Short Dramas Analysis

1. Analysis of Style

As know before Style is the way the writer or playwright presents the drama. In this paper there three short dramas that will be discussed from the style element: Pregnant Pause by G. L. Horton, The Man who Turns into a Dog Osvaldo Dragun  and Waiting on Train by D.M. Larson. The three dramas have the same style in some ways; the dramas are in satire style, contain social critics and do not have plot or plot less because the dramas made by a dialogue development. Despite those similarities, the dramas also have a difference; the object of social critics.

Pregnant Pause drama presents social critics to the upper class from the middle class views. They criticism the way upper class do with their job and their life. They also criticism the discrimination that upper class might say as a “professionalism” when they meet pregnancy case. The upper class live as though as they are robots and do not have humanity sense anymore, the most important thing in their mind is job at all. In addition the drama also criticism about the upper class’ indulgences of luxury thing. They do not think about the use of the thing, once they see there are some luxurious value they took it, even though the things are not useful.

The Man who Turned into a Dog presents social critics as well, A dog is a symbol of satire which telling about how hard lower class get a job. There is small chance for lower class to get a job which a job is the most important thing to keep alive. Lower class will do anything to earn money even though they have to sacrifice their humanization while the higher class doesn’t care with lower class.

And the last drama, Waiting on Train also presents social critics, but the critics come from the middle class to the lower class. Middle class see lower class as impolite people, have a bad attitude both on personality and professionalism and also live backward.

2. Synopsis

Ø  Pregnant Pause

The drama presents a story about the owner of a branch maternity wear shop named Gloria Clark who is her shop being rated by the Regional Manager of the chain (Tad Kramer & Phyllis Dixon). Her store rate is not enough to keep the shop runs (minus 1 point) and it become more difficult when the manager sees her heavily pregnant sales clerk (Megan Jackson). The manager assumes that Megan should be fired because she looks bad as a Ghost of Pregnancy and he certain that Megan makes the rate of the store is falling. Gloria defends her by saying that she work well and the customer like her as well, in addition she says that it is a kind of discrimination to fire her just because she is pregnant. Until the end of play, both of the women and the men are still holding their own opinion.

Ø  The Man who Tuned into a Dog

“The Man Who Turn into a Dog” is story about a man who suffer his life with being a dog to keep survive. He is a poor husband who has a high willingness to work. He has responsibility in his family so he will do anything to earn money. He asked whether there is a vacancy for him but there is no vacancy unless someone died, retired or fired. As it happened, the watchman’s dog died, and he applied to be a dog. He refused to bark and stand on fours but finally he did it to get the job. His wife felt that life didn’t go right bus he kept asking her understand. At the end of the story, he acted like a dog and didn’t care what others said.

Ø  Waiting on Train

Waiting on Trains present about a ticket window woman, called Verna who didn’t respect with her customers, Kirk and Sue, the business people who are waiting for the train. The play begins when Kirk waiting for the train and he works at his laptop computer, Verna sang a song, badly. Kirk feels disturbed by her and got angry, he came to ask her to turn down the radio and stop singing. After that, Sue (a business woman) came immediately to Verna and asks the schedule of the train. While Sue’s mobile phone rang, Rut (a gentleman called a bum) try to annoy her with his annoyance. He thinks that Sue is God, and Sue very disturbed by him. Sue thinks that was a very noisy while she has an important call. Then Sue met Kirk which they are both having known each other. While they started talking about their business, Verna comes to follow their conversation, but they ignored her. In a few minutes to New Year, they share about their plans and ambitions for New Year. At the end of this story is when the midnight train to Seattle has arrived. Kirk and Sue grab their bag and rush out to the train. While they are running frantically, Verna remembered that Kirk forgot his computer that has been charging in Verna’s area. Then, she tries to turn it on but failed.

