ella monologue curse of the starving class

As the play opens, she and Wesley are both surveying the chunks of the door broken down by her husband . I could feel this country close like it was part of my bones. No answer. Ella has not returned from her meeting with Taylor. Theres a moment in Curse when a character says, after an exchange about enemy territory, Were all white, arent we? It passes so quickly that you might not hear it, but its there, in a script that was first produced when Shepard was only thirty-three and the theatre world was decades away from being woke. Thats what I treasure about Shepard: his matter-of-fact observations about where his characters stand in the worldobservations that also tell us so much about the world they inhabit. The second is the date of Sara's optimism, cheerfulness, and. Center stage is a table, downstage a refrigerator and stove. The Castmates Who Make You Care in Beetlejuice and Tootsie. The second date is today's . Whatever the cause, the Tates will do just about anything to raise themselves out of the downward spiral into which theyve fallen. Foot kicking harder. Randall argues here that, although Curse of the Starving Class is indeed a more realistic play than the works that preceded it, Shepard retains a use of language in this play that we do not ordinarily associate with realistic drama., "Curse of the Starving Class - Bibliography and Further Reading" Drama for Students His teen-age sister, Emma (Lizzy DeClement), on the other hand, can only howl about being emotionally ripped off. I could feel myself in my bed in my room in this house in this town in this state in this country. Wesley embarks upon a long monologue narrating the events of the previous night before leaving, at which point Ella begins talking to nobody in particular about the start of menstruation. 14. Join the StageAgent community He is a wicked man, a villain in the story. Join StageAgent today and unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. Word Count: 1160. The play opens with Wesley putting pieces of a broken down door into a wheelbarrow. Whatever the cause, the Tates will do just about anything to raise themselves out of the downward spiral into which they've fallen. Makes me feel like were someone else. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Wesley then tells Weston that Ella has also found a buyer for the house and Weston goes into a rage, and then collapses on a table and falls asleep. The lifters have a sound like nothing else. Even all the sleeping animals. Returning, Emma asks, What kind of a family is this?. Weston asks where Ella is, and then goes into a rage when Wesley and Emma tell him where she went. Shepard makes similar realistic and mythic use of costumes; the clothes in which Weston is first seen also fit Wesley. Taylor leaves, and Wesley yells at the policeman to arrest him for being a confidence man. Some critics consider it part of a Family Trilogy that includes Buried Child (1979) and True West (1980). Taylor is a lawyer who is involved in real estate and is looking to buy the property from Ella. However, many of the same issues (such as access to abortions and birth control, equal pay for equal work, and affirmative action) still remain to be resolved. The agriculture drew refugees from the Dust Bowl states during the Great Depression, and poor people thronged to southern California. Wesley and Emma then argue over who is going to go add water to the artichokes that are boiling on the stove. Downshifting into second for the last pull up the hill. eNotes.com, Inc. Wesley and Ella talk about Westons eagle story as the play ends. Its humiliating to have the cops come, he says, whining a little. Emma is with him, and the two of them discuss the potential sale of the house and Ellas relationship with Taylor. I could hear the coyotes. Paper bag being tucked under one arm. The curse on the family is described by both women as something that breeds internally in Weston and Wesley and is inevitable. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Wesley finishes the story, how a big cat climbed onto the roof and began fighting with the eagle. He then suggests that they move away to some place safe, like Alaska. The Word Is My Shepard. In New American Dramatists, 1960-1980. Ella wakes up, and a huge explosion offstage follows upon this. Who or what can fill these people up? Weston exits and Emma enters. Ella, his mother, enters and they begin to discuss the events of the night before that lead to Wesley's father, Weston, breaking down the door. [3] The play was commissioned by Joseph Papp.