DQ 15 - Second half of "No Man's Land" and Kevin Davies' Comp. selections
Hi all, due to a slight schedule change of our Guest Speaker coming in on Wednesday, tonight's DQs will be the second half of No Man's Land and, instead of the Stephen Watt reading as was the old plan, please read the following selections from Comp. by Kevin Davies: "Apocryphon", "Karnal Bunt", and "Untitled Poem from the First Clinton Administration".
Our Guest Speaker will discuss Terrance Hayes with us on Wednesday, so please start reading How to be Drawn if you have time. There will be special instructions for the Tuesday night DQ, so please watch the blog/Bb site carefully.
Karina Amalbert
ReplyDeleteFor the second half of “No Man’s Land” Pinter as an author creates different scenes in which each character takes on the dominant role we spoke about in class, or at least that is what I understood. We continued to only know the character’s intentions/personality through their actions and motions, could this relate to the ideology of Post-modernism? And if so, why is there not a women dialogue included?
Throughout the entirety of act two I was really confused whether or not the characters were in a mental asylum of some sort or if they entertained each other’s imagination. What is the purpose of this? Does it relate to the Divine Comedy and being in the state of limbo?
Keagan Giblin
ReplyDeleteJuly 31, 2017
Towards the beginning of Act 2 in Harold Printer’s “No Man’s Land” Spooner tries to leave but the door is locked. It seems that every time Spooner mentions he needs to leave he becomes distracted and forgets. Is this action significant? Could the door being locked represent how the characters cannot move on in life?
At the end of “No Man’s Land” Printer leaves the audience with no resolution. All characters remain the same and keep drinking. It reminds me of the ending of Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot”. In what ways are these two endings similar and in what ways are they different?
Ethan Vaughan 7/31
ReplyDelete1. What is the significance of alcohol in the play? The men are constantly drinking it. They also discuss different types of alcohol throughout the play. Is it a symbol for something?
2. Is it possible that the entirety of play occurs within one persons thoughts? The characters could be opposing identities. Or maybe they are someone's split consciousness? Could it even be Pinter's conscious?
Isaac Bendus
ReplyDelete7/31/17
While reading The Wasteland by Harold Pinter, I was wondering why Pinter chose to have all the characters tell such intricate and oddly-specific stories? When Briggs is talking about how Jack and he met, he tells the story with lots of intricate and useless details. Also, when Briggs is talking about Lord Lancer, He says the only way he will read his poetry is if it double spaced on quarto, with copies in separate folders by separate post in case of loss or misappropriation. I think Pinter was trying to add humor to the story. Or is it something else?
Does Hirst tell Charles that he slept with his wife Emily? Why does he choose to do that? Why does Charles do nothing about it?
my first question after reading the second half of '' no mans land'' is, when spooner says to hurt, ''it was I drowning in your dream'', does this have any significance and why does he say it? I found it to be an interesting reaction.
ReplyDeletemy second question after reading the last half of '' no mans land'' Is, what does Forster mean when he says '' once you've had irishmen, you've had everything''? I don't really understand this statement but I feel like it carries some meaning.
During the second half of the play, Spooner suggests to Foster that he shouldn’t be working for Hirst and that he should’ve became a poet instead. A little while after, Spooner suddenly praises Hirst and asks him to consider hiring him. What do you think accounts for the sudden change in Spooner’s opinion of Hirst?
ReplyDeleteNear the end of the play, Spooner says “ You are in no mans land. Which never moves, which never changes, which never grows older, but which remains forever, icy and silent. “ Do you think this sentence gives us a hint as to what the play means and what it’s theme is?
Brieanna Graves
ReplyDelete7-31-17
My first question comes from to the second half of “No Mans Land.” My question relates to the fact that Briggs mentions how Jake and him originally met. At this point in the play Briggs repeats during his part that Jacks story is going to be rather different. Why do you feel they have two sides of the story? What do y’all think the reason behind him saying this is?
