Who Is The Narrator Of Arcadia
Card Report
Title: Arcadia
Author: Tom Stoppard
Central Character: Septimus Hodge
Other Characters: Thomasina Coverly, Jellaby, Ezra Chater, Richard Noakes, Lady Croom, Hannah Jarvis
Setting: The story opens in the front room of an old estate in Derbyshire, England. Scenes shift back and forth between the early nineteenth century and to present day.
Narrator: The narrative in Arcadia switches between multiple character points of view throughout the play. The majority of all the characters gets to speak as the narrator and on his/her point of view and perspective at least once in the narrative.
Events in summary numbered, but not more than a paragraph—10 to 12 events at most
1. The first major event in the narrative of “Arcadia,” is the discovery of Septimus’s affair with Mrs. Chater in the first scene. Mr. Noakes, the landscape architect, spots Septimus and Mrs. Chater in the gazebo in the acts of infidelity. Mr. Noakes describes what …show more content…
he saw to Ezra later in the text.
2. The next event is the confrontation between Ezra and Septimus. Mr. Noakes relays what he saw to Mrs. Chater’s husband, Ezra Chater. Ezra later challenges Septimus to a duel, to defend his wife’s honor. However, Septimus talks Ezra out of it, and convinces him that Mrs. Chater only did it to ensure a good review from Septimus on Ezra’s book.
3. The next event is the scene where Septimus talks Ezra out of a violent situation. Upon learning of his sife’s infedilities, Ezra goes after Septimus and challenges him to a duel to regain his wife’s honor. Septimus, however, convinces him that the acts were only with the intention to ensure that Septimus would write a better review of Ezra’s poems.
4. The next event, is the scene where Lady Croom realizes she is the burning torch Septimus has been carrying with him. On this night, everyone’s secrets have come out, and Lady Croom rids of the 3 way love polygon taking place between Brice, Byron and Chater.
5. Following this event, Lord Byron decides to go public with his theories. Bernard goes on public television to announce his opinions and theories. This choice by Lord Byron demands that he permanently stand by his theories or fall with them.
6. The next event in the narrartive is the scene of Lady Croom discovering another admirer and moving away from septimus. In this scene, Septimus still holds feelings for Lady Croom even with the fact that she has dedicated her attention to someone else.
7. The next event is that of Hannah persistently pursuing research with the intention of proving Bernard’s theories wrong. She knows with enough research, she can denounce his positions. The question on whether or not she can prove his theories wrong is not a matter of “if,” but in her mind a matter of “when.”
8. The next event that draws for significance is the scene where Valentine digs out Thomasina’s diagram from a pile of things on the table, and yells Hannah with confidence that he’s finally figured out what the diagram is: Heat Exchange. The conversations of Septimus and Thomasia andvalentine and Hannah merge together, both conversations discussing Thomasina’s diagram of how energy is always bing dispersed and can never be brought back together. Septimus then agree’s to teach Thomasina to waltz.
9. The next event that is significant in the narrative, is that of Septimus and Thomasina engaging in intimate kissing. Septimus takes control and kisses Thomasina, and at first Thomasina just looks at him. Septimus then kisses her again, and after the second time she puts her arms around him in approval. The scene suggests that Septimus may have found a substitute for his love for Lady Croom. Because the scene is at the end of the play, the event of Septimus and Thomasina kissing cause for multiple theories as to what the interpretation of the event could mean.
10.
The concluding event in the narrative describes a scene where Thomasina insists on one last dance for her birthday, and Gus inviting Hannah to dance as well.. The scene ends with both couples, two centuries and locations apart, dancing across the stage.
Tone – “Arcadia,” by Tom Stoppard is a very unique play. There is no traditional, or orthodox narrarator. Tom Stoppard, instead, gives each character their own voice, and their own chance to speak. Although it’s difficult to identify just one outlying tone, the general feeling of the text in my opinion, was that of strong emotion or affection. Every character had a deep affection for the ways of the world.
