Alan Bennetts A Cream Cracker Under The Settee Essay

Alan Bennetts A Cream Cracker Under The Settee Alan Bennetts purpose in writing A Cream Cracker Under The Settee is to highlight the problems old people face. He points out that obsession with hygiene can be destructive I never should have tried to dust. Everytime the old lady cleans she gets into trouble. He criticises society for neglecting the old Home help. Home hindrance. Years ago people used to respect the old, look up to them. But now they get swept under the carpet and forgotten about. Bennett also highlights the lack of communication in society Dont know anybody round here now. Folks opposite, I dont know them. Neighbours used to look out for each other, but now†¦show more content†¦The language Bennett used was that of an old lady, but it still had some common speech in it, he uses many contractions to mimic everyday speech. Thems her leaves. Bennett reveals the character through layers of meaning and dramatic irony. He uses colloquial and dialetic terms that are associated with particular social groups so the readers can associate with what shes saying. Bennett uses a single speaker - the old lady. He uses only one person because the message comes across stronger. He uses everyday talk from a northern town Never see a bonified caller. He does this because then it sounds like a real person, a real person doesnt speak the queens English every second of the day. This poem is a tragic-comedy and a rollercoaster of emotions for the reader. Doris tells us about a lot of her life, her childhood, the early years of her marriage and now as an elderly woman. This instantly makes the audience feel as if we know her so we are more sympathetic to her situation. This main thing that links everything is the fact that she is now alone - her only child was stillborn, and she is a widow - there is nobody to help her, and again the fact that5 this is a monologue reinforces this. The fact that we dont know what happens at the end - even though we can make an educated guess, makes us think the worst and feel sorry for her even more. Dorisshares herShow MoreRelatedAlan Bennetts A Cream Cracker Under the Settee Essay760 Words   |  4 PagesAlan Bennetts A Cream Cracker Under the Settee Doris, the 75 year old house-proud woman is the main character, the only character in fact in Alan Bennetts dramatic monologue A Cream Cracker Under the Settee. This play is divided into four scenes, each of which are demarcated by blackout. These four scenes show the passage of time throughout one day in the life of Doris, and changes of room and position. Given the limitations its form imposes the play is a successfulRead More Alan Bennetts A Cream Cracker Under the Settee Essay1150 Words   |  5 PagesAlan Bennetts A Cream Cracker Under the Settee How does Alan Bennett reveal Doris’ character, life and attitude in the dramatic monologue â€Å"a cream cracker under the settee†? Many of Bennetts characters are unfortunate and downtrodden, as in the Talking Heads series of monologues that was first performed at the Comedy Theatre in London in 1992, and then transferred to television. This was a sextet of poignantly comic pieces, each of which portrayed several stages in the characters declineRead MoreThe Character of Doris in A Cream Cracker Under the Settee by Alan Bennett3380 Words   |  14 PagesCharacter of Doris in A Cream Cracker Under the Settee by Alan Bennett The melancholy of life, death and old age, are one of the many issues dealt with, in Alan Bennett’s heart-rending tale. It tells the story of an isolated, fragile, elderly woman, who feels ensnared in a modernised society in which she strives for her sovereignty and prominence. In a culture where the old are forgotten, neglected and depicted as useless. ‘A Cream Cracker Under The Settee’ seems to be theRead MoreA Cream Cracker Under the Settee. Alan Bennett4299 Words   |  18 Pageswith, in Alan Bennett’s heart-rending tale. It tells the story of an isolated, fragile, elderly woman, who feels ensnared in a modernised society in which she strives for her sovereignty and prominence. In a culture where the old are forgotten, neglected and depicted as useless. ‘A Cream Cracker Under The Settee’ seems to be the perfect title of the play as the double entendre epitomizes this remarkably. In addition, another reason for the dramatic piece being called ‘A Cream Cracker Under The Settee’Read MoreA Sense of Tragedy and Humour in alan Bennetts Talking Heads Monologues908 Words   |  4 PagesA Sense of Tragedy and Humour in alan Bennetts Talking Heads Monologues Alan Bennett uses a variety of techniques to convey a sense of both tragedy and humour in his Talking Heads monologues. I will be looking specifically at Bed Among The Lentils and Cream Cracker Under The Settee. Alan Bennett achieves both of these effects by use of several clever choices regarding the casting as well as sound and visual effects. There are two very different types of humourRead More Alan Bennetts Talking Heads Essay1803 Words   |  8 PagesAlan Bennetts Talking Heads Talking heads by Alan Bennett is a collection of monologues in which the audience are showed into the life of a character and given an insight into the characters personality and situation.peoples lives are portrayed in comic ways leaving the audience feeling sympathy and guilt for the character in laughing at their misfortune. Monologues are a long speech made by one person. This style of script is really effective and has a powerful effect on the