Drama Analysis Essay

Drama Analysis Essay

Student

4A-Answers to the questions

• The protagonist in the play is Manny, the repairman of Maypole.
• In this play, the main character’s main conflict is about an obsession with the washing machine, the struggle with perfectionism, and seeing the essence of life.
• The hero learns that despite his love with the perfectionism of machines, human affection is more valuable than any love for the machine.
• The time setting of the play was in the 1950s when the washing machine was perceived with awe and admiration.
• The scene-setting of the play is in a small town called harmony in the US
• Imagery has been used to describe the washing machine and the drier and leave a lasting impression in the audience’s mind
• The major symbols in the play are the washing machines and the drier
• The writer of the play is driving the message of the significance of appreciating imperfection in the people we love
• The dominant theme of this play is the imperfection of human beings
• The main protagonist tries to balance between love for perfect machines and imperfect humans, but he eventually prefers the later
• The insights from the play are that human beings will always be superior to machines

4B – THESIS STATEMENT

Topic

The central theme of the play is love for humans versus machines

Stance

The play effectively depicts how the various characters are struggling to balance their love for machines and fellow human beings. This is because machines were perceived as perfect and humans as imperfect.

First support

Manny describes the washing machine as beautiful instead of his girlfriend, Mabel

Second support

Maitre De admits to once being obsessed with a telephone

Third support

Mabel felt jealous every time Manny gives attention to the washing machine and drier

Topic and Stance

Throughout the play, the conflict exists between the love for humans and machines. Machines are competing for Manny’s attention at the expense of his relationship with Mabel. However, humanity wins because Manny appreciates human relations despite their imperfections.

4C – OUTLINE

Topic: Machine versus human affection

Introduction

Hook

Machines are meant to make work easier but not to degrade human relationships.

Point 1

Machines are competing for human affection

Point 2

The play depicts machines as perfect and humans as imperfect

Point 3

Machines are a source of conflict in the play.

Thesis: The central theme of the play is love for humans versus love for machines

First support: Machines are competing for human affection

Example: Manny describes the washing machine as beautiful instead of his girlfriend, Mabel.

Analysis:

Most characters in the play are either obsessed with the machines or are victims of machine obsession. Maitre De admits to once being obsessed with a telephone

Second support: The play depicts machines as perfect and humans as imperfect

Example:

The washing machine beseeches Manny to see its abilities and adore them instead of Mabel

Analysis:

At the end of the play, Manny realizes that Mabel’s imperfections are much better than machine perfection.

Third support: Machines are a source of conflict in the play.

Example

Mabel feels jealous every time Manny gives attention to the washing machine and drier

Analysis

Mabel is jealous of the way Manny describes the washing machine. At the same time, the washing machine does not like Mabel because she distracts Manny’s attention on it.

Conclusion

Topic and Stance:

• Throughout the play, a conflict exists between the love for humans and machines. Machines are competing for Manny’s attention at the expense of his relationship with Mabel. However, humanity wins because Manny appreciates human relations despite their imperfections.
• One machine is competing for human affection.
• Secondly, the play depicts machines as perfect and humans as imperfect.
• Moreover, machines are a source of conflict in the play.
• The play effectively depicts how humans and machines compete for our attention. Most often, at times, we tend to give machines more attention and value. However, at the end of the play, Manny realizes that humans are more valuable than machines despite their imperfections.

4D – ESSAY

Machine versus human affection

Introduction

Technology makes work easier, but it should not degrade human relationships. However, in this play, we see Manny the repairer falling in love with machines to the point of obsession. Manny adores the washing machine, buys it new clothes, and even sleeps in the same place it is located. At the same time, Manny fails to show his girlfriend Mabel, which infuriates her as their relationship suffers. In the play, the washing machine and drier compete for Manny’s attention. Furthermore, Manny perceives machines as objects of beauty and adoration to levels of obsession. The play depicts machines as perfect and humans as imperfect. The machines mock each other and Mabel as they seek Manny’s attention hence creating jealousy and contempt towards each other.

Thesis: The central theme of the play is love for humans versus the love for technology.

Firstly machines are competing for human affection. In the play, Manny is the protagonist who goes to a restaurant with his washing machine, hoping to get a reservation spot for the two. The author employs humour from the word goes as Manny looks at the washing machine with love and utmost admiration. He uses words such as beautiful and exquisite to describe the machine before we realize that he has a girlfriend.