Style – The writing style used by Tom Stoppard in this narrative, in my opinion, would be described by the words; clever and whimsical. The play used a very intelligent structure, and the characters were witty as well as comical. The play mixed serious topics of metaphysics, sex and time, all while blending gossip and other trivial
matters.
Irony – During the 1809 setting and scene, Lady Croom mourns the changes in her garden, and believes that it is, 'nature as God intended', and comments further by insinuating to the painting, 'Et in Arcadia ego', interpreting as 'Here I am in Arcadia'. The irony is that as her reference to the painting fails to acknowledge that the actual painting is primarily concerned with the tomb that the figures stand around and that death is still present in Arcadia, as noticed by Septimus who says 'Even in Arcadia, there am I', referring to death. On one level this irony simply shows Lady Croom's nature, she refuses to accept the harsher realities of life and lives in a frivolous manner as a member of the upper class.
Theme – The theme within the texts of “Arcadia,” in my opinion, are that of time. The narrative was centralized by the question and theme of time. The story went back and forth between time, and throughout the text there was an active effort to prove a new theory regarding time.
Symbols – In scene one act two, Hannah introduces the hermit as a “perfect symbol, for all that is wrong with romanticism.” She believes the reaction the hermit causes other people and society to feel, are more important than the actual hermit. After slowly realizing that the hermit is actually Septimus, her interpretation begins to switch. She changes her interpretation of the hermit to being something positive. She believes the pursuance of enlightenment is more important than romanticism.
Evaluation – My final evaluation of, “Arcadia,” by Tom Stoppard is that it is the work of a lyrical genius. It is intelligent, comical and witty; all at the same time. He shows the consequences of taking both poetry and science so seriously. It is a play of ideas. He mixes the likes of concepts including time, love, sex, gossip and quantum physics into a piece of masterful literature. Overall, I thought the play was very entertaining and interesting. I would recommend it to any intelligent person.
From Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing, edited by X.J.
Kennedy and Dana Gioia.
Title: Arcadia
Author: Tom Stoppard
Central Character: Septimus Hodge
Other Characters: Thomasina Coverly, Jellaby, Ezra Chater, Richard Noakes, Lady Croom, Hannah Jarvis
Setting: The story opens in the front room of an old estate in Derbyshire, England. Scenes shift back and forth between the early nineteenth century and to present day.
Narrator: The narrative in Arcadia switches between multiple character points of view throughout the play. The majority of all the characters gets to speak as the narrator and on his/her point of view and perspective at least once in the narrative.
Events in summary numbered, but not more than a paragraph—10 to 12 events at most
1. The first major event in the narrative of “Arcadia,” is the discovery of Septimus’s affair with Mrs. Chater in the first scene. Mr. Noakes, the landscape architect, spots Septimus and Mrs. Chater in the gazebo in the acts of infidelity. Mr. Noakes describes what …show more content…
he saw to Ezra later in the text.
2. The next event is the confrontation between Ezra and Septimus. Mr. Noakes relays what he saw to Mrs. Chater’s husband, Ezra Chater. Ezra later challenges Septimus to a duel, to defend his wife’s honor. However, Septimus talks Ezra out of it, and convinces him that Mrs. Chater only did it to ensure a good review from Septimus on Ezra’s book.
3. The next event is the scene where Septimus talks Ezra out of a violent situation. Upon learning of his sife’s infedilities, Ezra goes after Septimus and challenges him to a duel to regain his wife’s honor. Septimus, however, convinces him that the acts were only with the intention to ensure that Septimus would write a better review of Ezra’s poems.
4. The next event, is the scene where Lady Croom realizes she is the burning torch Septimus has been carrying with him. On this night, everyone’s secrets have come out, and Lady Croom rids of the 3 way love polygon taking place between Brice, Byron and Chater.
5. Following this event, Lord Byron decides to go public with his theories. Bernard goes on public television to announce his opinions and theories. This choice by Lord Byron demands that he permanently stand by his theories or fall with them.
