Paper Example on a Critically Acclaimed Play: Art by Yasmina Reza

Introduction

Art is a critically panegyrized play authored by a French playwright Yasmina Reza (Giguere, 2014). The setting of the play revolves around Marc, Yvan, and Serge apartment where it focuses on a painting, which is basically a plain canvas-covered with some white paint. Yasmina is attributed as one of the most prolific French actress, director, dramatist, and novelist famous for her short satiric plays that voice the anxieties of the contemporary middle-class. Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House is a three-act play that is usually categorized as the most distinguished playwrights in the traditions of Europe (Fischer-Lichte, Gronau & Weiler, 2012). Ibsen is occasionally described as "a profound poetic dramatist - the best since Shakespeare" and he is broadly acknowledged as the pre-eminent playwright of the 19th century. The paper will contrast and compare both plays with much emphasis being on their language, characters, and dramatic structure. Moreover, the paper will identify common themes and identify new insights that emerge. Understanding a plays dramatic structure and characters helps contribute to themes development in a literary work.

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Comparison and Contrast of the Plays: Dramatic Structure, Characters, and Language

Yasmina Reza's Art is authored in one act incorporating numerous changing scenes. The play is set on a minimalistic setting, and the only thing that changes between each character's apartment being the painting (Giguere, 2014). Occasionally, these characters address the audience directly presenting their thoughts by stepping out of the scene. Notably, the audience is forced to focus on the interaction and the text of the three characters - both places where the play draws its strength. This is emphasized by the minimalistic set of the scenes. In contrast, Ibsen's play A Doll House is structured in a different way as he places his play's actions into three acts (Ibsen, 2008). The three acts evident can be analyzed as the acts of resolution, complication, and exposition in which the plot of the drama is based on. Additionally, the plot is based on so retrospection basis looking back into the past for understanding and information. Moreover, the plot is structured with extreme precision for the economy as well as other dramatic effects. Ibsen maintains the unities in a way that sustains interest and credibility.

What the Plays Share and Where they Diverge

Notably, both Art and A Doll House share common themes such as friendship and Masculinity among many others. The theme of friendship is evident in Art whereby Serge is Marc's oldest friends. For instance, the flashback of the scene of Marc's first encounter with the painting by Antrios, he first reacts tentatively, warily and automatically refers to the artwork as shit despite its whiteness (Giguere, 2014). Further, he tries to express his invective as hilarity and even invites Serge to laugh along with him. However, Serge does not find the situation funny, which degenerates all through the scenes as the character's angers mount and nerves fray in pg. 13 and 14 of Yasmina Reza's 'ART.'

"SERGE: You know Marc's seen this painting.

YVAN: Oh?

SERGE: Devastated.

YVAN: Oh?

SERGE: He told me it was shit. A completely inappropriate description." (Lakewood-centerorg, 2019).In A Doll's House, friendship is exhibited as a paramount agenda that works to present the subordinate role of women in the time Ibsen of the bourgeois society (Ibsen, 2008). Notably, friendship is portrayed as a positive alternate association to marriage and love for women, since it contains the component of freedom and equality from conventional female duties.

Additionally, both plays share a theme of masculinity which is evident in 'A Doll's House,' in how men (Torvald Helmer being one good example) are in various ways confined by convention gender roles the same way women are (Ghafourinia & Jamili, 2014).

"NORA: How painful and humiliating it would be for Torvald, with his manly independence, to know that he owed me anything!" (1.197).

"NORA: Christine is [...] is frightfully anxious to work under some clever man, to perfect herself." (1.282)

Nora emasculates Torvald-husband by the standards of the society they live in by rescuing him. She cleverly exploits her husband by taking advantage of his stereotypical opinions on men/women relationships.

In most cases, men are viewed as providers and carry the burden of supporting their full family. Further, they are expected to be the strong leaders of their respective homes. Yasmina Reza's 'Art' analyzes friendship between men rather than women or mixed-sex, which is significantly atypical. Christopher Hart, argues that the manner in which friendship between men was outlined in this play was overwrought and implausible stating that it is inconceivable since men are not supposed to get emotional with each other. Further, he argues that men are not allowed to have great tantrums about or talk about their emotions, even stating that friendship between men is cheerful, simple-minded, and blissfully uncomplicated. For instance, Yvan calls Marc moody and states that his taste is classy and does not understand modern art,

"His taste is classical; he likes things classical; what do you expect ... You know Marc is moody, there is nothing new about that... It is true he is a bit gloomy at the moment" p.15

"What I blame him for is his tone of voice, his complacency, his tactlessness. I blame him for his insensitivity" p.15.

Notably, Yvan's opinion about Marc causes Serge to blame Mar, and this is the genesis of what transpires to Marc and Serge the relationship as the play is a play of relationships. Even when Yvan tries to smooth things over, it becomes worse as he has already, intentionally or unintentionally, said that he is moody and sardonic.

New Insight

The new insights that emerge from these two plays are masculinity. Notably, the Western culture highlights particular traits befitting the patriarchal ultimate masculine build Anderson & McCormack, 2018). The socialization of masculine ideals begins at a young age and expounds ideal masculinity in relation to self-sufficient attitudes, heterosexism, stoicism, toughness, and the lack of connectedness and emotional sensitivity. Moreover, the conventional concepts of masculinity are under fire in the wake of wider social change prompting the rise of debate around the importance of gender roles and relevance, and movements such as the #metoo.

However, the rise of the 'Divine Masculinity' is a figurative depiction of an authentically transparent man. Notably, with the consciousness of unity becoming the new trend for happiness and healing, the society at large is embracing the new paradigm of relationships where men and women are viewed as equals instead of opponents of the game of life. Therefore, with individual experiences and natural diversity, both men and women can thrive on assisting each other equally through understanding, love, and emotional support.

Conclusion

In conclusion, both plays have a good use of dramatic structure evident for instance in "Art" whereby Yasmina uses art develop her themes in this text and express subjective nature of human relationships, friendship in particular. The paper contrast and compares both plays with much emphasis being on their language, characters, and dramatic structure. Themes such as masculinity and friendship have been discussed in depth as they arise in the plays. One notable emerging insight from both plays is toxic masculinity which limits men's emotional range especially to anger expressions.

References

Anderson, E., & McCormack, M. (2018). Inclusive masculinity theory: Overview, reflection, and refinement. Journal of Gender Studies, 27(5), 547-561.

Fischer-Lichte, E., Gronau, B., & Weiler, C. (Eds.). (2012). Global Ibsen: Performing Multiple Modernities (Vol. 15). Routledge.Ghafourinia, F., & Jamili, L. B. (2014). The Women's Right in Henrik Ibsen's Doll's House. Journal of Novel Applied Sciences, 3(4), 424-429.

Giguere, A. (2014). The plays of Yasmina Reza on the English and American stage. McFarland.Ibsen, H. (2008). A Doll's House. A&C Black.

Lakewood-centerorg. (2019). Lakewood-centerorg. Retrieved 30 August, 2019, from https://www.lakewood-center.org/files/ArtSides-Lkwd.pdf