Monday, February 4, 2013

How I Learned to Drive


In Paula Vogel’s How I Learned to Drive, a Greek Chorus is used throughout the entity of the play. Vogel uses the Greek chorus for two reasons. The first reason is that by having a chorus the reader/audience is forced to focus primarily on the two main characters, Li’l Bit and Uncle Peck. The use of only two primary characters directs the reader/audience to pay more attention to the character when they speak. Although the words of the Greek chorus are important, they are present only to fill in back story for the two main characters. One example is when the Female Greek chorus speaks as Li’l Bit’s mother about the time she told Li’l Bit how to drink like a lady. The second use of the Greek chorus is to create a more intimate relationship between Li’ Bit and Uncle Peck. If there were an actor for each character the reader/audience would want to focus a little on every character. Thus, the intimate relationship between the two main characters would have trouble being created because of the lack of focus from the reader/audience.
Paula Vogel makes another interesting choice by relating the title of each scene to having something to do with driving. The choice to title each scene about driving allows the reader/audience to perhaps relate it to there own experience. This is just another way Vogel is able to create an intimate relationship between Li’l Bit and Uncle Peck.  The use of a title also prepares the reader/audience for what is to come in the following scene. The title about driving puts an idea into the reader/audience’s head and directs them to relate/look at the following scene in a certain way. One example is the use of the title “You and the Reverse Gear.” When this title is used it tells the audience that the following scene will be taking place sometime in the past. The reader/audience know this because just like a car can drive backwards, the story is backtracking into the past to a certain point in time. 

1 comment:

  1. It was interesting that you proposed the idea that the title's prepare the reader for what is about to happen in the next scene. I had never viewed it that way. I acknowledged the tittles, but I didn't really read into any of it. But after reading you view on it, a lot of the scenes make sense. I understood the whole metaphor of using the experience of how she learned to drive to tell her story. Most people have a story of how they learned to drive, so its a very relatable idea.

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