I received word from the campus bookstore that Sartre's No Exit is now available. In case you plan on obtaining the text from an outside source, here is the publisher and ISBN of the edition I would like you to purchase.
Vintage: 0679725164
And, here is the prompt for e-journal #5.
In a well-developed paragraph, please focus your response on one of the two plays assigned for Monday; i.e., either Wendy Wasserstein's The Man in the Case or John Milington Synge's Riders to the Sea. You can write on one of the following options:
- Provide a detailed analysis of one character.Why did you choose to focus on this character over others?
- Offer commentary regarding the play's theme or moral or lesson.
- Discuss how the structural elements of the play; for example, setting, stage directions, etc., inform your response.
- Write a subsequent Act to your chosen play, in correct dramatic format. That is, imagine how the play would continue beyond its ending.
Byelinkov, a man who lives in his case
ReplyDeleteIn Wendy Wasserstein’s drama “The Man in a Case”, readers can be amazed by the character Byelinkov who is worrisome, tedious and conservative. To the fiancée Varinka, his habits and rituals are all her favorite parts, as if a “little school mouse”. But to readers, his personal habits, ideas and behavior patterns are abnormal, strange and weird.
The scene of the drama starts with Byelinkov and Varinka’s dating in rose garden. The first sentence is a criticism from Byelinkov for Varinka’s ten minutes late. It reflects Byelinkov’s personality is censorious. He even criticizes his lover instead of greeting. Normally, nobody can accept it except Varinka who is a careless girl blinded in love.
Byelinkov’s lifestyle habits seem regular to himself but eccentric to readers. His breakfast of everyday is same; he just smiles three times; he has never been late to school (Wasserstein 19). He is “an excellent housekeep”; he has had his shoes for seven years because he wraps them in the galoshes; before he goes to sleep he wraps his bed in quilts and curtains (Wasserstein 20). Byelinkov’s behavior patterns reflect this man’s life is routine but unnatural. He hates to have any mistake. He does not have a sense of security in his life. He describes himself like: “I assumed I would grow old preserved like those which are left over, wrapped suitably in my case of curtains and quilts” (Wasserstein 20).
Byelinkov’s attitude to marriage is strange. “We are entering into a social contract, an amicable agreement to provide us with a secure and satisfying future” (Wasserstein 18). In his mode of thinking, he treats marriage as another “secure” case where he can be safely wrapped.
Byelinkov can never accept new ideas. He can’t tolerate his fiancée Varinka ride bicycle. “You rode to my house by bicycle! Did anyone see you?...Did she laugh or smile?” (Wasserstein 21). Byelinkov concerns too much about how other people’s opinions about riding a bicycle. He comments: “A woman can be arrested for riding a bicycle. That is not progressive, it is a premeditated revolutionary act” (Wasserstein 21). His idea is too conservative.
The character, Byelinkov, is ridiculous, loathsome and a little bit freak. From illustrating the contrasts between Byelinkov and Varinka, the drama can have ironic and humorous effects. Byelinkov’s personality is the root-cause of his tragedy. He does not deserve Varinka’s love and readers’ sympathies.
Work Cited
Wasserstein, Wendy. “The Man in a Case.” Responding to Literature:
stories,poems,plays,and essays.5th ed. Ed. Judith A. Stanford.
New York: McGraw,2005.17-23.Print.
The man in a case had a optimism approach about Byelinkov and Varinkas relationship.Varinka believed that being married to Byelinkov was the best thing for the both of them. She was very proud of the man he was and was very excited about marrying him.
ReplyDeleteShe felt he was everything she wanted in a husband. Varinka:We will be happy.You are so sweet! The sweetest man in the world!(Pg 18 line 20). The way Byelinkov kept his apperance was another thing that fascinated Varinka to him. Look at you! Look at you! Your sweet round spectacles, your dear collar always starched,always raised,your perfectly pressed pants always creasing at right angles perpendicular to the floor,and my most favorite part,the sweet little galoshes,rain or shine,just in case. My Byelinkov never taken by surprise. Except by me.(Pg18 line 22-23). Everyone that Varinka bragged to about Byelinkov said she was marrying a honerable man.
