Danielle Perrotta
Script Analysis Assignment: Anna In the Topics1. Identify the MAJOR CONFLICT of the play. This is between two characters or a character and a group of characters or force.
In Anna in the topics, there are a couple conflicts for example: Violence verse reason, tradition verse modern, and love verse misery. I think the major conflict is violence verse reason in this play.
2. Identify what these characters REPRESENT.
Cheche represents violence, modern thinking, and misery in the conflicts. The memory of his wife that left him for the old lector fuels his misery and results in violence in his actions. Cheche wants to replace the lector with the machine to make cigars is a modern way of looking at the company.
Santiago represents reason, tradition, and love in the conflicts. Santiago makes a new cigar with a new label and incorporates his love for his family and makes Marela the girl in the label. He also likes the lector and chooses to keep him instead of getting the cigar maker, which shows his traditional way of thinking.
3. Identify the TURNING POINT of the major conflict. This is the point of no return. At this point in the story the protagonist and the antagonist are destined to reach the climax of the story.
The turning point for reason was when Palomo saw his wife and the lector kiss. He had enough common sense and reason not to do something stupid. The turning point for violence was when Cheche tried to force himself on Marela.
4. Identify the CLIMAX of the major conflict. This is the height of the conflict. There is no where else for it to go and it breaks open, explodes, or dies. Be as specific as possible. Write the scene number and describe the specific moment.
The climax for reason was when Palomo tried talking to his wife about rekindling their romance and started getting more protective. The climax for violence was when Cheche forced himself on Marela and Marela showed up the next day with the same clothes. I think Cheche’s hate for the lector also fueled this act of violence because Marela asked if she could take the lectors book home to read it.
The gun shots at the party for the new cigars foreshadow a violent ending to the play.
5. Identify the RESOLUTION of the conflict. The conflict comes to a conclusion. Be as specific as possible. Write the scene number and describe the specific moment.
The resolution for violence was when Cheche shoot the lector and killed him. The memory of his wife, the factory’s memories, and his lust for a woman’s attention got too much for him to bear and he snapped. The resolution for reason was when Marela, Palomo, and the others choose not to take revenge for the lector’s death.
6. Identify the FINAL ACTIONS of the two figures involved in the major conflict. Then explain its significance.
The final action of violence is that it took the lectors life. The final action for reason was that he lost because Cheche did the most violent thing you can do to someone, which is taking their life.
7. Identify each of the characters' (in the major conflict) over all OBJECTIVES. This is a want that drives them all the way through the play. Keep this active and playable for an actor. Think of action verbs.
Santiage wants to maintain order and peace with the lector and among the workers. He represents the reason side of thinking. Cheche wants to resolve things with his power and force. He represents violence thinking. Cheche memories and hate for the lector drive him to the end of the play when he kills the lector.
8. Identify the SUBJECT of the play. Force yourself to one word.
I think the subject of this play was to show you two different ways you can solve problems, which are in this case violence verse reason.
9. Identify the IDEA of the play.
The idea of the play was to show you two different ways to resolve problems and some of the problems along the way with those choose you made. Everyone and everything has decisions to make everyday no matter how big or small. This play showed me how even the small chooses we make can affect the big decisions we have.
10. Write a short paragraph, 75 to 100 words that describes what the play is ABOUT to you and what it conveys. This is your interpretation of the over all meaning of the play FOR YOU.
Anna in The Topics was a very interesting play to me. I thought the actors in the play acting out the story the lector was reading was genius and I even learned a lesson from this play. The main conflict in the play to me was violence verse reason and the decisions we make everyday can affect our lives in many different ways. In Cheche’s life, his wife’s decisions by leaving him for the lector affected the outcome for the lector that came to the factory. The lesson I learned is that I want to resolve all of my problems, even small ones with reason and not violence. I believe in karma and treating people how you would like to be treated. Cheche and Conchita could have handled their marriage problems differently and could have saved the lectors life.