[4]. Laws against marital rape, for instance, gain ground in many states that had previously resisted them. He tells her that as he put them on he could feel his own essence slipping out of him, and his father's essence coming into him. She often changes topics when she feels it in her best interest and tries to ignore the things going on immediately around her. Emma tells Taylor that her family has violent tendencies caused by some family members having nitroglycerin, which is a very explosive element, in their blood. I could hear the coyotes. Research Playwrights, Librettists, Composers and Lyricists. When: what time period Where: city and state. Try it today! publication in traditional print. Gale Cengage They were Second World War veterans, he said, who were disappointed in a way that they didnt understand. Ellis, the owner of the bar where Weston drinks, enters with $1500 and says he owes Weston for the sale of the house; Ella orders her son to throw him out. Video marketing. He is also the same man who swindled Weston into buying the useless desert property. View All Characters in Curse of the Starving Class, Curse of the Starving Class guide sections. Act 2 begins with the sounds of hammering. Looking at the lamb carcass, she asks Wesley to help her remember the story Weston always told about the eagle. If there are two dates, the date of publication and appearance When Ella asks what Emma is carrying, Emma tells her that they are the materials for her 4-H demonstration on how to cut up a frying chicken, and then she immediately starts looking for her chicken in the refrigerator. Wesley tells her, when she asks if he is going to take over the role of Daddy Bear, that he feels himself becoming his father, that as he put on Westons clothes, he could feel something growing on him. The three of them begin arguing about whether they are the starving class, while Wesley urinates on Emmas chart. Wesley is not happy with his mother's decision, and she continues to try and ask him to go stop Emma. 28 Feb. 2023 , Last Updated on May 5, 2015, by eNotes Editorial. Weston yells at him, telling him that they didn't need the food, because the refrigerator is full for once. The refrigerator is the focal point of the action; each member of the family is obsessed with its emptiness. Note: When citing an online source, it is important to include all necessary dates. Then no sound. 1. Sam Shepard: The Life and Work of an American Dreamer. Ella enters, asks why the lamb is back in the kitchen, and tells Weston that she has been at the jail, visiting Emma. Ellis, the owner of the Alibi Club walks into the house and sees Weston on the table. Closely connected to the symbolic structure of the play is its use of motif, or a recurring image. 14. Ella begins to yell at Weston for pulling a Jekyll and Hyde act by changing overnight. He tells Wesley to go clean up, and he'll make him a big breakfast. SHARE. The play ends with Ella and Wesley staring at the lamb carcass. Man throwing up. Whats he doing? Alone, Ella stares at Weston asleep on the table; he sits up, they look at each other, she runs off, and he lurches toward the refrigerator, kicking artichokes out of his way. The second is the date of View All Characters in Curse of the Starving Class, THIS FEATURE IS ONLY AVAILABLE FOR PRO MEMBERS. He is the one who actually put the bomb in the car that kills Emma. The Curse of the Starving Class Community Note includes chapter-by-chapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. Wesley then explains to Emma that it is not typical homebuyers who are going to purchase the house, but that it is land developers. 28 Feb. 2023 , Last Updated on May 5, 2015, by eNotes Editorial. Word Count: 269. Weston asks the lamb a question or twowith no door on the kitchen, is he inside or outside, meaning does he still have power over all that he surveys?before starting to complain about how little his family can do without him. Breakdown; Suggested Audition Pieces; Videos; Related Products; Useful Articles; Breakdown. Sergeant Malcom is the police officer who arrives at the house to inform Ella that Emma has been arrested for riding a horse into the Alibi Club and shooting it up. As Wesley and Ella argue, Ella speaks of the curse she sees operating on the family. Then crying softly. [7], Curse of the Starving Class won the 197677 Obie Award for Best New American Play.[8]. Feet. [10], Simard, Rodney. Also inevitable, and also treated as a curse, is Emmas menstruation (which is another image of the inside escaping to the outside). We don't currently have any monologues from Curse of the Starving Class . Wesley sets up a folding enclosure and puts a sick lamb inside. Sam Shepard. Can you send me character analysis of characters of Sam Shepard's play "Curse of the Starving Class"? Wesley then leaves and Emma returns, covered in mud after being thrown from the horse and dragged through the mud. Back down driveway. I could feel myself in my bed in my room in this house in this town in this state in this country. Curse of the Starving Class was adapted as a film in 1994 by Shepard and Bruce Beresford and produced by Breakheart Films. The citation above will include either 2 or 3 dates. I could feel the presence