Varinka: She said to me ,"Varinka you are marrying the most honerable man in the entire village. In this village he is the only man fit to speak with my son-in-law".(pg 18 line 4)
Varinka felt she would keep their home perfect. Varinka: I am an excellent housekeeper. I kept house for my family on the farm in Gadyatchsky. I can make a beetroot soup with tomatoes and aubergines which is nice. Awfully, awfully nice.(Pg 19 line 51-52).
In conclusion I chose Varinka because she had a spunky, outgoing personality. No matter what Byelinkov said Varinka always gave a possitive respond to what ever he said about their relationship. She basically loved everything about him and was looking forward to spending the rest of her life married to Byelinkov.
Work Cited ,
Wendy Wasserstein. "The Man in a case". Responding to Literature
Pages 17-23.
The Man in a Case by Wendy Wasserstein is a love story .It is cliché that opposites attract. It is about how we as human beings find love and it comes in different forms, each being expressed in slightly different ways. I like role of Varinka, she is a beautiful young women who is impulsive, independent, free willed and who does not care of social standards. She is full of life; she enjoys the beauty in life. She is in love and the only thing that is important to her is her love for Bylinkov and marring him.
ReplyDeleteThe moral of the story is that life is short and when we do find love we should go for it. Love is short lived and we should enjoy it whiles we can. The setting of the story reflects a time of when life was much simpler. However the role of a woman was viewed differently and social class and standards were up upheld. Today we can see the changes in the role of woman since they are no longer confined to working in their home.
The ending of the story will be the changes that take place after they get married. How Bylinkov adapts to changes and is able to relax and enjoy life. As for Varinka I hope she does not lose her free spirit for life for just because of the man she loves.
The play “The Man in the Case” by Wendy Wasserstein exposes many different themes. Between those themes is conservative and insensible. The play has two characters Byelinkov and Varinka. Even though they are couple their personalities and ideas are totally different. Starting from Byelinkov, who is a flat character in the play. He does not show any emotions throughout the play. He cannot even say that he loves Varinka. When she asks the question if he loves her, he just changes the subject of the conversation (Wasserstein 19). Varinka is the opposite of Byelinkov; she is a dynamic character in the play. She shows her excitement and happiness for her marriage (Wasserstein 18). Byelinkov is very conservative man who is attach to his ideas and traditions. Varinka believes that her marriage will be full of happiness, but he does not believe the same. Byelinkov considers “Happiness is for children. We are entering into a social contract, an amicable agreement to provide us with an secure and satisfying future” (Wasserstein 18). He calls marriage a “social contract” and “amicable agreement”. This is an idea that old people used to have about marriage. Before love was not needed to marry someone, it was most like a union for convenience or arrangement. As Byelinkov continues expressing himself, he tells Varinka the way he lives; how everything in his house is clean and in order. He says “Varinka, I don’t like change very much […] I assumed I would row old preserved like those which are left over, wrapped suitably in my case of curtains and quilts” (Wasserstein 20). In previous dialogue, Byelinkov tells Varinka that he likes to preserve the slices of tomatoes he does not use in a “wet cloth” so they stay fresh longer. This line is a metaphor in which he compares himself to the tomatoes. He will like to maintain his old ideas and way of living for the rest of his life.
ReplyDeleteThrough the rest of the play, Varinka shows how caregiving and lovely she is. For example she express her feeling to Byelinkov by declaring that, “I will love you Byelinkov. And I will help you to love me. We deserve the life everyone else has (Wasserstein 21). In these lines she tells Byelinkov that although she does not love him yet, she will and also will make him love her too, so they can be happy as the rest of people. Byelinkov’s response proves how insensible he is towards Varinka’s feelings. He just agrees with her that they are similar to everyone else, but without showing any emotion (Wasserstein 21). The dialogue between the characters in the play informs us the readers how conservative people were at that time. The play was written on 1898; at that time the society was very traditional. Especially, in the roles of marriage where men had all responsibilities and women had to obey. They also worried a lot about prestige and reputation. As we perceive on page 21 of the play, when Varinka tells Byelinkov that she was driving a bicycle; he was concerted that other people saw her. He did not want others to make fun of him because his future wife was driving a bicycle. Within his conservative and traditional world things like women driving a bicycle does not fit in the context.
