Essay Conflicts on a Thing of Beauty and Sorry Wrong Number
Matilda Tan (29) 2E3 Word Count: 1,699
Explain how conflict is portrayed in Sorry, Wrong Number and another drama you have studied this semester. Which one has a greater impact on and why?
In Sorry, Wrong Number and A Thing of Beauty, there are four conflicts that can be seen, internal, how a character struggles with himself or herself, relational, between two peoples, societal, between a character and a group and situational, conflict with a certain situation.
Internal conflict is portrayed when the character, Mrs. Stevenson, is struggling with herself. When Mrs. Stevenson heard the sound of the phone receiver being lifted on the same extension line as her, “(Click of receiver being put down on Mrs. Stevenson’s line)” She was attempting to get help from the Operator yet the Operator was not bothering about her at all. She is scared, thinking that if she does not pick it up, if she does not let them hear her and she is quiet, they would not realize that she is there and eventually they’ll leave her house. However, she is in a dilemma when she realised that if she does not call for help, there would be no time for anyone to save her. “I won’t pick it up; I won’t let them hear me. I’ll be quiet - and they’ll think ...But if I don’t call someone now - while they’re still down there - there’ll be no time...” This shows that she is caught in a tight spot trying to decide the best and safest solution to save herself.
In A Thing of Beauty, internal conflict is when the Prioress is being made by the Colonel to choose between nineteen nuns or Edith Stein. She is in a predicament as to whether to save nineteen nuns’ lives by giving up Edith Stein or saving Edith Stein by sacrificing nineteen nuns’ lives. Either way, the Prioress is forced to “wield the power of life and death over” them and is going against her believes in her religion. Therefore, the Prioress is sandwiched between two tough and equally wrong options. It is also seen towards the end of the play. After
Explain how conflict is portrayed in Sorry, Wrong Number and another drama you have studied this semester. Which one has a greater impact on and why?
In Sorry, Wrong Number and A Thing of Beauty, there are four conflicts that can be seen, internal, how a character struggles with himself or herself, relational, between two peoples, societal, between a character and a group and situational, conflict with a certain situation.
Internal conflict is portrayed when the character, Mrs. Stevenson, is struggling with herself. When Mrs. Stevenson heard the sound of the phone receiver being lifted on the same extension line as her, “(Click of receiver being put down on Mrs. Stevenson’s line)” She was attempting to get help from the Operator yet the Operator was not bothering about her at all. She is scared, thinking that if she does not pick it up, if she does not let them hear her and she is quiet, they would not realize that she is there and eventually they’ll leave her house. However, she is in a dilemma when she realised that if she does not call for help, there would be no time for anyone to save her. “I won’t pick it up; I won’t let them hear me. I’ll be quiet - and they’ll think ...But if I don’t call someone now - while they’re still down there - there’ll be no time...” This shows that she is caught in a tight spot trying to decide the best and safest solution to save herself.
In A Thing of Beauty, internal conflict is when the Prioress is being made by the Colonel to choose between nineteen nuns or Edith Stein. She is in a predicament as to whether to save nineteen nuns’ lives by giving up Edith Stein or saving Edith Stein by sacrificing nineteen nuns’ lives. Either way, the Prioress is forced to “wield the power of life and death over” them and is going against her believes in her religion. Therefore, the Prioress is sandwiched between two tough and equally wrong options. It is also seen towards the end of the play. After