3. Intrinsic Elements Analysis

             I.      Pregnant Pause

a.       Setting

The setting of place of Pregnant Pause is in the Gloria’s shop. The place that is being rated by the regional manager of Eleganza Momma. The setting of time is in the operating hours of the shop.

b.      Characters

Ø  Gloria Clark is early 30’s. Her small business is part of Eleganza Momma’s chain. She is a god boss of her sales clerk, and she is smart. As her sales clerk, she is pregnant too.

Ø  Phyllis Dixon is late 30’s. He is Tad Kramer’s assistant. He is an ambitious and workaholic business man (all of his life and his time are use for his job and career).

Ø  Tad Kramer is the regional manager of Eleganza Momma (30 – 55 years old). He is the person who will decide whether Gloria’s shop can keep running or will be closed. Like Phyllis, he is a workaholic as well.

Ø  Megan Jackson age is around 20’s. She is Gloria’s heavily pregnant sales clerk. She is friendly to the customer and pay much attention to the customer as well.

c.       Plot

This drama does not have plot or plot less, because it is a one act drama and only has one event or happening that is the rating process of Gloria’s shop. The drama is made up by dialogue development each character.

d.      Theme

Too much ambitions and desire to be success make people do not enjoy their life and lost their humanity sense. Their whole life is for work and business. There is no time to enjoy their life even they less in sleep and less in rest. In addition, they seem that they do not care about family anymore, they never think about marriage and having children, they always think of how to improve their career and how to survive in business life.

e.       Style

The style of Pregnant Pause is satire. It contains social critics to the upper class from the middle class views. They criticism the way upper class do with their job and their life. They also criticism the discrimination that upper class might say as a “professionalism” when they meet pregnancy case. The upper class live as though as they are robots and do not have humanity sense anymore, the most important thing in their mind is job at all that represented by Tad and Phyllis characters. In addition, the drama also criticism about the upper class’ indulgences of luxury things. They do not think about the use of the thing, once they see there are some luxurious values they took it, even though the things are not useful.

This drama also uses sarcastic style; there are many sarcastic words that could be found in the drama such as: ugly, monster, disgusting bag of garbage, gross, gorilla, ghost of pregnancy future etc.

f.       Point of view

The playwright used omniscient or third person point of view in this drama. The perspective is from the middle class that criticism the upper class attitude and the way they think.

2. The Man who  Turned into a Dog

a.       Setting

A watchman works at night makes the setting of the man who turned into a dog is at night. The place setting is at factory where a watchman dog is needed to protect the factory.

b.      Characters

The main character of the man who turned into a dog is a protagonist. He will do anything to get money even his wife doesn’t support him. He is asking for his wife understanding that this is the only way to keep survives.

The other characters, who support the main character to be a dog, are antagonist. They pushed the main character to walk with four, barking and sleeping in a dog house. The wife of the main character who tells that she doesn’t want to have a dog as a father of her baby is also antagonist.

c.       Plot

The Man who Turned into a Dog does not have a plot as well. It is a dialogue development only.

d.      Theme

Poverty leads dehumanization is the theme of the drama. The drama shows us that people especially lower class will do everything in order to earn money and to keep survive.

e.       Style

The man who turned into a dog is a social critic. It is about the survival of a lower class man. A man, who supposed to have a normal work as a human being, sacrifices his humanization to earn money. At first, he tried to look for a normal job but no job open unless he wants to work as a watchman's dog. He has to earn money to pay the bills, to give his wife food, to keep alive, but no other choice than working as a dog, a watchman dog.