In the play The Man in the Case by Wendy Wasserstein the character Byelinkov seems to be a well-educated, meticulous and conservative man. Although conservative, his interactions with his soon to be wife makes the reader also sense a slight arrogance in his character. Byelinkov is a man set in his ways. He lives by routine and structure and does not do well with change. His rigid structure is apparent at the beginning of the story when he tells his fiancé she is ten minutes late and also when Varinka tells Byelinkov it’s time for tea and Byelinkov says “It is too early for tea. Tea is half past the hour” (Wasserstein 21). Byelinkov expresses his routine nature when he says “I am a responsible man; every day I have for breakfast black bread, fruit, hot tea, and every day I smile three times… In twenty years I have never been late to school” (Wasserstein 19). These examples show that Byelinkov likes everything to be done the same way every day and at its appropriate time. The fact that the man knows and plans how many times a day he smiles is very strange in my opinion. Byelinkov likes to follow the rules unlike his fiancé who rode a bicycle in the street knowing that it is illegal. Byelinkov was not happy about this at all and was not afraid to let Varinka know. His responses to Varinka at times can seem to be arrogant and rude. Some people may describe it as pessimism. For example Varinka is explaining how happy they will be when they get married and instead of Byelinkov agreeing with her and basking in the ambiance of happiness he says “Happiness is for children; we are entering into a social contract an amicable agreement to provide us with a secure and satisfying future” (Wasserstein 18). Byelinkov brought down the romantic mood with an unenthusiastic and negative response. Byelinkov’s rude nature is seen in the conversation he has with Varinka where they say:
ReplyDeleteByelinkov: It is convenient we met.
Varinka: I love you.
Byelinkov: You are a girl.
Varinka: I am thirty.
Byelinkov: But you think like a girl. That is an attractive attribute.
Varinka expresses her love for Byelinkov and he says nothing to express his love back to her. Varinka his clearly a grown woman but Byelinkov proceeds to tell her that she has the mind of a girl. A girl? Is he trying to tell her she is immature and young- minded? Is he insulting her intelligence?
Byelinkov, although a very uptight man, shows that he has a soft side for Varinka when he decides to dance with her in the garden right after telling her that he will not dance. He also shows his vulnerability when Varinka says “I am to be the master of Greek and Latin’s wife” (Wasserstein 18) and Byelinkov responds with “Being married requires a great deal of responsibility; I hope I am able to provide you with all that a married man must properly provide a wife’ (Wasserstein 18). Byelinkov is confident in his ability as an educator of Greek and Latin at the local school but he is not so confident in his ability to be a good husband that can fulfill his wife’s needs. Throughout the play Byelinkov was portraying himself as a strong man but in certain statements you can see that he is not as strong as he may think.
In the drama “The Man in a Case” Wendy Wasserstein wrote about a romance between a 30 year old vibrant female by the name of Varinka and her older un-romantic fiancé Byelinkov. Varinka is a free spirited woman who thought she would never get married until she met Byelinkov. She never thought any man would want to marry her because of her outlandish behavior. She basically did whatever she wanted; she didn’t care about what others thought. For instance, she rode her brother bicycle through town to visit Byelinkov. This type of behavior was not looked upon as lady like in their village, especially for women who is about to marry Byelinkov the Town Master of Greek and Latin. In her eyes she felt that she was being true to herself, but she never took into consideration of how Byelinkov felt. Byelinkov was not going into this marriage because he loved Varinka, to him it was more of a “Social contact to provide us with a secure and satisfying future” Pg18. Byelinkov took pride in his appearance; he cared about how he was perceived by others. That is why Varinka behavior bothered him so much. In the end her behavior cost her dream of being married to Byelinkov to end.