Mabel is frustrated because of Manny’s weird behavior, and as a result, she is even forced to tell him to choose between her and the washing machine. Being the repairman of the Maypole, he shows an obsession that breaks his girlfriend’s trust and admiration. At one point, Manny humorously boasts of how he is proud of being the repairman of the most magnificent machine in the world. The humanization of the Maypole only serves to show the human side of love and affection that is lacking in his life. Moreover, the presence of a stain on Manny’s dress further depicts a strategy to isolate her from the relationship between Maypole and Manny. Manny is not described as beautiful, but with time, Manny is fed up and returns to love Mabel because of her ability to be empathetic and humorous.

The main characters in the play are either obsessed with the machines or are victims of machine obsession. The use of machines such as the drier, washing machine, and the telephone serves t show just how technology has interfered with modern-day family life and how men and women are reacting to the technological invasion. Maitre De also admits to once being obsessed with a telephone. However, despite the character’s connections to the machines, they seem to be greatly unhappy and unfulfilled hence emphasizing the importance of human interactions and relationships over machines.

Secondly, the play depicts machines as perfect and humans as imperfect. In the play, humans are seen as imperfect because the scenes are based on Manny’s perception of things. On the other hand, manny compares the beauty of the Maypole with that of Mabel. Even the writer’s description of the names depicts that Maypole is grander in stature, more revered and adored than Mabel, his girlfriend. The machine humorously engaged with Manny to the point of openly flirting with him about the kinds of clothes it prefers to wash. On the other hand, as the play begins, Manny is struggling to take the machine out for a date but not Mabel. He purchases clothes, disinfectants, oils, and softeners for Maypole, but he does not find time for Mabel because of her imperfections. For example, at one point, Mable is described as having a stain in her dress while the machine is described as sparkling clean. Maypole even convinces Manny to ignore Mable and adore it instead, meaning that she enjoyed Manny’s attention and treatment.

At the end of the play, Manny realizes that Mabel’s imperfections are much better than machine perfection. This happens after Manny realizes that a relationship with the washing machine was not as fulfilling as he had thought after all. Overall the lesson from the play is that human being relationships can never be replaced by technology. The machines are there to enhance human needs and not to compete for human attention. This is relevant in the modern world where people are more consumed by the internet, smartphones, and computers at the expense of more valuable face to face human interactions.

Thirdly machines are a source of conflict in the play. The sources of conflict in the play are the technologies that are described with grandeur and beauty. The rest of the play is comprised of humorous interaction between the humanized machines and the protagonist. Mabel notices that Manny has given the washing machine all his attention. This creates jealously as she starts to compete for attention with the machine. The interactions are full of satire, irony, and grand humor, and one can almost tell that two women are fighting over a man. However, Maypole is just a washing machine humanized to depict the role of a jealous spouse. This is the reason Mable’s dress has a large stain, probably to show that it was deliberately put to downgrade Mabel’s beauty.

Manny states that successful people always chase their dreams and are not ashamed of pursuing them, showing that he was aware that he was obsessed with a machine and not a fellow human being. The waiter at the hotel also admits to being obsessed with a telephone and losing a spouse. The play addresses and issue that was relevant during a period where machines were revered and worshiped. The play aimed to allow the audience to judge for themselves what was valuable between a machine and a human relationship.

Mabel is jealous of the way Manny describes the washing machine. At the same time, the washing machine does not like Mabel because she distracts Manny’s attention on it. There is a constant conflict that is used to portray the dilemmas in society as well as things that undermine human relationships. Mabel’s sense of humor, affection, and other human abilities can shift Manny’s attention to reclaim her position as Manny’s wife. This serves to remind human beings that they should always value human relationships over technology.

Conclusion

Throughout the play, a conflict exists between the love for humans and the love for technology. Machines are competing for Manny’s attention at the expense of his relationship with Mabel. However, humanity wins because Manny appreciates human relations despite their imperfections. As Manny puts it, we are all appliances of a higher being showing that the play aimed at showing the essence of humanistic values over materials values. In the modern world, things like the internet and gadgets should not make us lack human touch and affection towards the people we love. The play depicts machines as perfect and humans as imperfect. However, as we can learn from the play even with her stained dress, Mabel is empathetic, resourceful, affectionate, and more intelligent than the washing machine, which only talks about technical issues that are boring with time.

Moreover, machines are a source of conflict in the play. We see how devices cause conflict as they claim their spot in Manny’s life at the expense of his romantic relationship and his wellbeing. The play effectively depicts how humans and machines compete for our attention. However, at the end of the play, Manny realizes that humans are more valuable than machines despite their imperfections.