My second question also relates to the second half of No Mans Land as well. This question relates to the ending of the play. Hirsts mentions how he was mistaken and didn’t actually see a body of water and also didn’t see a body floating in the water. Was there a significance in including this in the play?
Daniella Alamo
ReplyDeleteIn the play "No Man's Land" by Pinter, the two men are seen constantly drinking throughout the play. Throughout the play they even talk about alcohol and at the end nothing changes and they are still drinking. Why is there so much alcohol in this play? What is the significance of all the drinking?
In the play Spooner says, "you are in no mans land. Which never moves, which never changes, which never grows older, but which remains forever, icy and silent." What does this sentence have in relation to the title of the play? What is the connection and why was the play named No Man's Land?
Kylie Simmons
ReplyDelete7-31-17
After reading the second half of Harold Pinters play "No Mans Land" I am wondering about the encounter between Hirst and Spooner. Why does Hirst pretend Spooner is someone else and why does Spooner play along with it?
After finishing the play, I am confused as to what the purpose of this play was. It seemed to have no deeper meaning than 4 drunken men discussing and one-upping each other's lives. Why did Pinter write this play?
Peter Hoyt
ReplyDelete-in "no mans land", why can they not leave? characters try to leave more than once and are unable to, how does this connect to the meaning of the play?
also why is It called no man's land? is it because none of them want to be there?
lastly, what role do u think the alcohol has in there conversation, they are drinking the entire time, do you see any examples that may show inebriation is affecting the conversation?
Kevin Clifford
ReplyDelete7/31/17
In “No Man’s Land” by Harold Pinter there still seems to be a lot of alcohol present from the very beginning of the second Act, when Spooner is given champagne at breakfast. Just like in the book The Sun Also Rises the characters throughout are continuing to drink. Is it because in both books the characters are unhappy with their lives? Or does it have some deeper symbolism?
My second question from the reading has to do with the sudden relationship change between Hirst and Spooner. In Act 1 they were acting like complete strangers with each other, and then all of the sudden Hirst mentions that they were classmates at Oxford. Why did Hirst have such a change in memory? Also did Spooner know the entire time that they were classmates, or was he just going along with whatever Hirst was saying?
July 31st, 2017
ReplyDeleteAfter finishing “No Man’s Land”, I still don’t understand what the point of the play is or what Harold Pinter wanted people to think after reading it. Does Hirst have a mental illness? I think it is a little odd how Spooner and Hirst act throughout the play, could this relate to Hirst maybe having a mental illness that is just never talked about? Do the two even really know each other?
My second question is about the title of the play. The phrase was used during World War 1 but the war has nothing to do with the play so I don’t understand why Pinter decided to make this the title.
Lauren Fiorito
ReplyDeleteJuly 31, 2017
I was reading a review about “No Man’s Land” by Pinter, and the author of the review said that the play “represented a projection of Pinter’s darkest fears.” Do you agree that Pinter was expressing his feelings through the characters and using the play as a way to show the audience his worst fears?
Second, the play itself is a contrast to many things like life and death, wealth and poverty, illusion and confusion. So, in the play does Pinter represent this only through the characters and the stories they tell? Or do you think its other ways as well.
Alexandra Liggett
ReplyDelete7-31-17
1) Throughout "No Man's Land", I noticed that the characters never leave the room they're in. Is this Pinter's use of symbolism for the characters not being able to escape their thoughts or their past horrors?
2) As I finished the play, I'm still kind of confused as to what it's about. It seems like not much is happening. Is that the reason behind the name "No Man's Land"? The four men seem to just be babbling, not getting anywhere with the conversation.
Tyler Crane
ReplyDelete7-31-17
I found the line "No. You are in no man's land. Which never moves, which never changes, which never grows older, but which remains forever, icy and silent" to be very significant to the play. Is this quote what Pinter is fearful of?being trapped forever?