ReplyDeleteJose Desilva
“The Man in a Case” is a short play written by Wendy Wasserstein; displaying the love between the two characters name Byelinkov and Varinka who are about to get marry. Byelinkov is a straightforward man who likes to run his life on his own rules. He really don’t care what world think about him or how do they appreciate varinka’s love towards him. Throughout the play he considered him self as a responsible man and Varinka as an irresponsible by calling him a girl. However, Varinka is a complete different personality. She likes to live and enjoy her life along with nature. At one stage Byelinkov also felt she is very demanding, when she forced him to dance along with her. She always felt herself a luckiest woman knowing the fact that she is about to marry Byelinkov. As an opinion I think Byelinkov consistently tries to test her love towards him by throwing such challenging comments on whatever Varinka tries to prove. At one point when varinka describes all the great men in the town who are difficult and highly intelligent, Byelinkov asks her, “Why are you Marrying me? I am none of these things” (Pg 20). She replied, “To me you are” (Pg 20). This shows at every moment Varinka’s love and inclination towards Byelinkov was strong. Byelinkov attitude took a sharp turn when he heard Varinka rode her brother’s bicycle to his house. He concerned about her and his reputation that people around the town would have laughed at, but Varinka never let his head down and instead she made friends on her way riding. At the end, Byelinkov compliments to Varinka “You are very strong. Good day, Varinka” (Pg 23). I think this shows Byelinkov’s love toward Varinka was equal as she had for him. It was just a matter of test Varinka was going through the whole play.
ReplyDeleteThe character Byelinkov is a man decribed who is very set in his ways and does not want to change. Byelinkov also, has very strange habbits and cares a lot about what other people think and feel about him. In the play "The man ina case" Byelinkov states "You saw the head master's wife!"(Wasserstein pg21)This statemet was made after Varinka told Byelinkov that she road her brothers petal bike to visit him. Now, that the head master's wife saw her Byelinkov was very upset because of how he felt everyone would look down on him because his soon to be wife was riding a bike without him. I chose Byelinkov because his character was very interesting. Also, we are total opposite. Byelinkov cares about what people think and I do not. As I continued to read "The man in a case" I saw a life lesson that you must frist take the time to get to know someone before you plan to marry them. Byelinkov and Varinka were total opposits. Byelinkov was set in his ways and varinka was free spirt and filled with life.Varinka did not pay much attention to getting to know Byelinkov she was happy with the thought of getting married. In line 5 Byelinkov states "I don't care for apricots;they give me hives" (Wasserstan pg18) and then in line 83 Varinka says "Every year we will celebrate with apricots and heavy cream" (Wasserstein pg21) Varinka was so happy she was blinded by key facts she should have known about her husband to be. The setting of the play was in the garden along with the imagry used in the play allowed me to put myself in the characters role. The stage directions focused a lot on Byelinkov habbits as well as Varinkas love for Byelinkov and their many diffrences which, kept your attention. If I was able to continue the play I would allow them more time to get to know each other.
ReplyDeleteVarinka: Hi Byelinkov my love,How are you today? I rode my brother's bike to you again but, no one saw me this time. It is such a beautiful day out. Would you like to walk in the garden and talk awhile?
Byelinkov: Varinka! I told you to never ride the bike here again. Also, I think we must talk about the wedding. I had a chance to think things over since you were last here.
Varinka: Oh my love we can talk later lets enjoy the day!
The themes in the drama “The Man in a Case” by Wendy Wasserstein are love and marriage. Love makes one-do things that are outside of one’s comfort zone, as we see in Byelinkov’s character. Byelinkov’s character is portrayed as a well-educated, predictable, snob and the master of Greek and Latin at a local school in a small village. Byelinkov is a flat character who slowly develops into a dynamic character. Varinka enters, out of breath. Byelinkov proceeds to scold her “You are ten minutes late“. Varinka ignores his scolding and proceeds to tell him that the owner of the grocery store has sent him a box of apricots, congratulating him on his upcoming nuptials and that the storekeeper believes that he is the only person in the village who is fit to speak with her son-in-law. Byelinkow rejects the apricots and the suggestion of cakes replacing the apricots and declares, “ I don’t know this woman or her pompous son-in-law, why would she give me her cakes?”(Wasserstein 7), portraying him as a very snobbish.
ReplyDeleteThere is someone out there for everyone. We see that in in the case of Varinka and Byelinkov, even though they are opposite attracts, they love each other. Love makes us do strange things, for instance, learning to compromise with our intended. Love is a new subject for Byelinkov, but even with his starchy attitude, he shows that he can adapt and change. On this one day, his entire schedule is turned upside down.
