconscious hunger for being welcomed, the endearment she needs, and a bond. The friend encourages Pecola that she in fact has blue eyes and they are the bluest eyes she’s ever seen. Nevertheless, because the make-believe friend expresses the latent or hidden side of Pecola it also expresses Pecola’s unsung doubts and terrors. At times we see the imaginary friend approach enmity and threaten to disclose unsatisfactory…

At the begging of the book the reader is introduced to this imaginary thing called Beekle. The imaginary thing wants to meet his imaginary friends. The illustrations show Beekle looking up at the stars and patiently waiting for a child to imagine him. Then the pictures express Beekle’s strong desire to find his imaginary friend as he sets out to do the unimaginable. The illustration of a young girl calling out for Beekle’s help leaves the reader wondering if this could be Beekle’s missing…

“A squared plus b squared.” I blurted. “That’s the equation isn’t it?” I hid the book behind my back hoping Pythagoras wouldn’t see it. He narrowed his eyes at me. “What’s that behind your back?” Pythagoras’s brown hair was mussed like he hadn’t slept well and there were shadows under his green eyes. I suspected that he had woken from his “dream from the gods” and had stayed up pondering his options. Why would he have come to my house and arranged triangles from firewood? “It’s nothing.” I…

(Smith & Lillard, 2012). Yet, girls are more likely to report having an imaginary friend (Smith & Lillard, 2012). Also, children develop socially appropriate roles through pretend play as they act out roles of adults who engage in socially appropriate behaviors (Bodrova, Germeroth, & Leong, 2013). In doing so they learn to inhibit some behaviors and engage in others through self-monitoring, planning, and reflection (Bodrova et al, 2013). Research has shown that when children are playing a…

The Stephen King’s “1408,” the author uses telephone as a symbol to describe in order to express gothic element of the fear and madness that is caused by Mike's own inner voice through the repetition through telephone receiver. As humans we all have experienced from a very young age ‘voices within us’. When we have to make a decision, there are two voices that speaks to us and argues with the thoughts and decision that we are going to make. Even as a child, there is something that we…