Maple And Vine Play Analysis

Maple & Vine Response Paper: Happiness and Modern Technology Despite rapid development of modern technology and increase in social tolerance of historically marginalized groups, only 55 percent of the US population consider themselves very happy, which is merely a 2 percent increase from 1956 when 53 percent of the nation described their life as very satisfying, according to Gallup. In the play Maple and Vine, Jordan Harrison questions the relationship between happiness and technological advancement. Similarly, in the production of Maple and Vine at UW School of Drama, the director Sean Ryan exhibits the desperation to find happiness even if it requires to forfeit the modern society. In this play, Ryu, a cosmetic surgeon in the 21st century
In one the major climax, when Kathy first proposes to move to the SDO to Ryu, he faces the conflict between making Kathy happy or keeping his job, but ultimately, he chooses the option that puts him closer to his objective. In another moment of the play, when Ryu confront Roger about his job and attempts to blackmail him when he refuses accept this proposition, Ryu risks his relationship with Roger to increase his income to provide better for his family. In the resolution of the play, when the audience sees Ryu and Kathy being in leading position of the play, Ryu appears happier and joyful which suggests that he ultimately succeeds to accomplish his
In this play, Ryu is presented as a skeptical and workaday man who is willing to take every measure in order to have a good relationship with his wife and be happy. To find this happiness, he reached in a position of a community which he originally preceive to be hostile. The satisfaction in life comes not from modern technology or social tolerance of 21st century, but from challenges and struggles of