Byelinkov claims, “I am a responsible man. Every day I have for breakfast black bread, fruit, hot tea and everyday I smile three times” (Wasserstein 31). Varinka gets him to smile out of turn by teasing him affectionately. Every time she gets him to do something that is out of the box, he counter acts with a stiff reaction, but he is slowly changing. Love brings out the best in one. We know what to expect of Varinka, but not of Bylinkow. Varinka says, “Dance with me!”(Wasserstein 32). He replies, “Now!”(Wasserstein 33). They are dancing in the middle of the day, which is expected of Varinka, but not of Byelinkov, They have stopped dancing, and Varinka asks him why they have stopped and he replies, “To place a lilac in your hair. Every year on this day I will place a lilac in your hair"(Wasserstein 41). His character in this drama is dynamic, because we see changes and development in him, which is all in the name of love.
Wasserstein, Wendy. "The Man in a Case."
Responding To Literature. Ed. Judith A. Stanford.
5th. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2006. 17-23 Print.
In “The Man in a Case” by Wendy Wasserstein, the premarital life between two improbable lovers are depicted. Byelinkov is a very conservative and traditional man who is a Greek and Latin master and he falls in love with Varinka, a free spirited and highly radical woman. Varinka, although in a time with strict conservative values, either disregards or isn’t aware of these societal norms. She is always laughing, dancing, and bursting with affection. The setting of the play marked in the beginning by the stage directions, sets the reader into a time of a male dominant and rigidly structured society. The scene is cast in “a small garden in the village of Mironitski, 1898” (Wasserstein 17). This time period alone immediately alerts the reader to a time of no feminine equality or personal freedom, which then causes the actions of Varinka to be seen as extremely radical. During the scene where Byelinkov finds out about Varinka riding her brother’s bike to see him and seeing the whole town on her way there sends him into frenzy. “A woman can be arrested for riding a bicycle. That is not progressive, it is a premeditated revolutionary act,” (Wasserstein 21) he immediately tells her. Even after she is told that riding the bicycle is a serious offense, she still finds the fact that Byelinkov falls off of the bicycle when he tries to take it back to her brother’s place to be hilarious. The stage directions displays that she can hardly contain herself as Wasserstein writes she is “giggling…laughing…trying not to laugh…explod[ing] into laughter again” (Wasserstein 22). It almost seems as if Varinkov doesn’t realize the intensity of her actions and clearly is an anachronism to that era. Her actions are way too extreme for that time in history. I can imagine that society during this time period won’t allow Byelinkov to live with the fact that he as one of the esteemed members of society based on his reputation alone is tolerant and permissive of an individual whose actions alone breaks numerous laws because of the extent of her free nature.
ReplyDeleteSubsequent Act
Four months later, after the wedding. Byelinkov and Varinka are walking to Varinka’s brother’s house, 1898.
Byelinkov: I must admit Varinka, for the past couple of months you have been doing extremely well and you are minding your behavior in the town.
Varinka: thank you my sweet mouse. I must stop acting like a child and become a woman now. The men in the town didn’t like me riding the bicycle too much did they?
Byelinkov: no they didn’t. They were threatening to strip me of my position at the university if I continued to allow you to rebel against the rules of the town.
Varinka: oh, that is terrible. I would’ve surely left town if I caused that to happen to you. I will never do something as crazy as that ever again.
Byelinkov: but do not completely lose that quality. Remember that I think that it is an attractive attribute.
Varinka: Now, Now Byelinkov. I have many other attributes as attractive as that. But that single one must be pushed out of sight and out of mind. I am a wife now and no longer a little girl.
Worried look on Byelinkov’s face, sighs
Byelinkov: Ok, Varinka we are at your brother’s. Let’s go.
The most riveting character was Varinka from Wendy Wasserstein’s play “The Man in a Case”. She stood out to me because of her personality and charisma it was very romantic and optimistic. She had a very playful and positive demeanor throughout the whole play compared to her counterpart Byelinkov who was more serious and to the pessimistic. This could found in their dialogue at one point Varinka says “It’s a beautiful afternoon. We are in your garden. The roses are in bloom.” to which Byelinkov responds “the roses have beetles.” (Wasserstein 19) I found this to be one of the best quotes to help really illustrate how idealistic and charming Varinka is. Her actions also depict her kind nature in the play she dances and talks about having tea which are both pleasant and calming aspects of her life. She is also described riding a bicycle which is a symbol of her free and airy way of life almost like acting more than just thinking about it. This can be inferred in the situation when Byelinkov tried to ride the bike and just did not ride it as well and as gracefully as Varinka did (Lines 108-125) which shows that her ability to ride the bicycle more effortlessly is a result of her carefree sprit and personality.