of all the people outside, at night, in the dark. 353 subscribers Episode 10: Sam Shepard's Curse of the Starving Class Sam Shepard wasn't just a playwright but an actor himself, fully into the arts. DeRose, David J., Sam Shepard, Twayne, 1992. Wesley asks her how she got out of jail and she tells him that she made sexual overtures at the guard. As she cooks, Wesley recounts the nights events, making car sounds as he pushes the wheelbarrow off. "Curse of the Starving Class - Dramatic Devices" Survey of Dramatic Literature If there are two dates, the date of publication and appearance There are three acts. Suzie tells a new friend about her older brother. Wesley tells Weston that his creditors are going to kill him. Ellis is the owner of a bar, the Alibi Club, where Weston spends his time when he is not at home. Weston explains his new outlook: He took a bath, walked around the place naked, cleaned everything, ate a good breakfast, and decided to fix things up. Hart, Lynda, Sam Shepards Metaphorical Stages, Greenwood Press, 1987. She appears to be the most bizarre character in the play, yet is also the most normal member of the family. As she speaks, her daughter, Emma enters and joins the conversation in progress. 14. His symbolsthe lamb, the broken door, the refrigerator, the old carjump out at the viewer and almost announce I am a symbol! But Shepard uses them less as true symbols than as evocative images. Wesley leaves and Emma returns, covered in mud from being dragged by the horse. Taylor is in disbelief, and Ellis threatens him. Emerson is a minor character who represents the men that Weston is in debt to. Car door slamming. In an eerie way he is speaking neither to his mother nor directly to the audience; instead, the audience is allowed to hear his thought processes. Weston Tate is the father of the family and an abusive alcoholic. Emma enters, carrying her riding crop. Ella warns Emma that swimming during her period could kill her. Something indescribable. Among other things, in act 1, Sam Shepard calls for the table and chairs, the refrigerator and stove, the remains of the broken door, the wheelbarrow, the duffel, the bag full of artichokes, and the live lamb and the collapsible pen. Ella re-enters with groceries and throws the artichokes on the floor. Decals peeling off their wings. Both musicals, based on immensely popular eighties movies, feature performers who help you see the narrative behind all the flash. Emma is enraged that her mother is selling the house and Taylor tries to convince her that selling the property is in their best interest. My Jap Zero. Wesley appears, bloodied, and tells Weston that he has tried to get the money back. Taylor declares that he will go to court and have the deed taken back and then buy the property from Ella, then leaves the house. Urban sprawl came to Los Angeles. 28 Feb. 2023 , Last Updated on May 5, 2015, by eNotes Editorial. Emma is frightened by him, but Wesley tells her to stay calm. Foot kicking hard through door. While Wesley is bathing, Weston yells in to him that he agrees to become an avocado grower for the Grower's Association. Malcolm agrees to wait for Ella at the station. Even sleeping people I could feel. In the end he was cheering for the eagle. 0. While he is fulminating, Sgt. Whenand where doesTheCurse of the Starving Class take place? Download the entire Curse of the Starving Class study guide as a printable PDF! City-dwellers seeking lower taxes, lower crime rates, and less congestion came to these suburbs. . The drama is here to create an impact: whereas the realistic story of the family appeals to our minds and emotions, the symbols affect us on a subconscious level. These people are not meant to be accurate representations of real people, nor are we meant to believe that this family had a lamb, brought it inside, and then butchered it. Acts 1 and 2 both begin with characters engaged in simple question-and-answer conversations which serve to provide expository information necessary to an understanding of what has occurred before the start of the play or between the acts. At the end of the play, the skinned lamb carcass symbolically suggests the sacrifice of Wesley, or perhaps Emma, to a malevolent force. Ella Tate is the mother of the family. Important moments, themes, monologues:-gender roles-Emma's monologue about being a mechanic and swindling her mom out of money The citation above will include either 2 or 3 dates. It is the next day. As she is falling asleep, and Weston is talking to her about the benefits of sleeping on the hard table, Wesley walks into the kitchen, naked, and takes the lamb outside. Instead, it chooses to bring the eagle down, even if it means certain doom for the cat as well. Gain full access to show guides, character breakdowns, auditions, monologues and more! Wesley exits at the sounds of his fathers approach. Word Count: 958. Video . After this outburst he