A dog is a symbol of satire which telling about how hard lower class get a job. There is small chance for lower class to get a job which a job is the most important thing to keep alive. Lower class will do anything to earn money while the higher class doesn’t care with lower class.

f.      Point of View

3. Waiting on Train

a.       Setting

The drama takes place at a train station in a overgrown hick town. The setting of time refers to the text, as Kirk said “2000…” (Page 10, line 7), and Sue said “Happy New Year” (Page 13, line 7). So that was December 31, 1999. It’s about 11.00 p.m. to 12.01 a.m.

b.      Characters

There are four characters in this story

Ø  Verna is a ticket window woman; she is rude, crude and unacceptable. She gives bad services and little information to her customers; Sue and Kick two business people who are waiting on trains. She also annoys Sue and Kirk when they have conversation. She always wants to know what they are talking about and also tries to follow their conversation. She is also included to people who have no knowledge about technology (she can’t use the laptop computer)

Ø  Kirk is a business man who wants to be a president of the company he works; he is a diligent man and friendly. He has divorced with her wife but has no plan to have a new wife and kids anymore; at the time being a successful businessman is all he wants. He does not appreciate Verna’s attitude because she gives a bad service when he was waiting on trains.  

Ø  Sue is a business woman who was waiting on trains. She is arrogant; the important thing in her life is business. She never rest in holiday and waste her time for unimportant things. She is an ambitious woman who wants to be a rich woman that all people in the world know her in order to make her father proud. She also try to never be optimistic about anything because she does not want to be disappointed. She doesn’t think to be a house wife likes her mother because it’s so futile for her and she thinks she cans life without love.

Ø  Rut is a gentleman who is known bum by some. In the beginning when he meets with Sue he thinks that Sue is God that make Sue was disturb and got angry. He doesn’t have family and house.

c.       Plot

There is no plot in this drama (plot less drama), it is only a dialogue development where two business people are waiting on trains and sharing about their life and goals for New Year. They get annoyances and jokes from a ticket woman and a bum while waiting a trains until the new year come.

d.      Theme

Life is like waiting on trains, if you do not want to left by the train you have come early or on time, in life if you want to be a successful person, you have to improve your knowledge, so you will not be backward. In contrast, if you came late you will leave by train. In life if you don’t prepare yourself with your future you will be a backward person, like Verna in this story.                     

e.       Style

Style of this story is satire. The Playwright criticism the lower class attitude from middle class views. The example of this story is Verna. She is rude, crude, unacceptable and does not respect her customers, that is why there are many people who disappointed by her services. “KIRK: Look here Miss Verna...we pay you good money to work here...” (Page 4, line 24), “SUE: If you valued your job, you would show us a little more respect.” (Page 5, line 5).. She also always wants to know what Kirk and Sue are talking about, and always follows their conversation even though she does not know what they are talking about. The playwright also wants to show that low class people can’t respect their job. Verna didn’t value her job while Kirk and Sue are still work at holiday.

VERNA:    Chill out, honey. It's the holidays. Give it a rest.

SUE:         I never rest. That's how I got where I am. Any and every minute of the day is open game and I take advantage of it.

Besides satire, style of this story is also a representation on common people at hick town. The playwright wants to show that almost people at hick town are not up to date with everything. The example of this story is also Verna. When Kirk’s computer left at her area, she tries to turn the computer on, but she didn’t know how to use it. It means that Verna is very low education in technology.

RUT          :           What's that?

VERNA     :           That business guy's computer.

RUT          :           How'd they get it so small?

VERNA     :           Beats me.

RUT          :           Turn it on. I wanna see it work.

VERNA     :           I'm not sure how.

RUT          :           Push that. She turns it on.

RUT (CONT.)       Look at that sucker light up.

VERNA     :           Amazing what they can do now days.

RUT          :           What are you doing?

VERNA     :           I don't know really but it's fun.

RUT          :           What's that mean?

VERNA     :           I'm not sure.(Pushes a button) Ooops.

RUT          :           How come that disappeared?

VERNA     :           Ooops.

RUT          :           There goes another one.

VERNA     :           Where'd they go? I sure hope they wasn't important.

VERNA (CONT.   (As lights fade) Ooops.

RUT is laughing and clapping. VERNA (CONT. Ooops. (Black out)

f.       Point of View

D.M Larson present “Waiting on Trains” from third person point of view (omniscient) that represented by lower class people point of view.  It doesn’t only describe the character of the people itself, but also their activities.