ReplyDeleteIn the short drama story “The Man in a Case” by Wendy Wasserstein, the scene is set in a rose garden in a small village in 1898, setting the stage for a romantic scene. A couple by the name of Byelinkov and Varinka seem to have meet up for a date. This is expressed when Byelinkov states “ you are ten minutes late” (Wasserstein 17). In the beginning it appears the couple are planning to get married soon. However, as I focus on the character Varinka, I realized that she has an obsession with love and the whole idea of being married to a well respected man. Varinka is also aware that she is gaining popularity by people in their town because she's getting married to Byelinkov, for example a woman in the town that gave her a basket of apricots states “Varinka, you are marrying the most honorable man in the entire village, in this village he is the only man fit to speak to my son-in-law” (Wasserstein 18). This meant a great deal to her because she thought no one would ever want to marry her because of her past.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the story Varinka seems to be out going and fun, she likes to joke around with Byelinkov by calling him “My little school mouse” or “her pet”, but it did not resonate as a joke to Byelinkov, it seems like he was offended by it instead (Wasserstein 22). Varinka also admire Byelinkov a lot as if he is the best thing to ever happen to her, for example she refer to him as “the sweetest dearest man in the world”. Varinka is also spontaneous and daring, for example she wanted to have tea earlier then expected with Byelinkov, but he refuses to because he is stuck in his ways and follows a routine of what time of the day he has tea. Varinka was very bold to ride a bicycle across town to see Byelinkov, although in their village a women can be arrested for riding a bicycle, and Byelinkov was not very happy about the way she act carelessly about this decision because he felt embarrassed people seen her on a bike (Wasserstein 21).
The setting of the story gave me a sense that this couple was in their earlier state of the relationship, because they were very opposite of one another and still getting to learn each others personality, also Varinka felt the need to express her feelings to Byelinkov by telling him multiple times that she loved him and they will be happy, as they dance in the rose garden. However Byelinkov took a while to say he Loved her too.
At the end of the story it seems that Byelinkov no longer liked Varinka because of how she acted, he sent her home on her bike instead of spending the rest of the day with her (Wasserstein 23). As the story continues he might decided not to marry her, because she might damage his well respected image in the village. He already felt embarrassed of her actions and marriage to him was more than love, it was a social contract, therefore he took it more seriously than Varinka.
In “The Man in a Case” by Wendy Wasserstein the relationship between Varinka and Byelinkov is a very unbalanced one. They are at different levels and places in life. Varinka seems like a very young and immature young lady and Byelinkov seems very mature and conservative. Varinka loves him because he is a great man and has a great education. Byelinkov does not seem to love her because she had to ask him to say I love you.
ReplyDeleteVARINKA. I love you.
BYELINKOV. It is convenient we met.
VARINKA. I love you.
BYELINKOV. You are a girl.
VARINKA. I am thirty.
BYELINKOV. But you think like a girl. That is an attractive attribute.
VARINKA. Do you love me?
BYELINKOV. We've never spoken about housekeeping. (Wasserstein 19) Byelinkov at end rips up the not he wrote which is a sign that of how he feels about her and carelessness. Byelinkov tearing up the not he made represents his feeling towards her.
(The next day VARINKA returns to BYELINKOV house for tea. VARINKA knocks on BYELINKOV’S door and he opens it)
VARINKA (she smiles): Good morning my dear.
BYELINKOV (smiles and steps back): Good morning, please do come in. (close the door)
VARINKA (she walks over to the couch and takes a seat): Did you complete the two stanzas of you translation.
BYELINKOV (rubs his head, with a worried look on his face): No, I didn’t get around to it.
VARINKA: My love is something the matter. (Gets up, walks over to him, and takes his hands and look in his eyes) what is the matter.
BYELINKOV: I was thinking about us all of last night.
VARINKA (With a puzzled look on her face): Is something the matter with our relationship.