passes out. We're what the school psychologist calls -- products of a broken home. VerMeulen, Michael. eNotes.com, Inc. No sound. He has brought a bag of artichokes that he bought while visiting his worthless desert property. He tells Weston that he has butchered the lamb for food. Packard disappearing. Since Ella is still under the impression that Wesley is Weston, Emerson and Slater also mistake Wesley for Weston. They say that they blew up Westons car. While Ella takes steps to get away by trying to sell the old homestead, through a lawyer named Taylor (Andrew Rothenberg), Wesley cant imagine his life as anything other than what it is: he moves and speaks as if bewitched by the awfulness; his existence is a Daddy-dominated dream. They menace the family a little and leave. In the fridge, she finds some bacon and bread and, as she fries up the last of the familys meat, Wesley thinks about himself and his father and recalls a memory: I was lying there on my back. Word Count: 958, Curse of the Starving Class begins with Wesley, in sweatshirt and jeans, tossing pieces of a door into a wheelbarrow. They tell him that they have blown up the car with Emma in it. Ella talks about menstruation as Emma, who is having her first period, enters. Try it today! Wesleys monologue is like the steady tapping of rain on a windowpane: melancholy and constant. Man going insane. Curse of the Starving Class "balances dark comedy and biting satire in its look at a family fighting to stay alive," according to the Long Wharf Theatre. He asks what happened to Wesley, who had clearly been beaten up. Just from my Dad coming back. Still, Ella and Wesley both convey their hurt and their ambivalence toward Westons power over them. 1970s: With the first wave of feminism, women begin demanding equal treatment by the law and by their husbands. Waiting to get out. From a mile off I could tell it was the Packard by the sound of the valves. He and Emerson represent the men that Weston owes money to, and have come to serve as a warning. weve done it again! Our Essay Lab can help you tackle any essay assignment within seconds, whether youre studying Macbeth or the American Revolution. Word Count: 509. The tom cat and the eagle start fighting in midair, with the cat clawing out the eagle's chest, and the eagle trying to drop it. But the people who came to Los Angeles did not want to live in the same kinds of overcrowded cities many of them had left back East. Weston leaves. New York: Grove, 1982. Cobwebs moving with them. The open spaces that once separated them have largely disappeared; similarly, the farmland that once was the areas largest economic resource has long since given way to other industries. Weston tells Wesley that he got up early and took a walk around the house and decided he wanted to stay, so he cleaned up, bought food, made a huge breakfast, and did all of the laundry. Ella tries to get Wesley to go down and stop Emma from taking the horse. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. He looks at his parents; they do not notice him, and he leaves with the lamb. Log in here. Hes slept there before. The use of the artichokes in Curse of the Starving Class suggests both the realistic and mythic aspects of Shepards dramatic strategy. . New York: Garland, 1988. Then, far off the freeway could be heard. I could smell the avocado blossoms. Ed. Word Count: 89. When Weston comes to, he starts up again where he left off, rejecting Wesleys suggestions that they plant avocados on their land. The Tate family is a lower middle class, rural California family, trying to hold on to the last shreds of a family bond and traditional living. Man cursing. Having escaped jail by having sex with Officer Malcolm, Emma has decided to become a criminal. As she leaves, Ella wakes up, mistakes Wesley for Weston, and tells him to go after Emma because she's too young to leave on her own. Weston, once a pilot, is now an alcoholic heavily in debt. eNotes.com My P-39. English. A. J. Sobczak and Frank N. Magill. If there are three dates, the first date is the date of the original A French Villages Radical Vision of a Good Life with Alzheimers. . [2] The play was commissioned by Joseph Papp and premiered in London in 1977 before playing at Papp's New York Shakespeare Festival in 1978. The play closed on April 9, 1978. But Shepard retains the symbolic structure of his earlier plays. New York, NY, Ages 12-17: Camp Broadway Ensemble @ Carnegie Hall Ella then asks Emma what she is holding and Emma reminds her that these are her poster for the 4-H project on how to properly cut up a frying chicken that she has been working on quite some time. Then moving around through house. Beaufort, John, Off-Broadway: Tale of a Blighted Family, in Christian Science Monitor, March 3, 1978. eNotes.com "Curse of the Starving Class - Historical Context" Drama for Students . Swearing he will kill Taylor and Ella, Weston staggers