After finishing the play, I am still having trouble pinpointing a theme. Is Pinter critiquing human nature in this play?what is the theme?
In Pinter's "No Mans Land" there are many clues as to what this bar is a symbol of. The fact that they can not leave from where they are, coupled with the fact that they relive everyday makes the reader think they are trapped in purgatory. However, the fact that they can not "change the subject" and that this is the remains of "no man's land" may also hint at the fact that they are actually in hell. Is it more likely they are in purgatory, such as "waiting for Godot"?
ReplyDeleteThroughout "No Man's Land" Pinter has the characters drinking constantly, some until they pass out and some until they can not walk. Is this to ensure the characters do not realize where they are? Is purgatory purposely kept a secret from the characters who are trapped in it? Why is this purgatory different from that in the Bible, where people know where they are?
Anthony Duarte
ReplyDeleteJuly 31, 2017
As I was reading the second half of Harold Printer’s “No Man’s Land” I started questioning why the characters never left where they were. Do you think its representing that the characters are stuck in something in their lives like an internal or past struggle or is it like a purgatory setting which we saw “Waiting For Godot”?
Another question that I thought of as I was reading “No Man’s Land” refers to how the characters speak because of how they are so straight forward and lack a filter. Was this meant to symbolize everyone’s inner thoughts?
After reading the second half of "No Man's Land" the question that came to mind is does Hirst have amnesia or Alzheimer because he cannot remember what they were just talking about and he previously thinks that Spooner is one of his old Oxford buddies.
ReplyDeleteAlso if Hirst is supposed to have Alzheimer does that mean that the title of No Man's Land and what they say about it that it "does not move… or change… or grow old… remains… forever… icy… silent" could refer to Hirst's mind being forever stuck in the past not being able to remember anything else.
In the second half of "No Mans Land", I continued to notice the excessive use of alcohol between the characters. Does this have any unique significance? Or maybe it was a similar experience that happened in Pinters life?
ReplyDeleteSecondly, why was Spooners door locked when he tried to leave? And why did he forget about it or play it off by not mentioning it at all?
Julia Weisberg
ReplyDelete7/31/17
After finishing "No Man's Land" I wondered why Pinter included so much alcohol in his play? This was also noticeable in act 1 so I am wondering what it symbolizes.
My second question is what is the purpose of the characters being in the same room the whole time? When Spooner tries to leave and the door is locked is that symbolizing them being trapped or does it have another meaning?
Evan Smyser
ReplyDeleteEarly on in Act two, Briggs begins to ramble about how Bolsover Street is apparently a place where people 'lose it.' Do you think this is an allusion to Purgatory, similar to the one resembled in "Waiting for Godot?" Or do you think that the street is simply a place where people tend to get drawn into activities such as gambling, and waste their lives away there?
ReplyDeleteWhen Spooner has breakfast with Briggs, he ends up drinking a whole bottle of champagne. To me this is pretty weird to drink that much right after getting up. Why does he do this, and is it just a habit for these men to drink so much?
When Hirst is talking to Spooner in the second act, he brings up the war. They seem to be quite fond of the war using language like "How splendid." Why do they appear to be so positive about the war. Is there a reason that they are like this?
after reading the second half of no mans land, I wonder if Hirst and Spooner actually know each other. Sometimes they seem like they do know each other while other times they act like strangers. And why does Hirst continuously talk very minimalistic leaving Spooner to do all the yapping.
ReplyDelete7/31/17
ReplyDeleteParker Mealey
1. In the second half of No Mans Land, things seem to get even stranger. Spooner still tries to prove himself to Hirst, and Hirst still seems to not listen or not care about Spooner's achievements. What exactly is Spooner trying to get from Hirst?
2. An exchange that struck me as odd at the end of the play was this: "No. You are in no man's land. Which never moves, which never changes, which never grows older, but which remains forever, icy and silent." Hirst responds "I'll drink to that!" Why would Hirst respond in an upbeat manner to a statement that was seemingly so negative?