6. The next event in the narrartive is the scene of Lady Croom discovering another admirer and moving away from septimus. In this scene, Septimus still holds feelings for Lady Croom even with the fact that she has dedicated her attention to someone else.
7. The next event is that of Hannah persistently pursuing research with the intention of proving Bernard’s theories wrong. She knows with enough research, she can denounce his positions. The question on whether or not she can prove his theories wrong is not a matter of “if,” but in her mind a matter of “when.”
8. The next event that draws for significance is the scene where Valentine digs out Thomasina’s diagram from a pile of things on the table, and yells Hannah with confidence that he’s finally figured out what the diagram is: Heat Exchange. The conversations of Septimus and Thomasia andvalentine and Hannah merge together, both conversations discussing Thomasina’s diagram of how energy is always bing dispersed and can never be brought back together. Septimus then agree’s to teach Thomasina to waltz.
9. The next event that is significant in the narrative, is that of Septimus and Thomasina engaging in intimate kissing. Septimus takes control and kisses Thomasina, and at first Thomasina just looks at him. Septimus then kisses her again, and after the second time she puts her arms around him in approval. The scene suggests that Septimus may have found a substitute for his love for Lady Croom. Because the scene is at the end of the play, the event of Septimus and Thomasina kissing cause for multiple theories as to what the interpretation of the event could mean.
10.
The concluding event in the narrative describes a scene where Thomasina insists on one last dance for her birthday, and Gus inviting Hannah to dance as well.. The scene ends with both couples, two centuries and locations apart, dancing across the stage.
Tone – “Arcadia,” by Tom Stoppard is a very unique play. There is no traditional, or orthodox narrarator. Tom Stoppard, instead, gives each character their own voice, and their own chance to speak. Although it’s difficult to identify just one outlying tone, the general feeling of the text in my opinion, was that of strong emotion or affection. Every character had a deep affection for the ways of the world.
Style – The writing style used by Tom Stoppard in this narrative, in my opinion, would be described by the words; clever and whimsical. The play used a very intelligent structure, and the characters were witty as well as comical. The play mixed serious topics of metaphysics, sex and time, all while blending gossip and other trivial
matters.
Irony – During the 1809 setting and scene, Lady Croom mourns the changes in her garden, and believes that it is, 'nature as God intended', and comments further by insinuating to the painting, 'Et in Arcadia ego', interpreting as 'Here I am in Arcadia'. The irony is that as her reference to the painting fails to acknowledge that the actual painting is primarily concerned with the tomb that the figures stand around and that death is still present in Arcadia, as noticed by Septimus who says 'Even in Arcadia, there am I', referring to death. On one level this irony simply shows Lady Croom's nature, she refuses to accept the harsher realities of life and lives in a frivolous manner as a member of the upper class.
Theme – The theme within the texts of “Arcadia,” in my opinion, are that of time. The narrative was centralized by the question and theme of time. The story went back and forth between time, and throughout the text there was an active effort to prove a new theory regarding time.
Symbols – In scene one act two, Hannah introduces the hermit as a “perfect symbol, for all that is wrong with romanticism.” She believes the reaction the hermit causes other people and society to feel, are more important than the actual hermit. After slowly realizing that the hermit is actually Septimus, her interpretation begins to switch. She changes her interpretation of the hermit to being something positive. She believes the pursuance of enlightenment is more important than romanticism.
Evaluation – My final evaluation of, “Arcadia,” by Tom Stoppard is that it is the work of a lyrical genius. It is intelligent, comical and witty; all at the same time. He shows the consequences of taking both poetry and science so seriously. It is a play of ideas. He mixes the likes of concepts including time, love, sex, gossip and quantum physics into a piece of masterful literature. Overall, I thought the play was very entertaining and interesting. I would recommend it to any intelligent person.
From Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing, edited by X.J.
Kennedy and Dana Gioia.