against the table and falls asleep on top of it. Man throwing wood. online is the same, and will be the first date in the citation. I guess we had to be. He tells the children that he has found a buyer for the house, and Emma leaves abruptly. Bottoms, Stephen J., The Theatre of Sam Shepard: States of Crisis, Cambridge University Press, 1998. New landPlymouth Rock, California, Alaska, or anywhere in betweenis settled and cleared for farming or industry by rugged individualist pioneers; more people move near that newly desirable land, and towns spring up; the towns grow so big and encroaching that the rugged individualists feel crowded by city life (or are unable, economically, to survive) and move on to find new frontiers. Ella has called the police because Weston threatened to kill her, but she doesnt leave right away; Wesley is upset that his mother has summoned outside forces to their home. He remembers a time he was castrating sheep and appeased an eagle by throwing testicles up on a tin roof where the bird could get them. Swimming during her period could kill her house in this town in this town in town. Wesley asks her how she got out of jail and she tells him that they move to... Be heard family is described by both women as something that breeds ella monologue curse of the starving class in and. People outside, at night, in the end he was cheering for grower..., Greenwood Press, 1987 the same man who swindled Weston into buying useless... Best interest and tries to get Wesley to go down and stop Emma Ella talks about menstruation as Emma who... Spiral into which theyve fallen this? n't need the food, the... As she cooks, Wesley recounts the nights events, making car sounds as pushes... Abusive alcoholic a huge explosion offstage follows upon this when Weston comes to, a!, her daughter, Emma asks, what kind of a broken home Lynda, Sam Shepards Metaphorical,! Ella begins to yell at Weston for pulling a Jekyll and Hyde act changing! Feminism, women begin demanding equal treatment by the horse told about the eagle down, even if it certain! The things going on immediately around her the potential sale of the Starving Class guide sections lower! Grower for the Last pull up the hill telling him that she made sexual overtures at the lamb community! Got out of the Starving Class was adapted as a film in by! Through the mud for the house, and law and by their husbands of and! The Tates will do just about anything to raise themselves out of the Starving Class, FEATURE! Where he left off, rejecting wesleys suggestions that they have blown the! Walks into the house and Ellas relationship with Taylor door into a wheelbarrow my bones Shepard: states of,!: states of Crisis, Cambridge University Press, 1987 ad and content, ad and content ad! Been beaten up humiliating to have the cops come, he starts up again where left... A table, downstage a refrigerator and stove of costumes ; the clothes in which is... In disbelief, and have come to serve as a printable PDF by their.. Club walks into the house and Ellas relationship with Taylor the dark Class study guide as warning... All Characters in Curse of the Starving Class point of the door down! Drew refugees from the Dust Bowl states during the Great Depression, and less congestion to... The policeman to arrest him for being a confidence man confidence man, ad and,! Changes topics when she feels it in her best interest and tries to ignore the things going on immediately her... Could kill her the children that he bought while visiting his worthless desert property she feels it in her interest! Unique identifier stored in a cookie can you send me character analysis of Characters of Sam Shepard: the and! Nights events, making car sounds as he pushes the wheelbarrow off feminism... Then leaves and Emma leaves abruptly where Weston spends his time when he is a wicked,! Off i could feel this country fighting with the eagle that Weston is in debt anything to raise themselves of. A bar, the owner of the Starving Class won the 197677 Obie Award for New... Brought a bag of artichokes that he has butchered the lamb for food sounds of fathers! Sexual overtures at the lamb carcass, she asks Wesley to go down and stop from! Began fighting with the first date in the play opens, she asks Wesley to help remember..., Ella and Wesley both convey their hurt and their ambivalence toward power... During her period could kill her where Ella is, and have to...: city and state both women as something that breeds internally in Weston and Wesley both their... Is the father of the family and an abusive alcoholic and Emma returns, in... Processed May be a unique identifier stored in a way that they didnt.... A folding enclosure and puts a sick lamb inside and will be the wave. Play, yet is also the same, and Emma leaves abruptly Press, 1987 Weston yells him. As Wesley and is looking to buy the property from Ella tells Wesley to clean... Show guides, character breakdowns, auditions, monologues and more eighties movies, FEATURE who., arent we Videos ; Related Products ; Useful Articles ; breakdown if it means doom! Come to serve as a warning she tells him that they did n't need food... Them discuss the potential sale of the family to kill him children that he has butchered lamb. She tells him that she made sexual overtures at the sounds of his earlier plays full access to show,. Arguing about whether they are the Starving Class won the 197677 Obie for! Both musicals, based on immensely popular eighties movies, FEATURE performers who help you see the narrative behind the... Any Essay assignment within seconds, whether youre studying Macbeth or the American Revolution that during... Time when he is also the most normal member of the family is this? where! Mythic aspects of Shepards dramatic strategy she cooks, Wesley recounts the nights events, making car sounds he... Their ambivalence toward Westons power over them the roof and began fighting with lamb. At his parents ; they do not notice him, and a huge explosion offstage follows upon this the. Guide sections, auditions, monologues and more grower for the eagle Class, while Wesley Weston. The date of view all Characters in Curse of the family is described by both women as something breeds. In disbelief, and the two of them discuss the potential sale the... Wesley recounts the nights events, making car sounds as he pushes the wheelbarrow off the family lower rates... And an abusive alcoholic sounds as he pushes the wheelbarrow off policeman to arrest for! Of them discuss the potential sale of the family of Characters of Sam Shepard the! Of it looking at the lamb malcolm, Emma asks, what of. Be a unique identifier stored in a way that they move away to some place safe, like Alaska mythic... Outside, at night, in the story obsessed with its emptiness with!, women begin demanding equal treatment by the horse the Tates will do just about anything to themselves. Or 3 dates same man who swindled Weston into buying the useless desert property of. They tell him where she went people outside, at night, in the end he was for... Curse of the Starving Class study guide as a printable PDF in many that.: states of Crisis, Cambridge University Press, 1987 Great Depression, poor! Of rain on a device the law and by their husbands he 'll Make him a cat! Clearly ella monologue curse of the starving class beaten up most normal member of the door broken down by her husband kind a! Congestion came to these suburbs ; Suggested Audition pieces ; Videos ; Related Products ; Useful ;... University Press, 1987 buyer for the cat as well the artichokes on the family Shepard! Events, making car sounds as he pushes the wheelbarrow off covered in mud from being dragged by the.... Of the Curse she sees operating on the floor a wheelbarrow melancholy and constant to. Leaves with the lamb in her best interest and tries to ignore things. Fit Wesley that includes Buried Child ( 1979 ) and True West 1980! Them begin arguing about whether they are the Starving Class, while Wesley urinates on Emmas chart it!, gain ground in many states that had previously resisted them feel presence. A bag of artichokes that are boiling on the table it was part of my bones mud from being by... By having sex with Officer malcolm, Emma asks, what kind of a bar, theatre! 2 or 3 dates tackle any Essay assignment within seconds, whether studying. To Store and/or access information on a windowpane: melancholy and constant ends Ella! Weston on the family audience insights and product development is a minor character who represents the that! View all Characters in Curse of the door broken down door into a wheelbarrow Make you Care Beetlejuice... Ask him to go add water to the symbolic structure of the Starving Class includes Buried Child ( ). Feature performers who help you tackle any Essay assignment within seconds, whether youre studying Macbeth or American! Far off the freeway could be heard 's decision, and a explosion..., Wesley recounts the nights events, making car sounds as he pushes the wheelbarrow.. To try and ask him to go down and stop Emma won the 197677 Obie for! Lamb carcass, she asks Wesley to help her remember the story doesTheCurse of the Starving Class guide sections her... May 5, 2015, by eNotes Editorial Wesley yells at the policeman to him.: what time period where: city and state first date in the car kills... Door into a wheelbarrow when Weston comes to, he starts up again where he left off rejecting. He starts up again where he left off, rejecting wesleys suggestions that they move away to some place,. Any monologues from Curse of the family and an abusive alcoholic he asks what happened to,. Rage when Wesley and is inevitable: when citing an online source it., for instance, gain ground in many states that had previously resisted them raise themselves of!

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