BYELINKOV: Yes
(VARINKOV worried and nervous she steps back from him and folds her arms and looks at him)
BYELINKOV (turns his back): I do not want to get married anymore. It was a mistake. I want to cancel the wedding.(slowly turns around)
VARINKA: What did I do? I promise I can fix it, if there is something I need to change I will change.
BYELINKOV (feeling shame): I thought I wanted to get married but I did not, I’m sorry I thought I loved you.
(Long pause)
VARINKA (walks to the door and opens it with tears in her eyes): I knew I was right to think I would never get married. (Give him one last look, walks out and close the door)
The character of Varinka.
ReplyDeleteThe character Varinka can be described as optimistic, cheerful, free-spirited and bold. Varinka draws the reader in by grasping their attention to her enthusiastic attitude and outlook of life. It is quite confounding that two complete opposites such as Varinka and Byelinkov are involved in a relationship and about to get married. It is almost as if Bylinkov has no personality, but can be best described as rigid, overly organized, plain and has a methodical and narrow approach towards life.
My focus was on Varinka because her character possessed the ability to capture and captivate the readers' mind compared to the character of Bylinkov who displayed a dull and uninteresting personality. One of the most interesting thing about Varinka is her free-spirited and bold attitude. I admire that about her because considering during that time period (late 1800s) when women were not allowed and given the freedom to express themselves as they desired, she dared to be different. She did not allow those inhibitions to prevent her from experiencing life and exploring new adventures, such as riding around the neighborhood with a bicycle which was clearly not acceptable as Bylinkov pointed out "A woman can be arrested for riding a bicycle...it is a premeditated revolutionary act" (Wasserstein 21). Bylinkov unlike Varinka, was set in his ways and would rather go by the rules and not deviate from what was considered the norms of society. He was more concerned about how her actions reflected negatively on him "You rode to my house by bicycle! Did anyone see you?" (Wasserstein 21), "Their instructor, who teaches them the discipline and contained beauty of the classics, is in love with a sprite on a bicycle" (Wasserstein 22).
Varinka had an optimistic approach towards life, she saw the positive side of people and things. Bylinkov on the other hand was pessimistic and negative, he called the grocery store woman an "idiot" and "a potato-vending sausage-armed fool" (Wasserstein 21), but Varinka was kind to defend her by telling him "she is not an idiot" (Wasserstein 21). Because of Varinka's optimism she even saw a positive side to Bylinkov and adored him, was not shy to express her feelings for him. She admired the very things that made him different from her "Look at you! Look at you! Your sweet round spectacles, your dear collar always starched, always raised, your perfectly pressed pants always creasing at right angels perpendicular to the floor, and my most favorite part, the sweet little galoshes, rain or shine, just in case. My Bylinkov, never taken by surprise. Except by me" (Wasserstein 18). Varinka was very pleased and proud to have someone like Bylinkov in her life, but I think it is Bylinkov who should be the one that is proud to have someone like Varinka in his life, as he needs someone to transform his uneventful life even though he believes different and thinks his life is just perfect. Despite Bylinkov's prestige, his meticulous approach towards life, the humble and enthusiastic character of Varinka still outshines his.
While reading the play I found myself absorbed into the character of Varinka. It was her personality that was able to capture my attention. Varinka, the fiancé of Bylinkov, can be seen as a cheerful and free spirited individual. She is able to grasp the reader’s attention by her optimistic approach throughout the play. Her husband on the other hand seems very uptight and controlling. His interaction with her was a turnoff. It didn’t seem as if he is not loved with her. He appears to be controlling and wants to mold her into the person he is. Thoughout the play Bylinkov appears to be embarrassed and unpleased with Varinka’s behavior. For example when she rode her brother’s bike Bylinkove stated “You rode to my house by bicycle! Did anyone see you?" (Wasserstein 21), "Their instructor, who teaches them the discipline and contained beauty of the classics, is in love with a sprite on a bicycle" (Wasserstein 22). Here you can sense a feeling of shame and embarrassment. When Varinka spoke about Bylinkov in the play she was very descriptive and loving, however Bylinkov never complimented her. He only says, “you’re a girl (Wasserstein 19).” In my opinion it appears as though he is belittling her by not calling her a woman. Also when she tells him that she love him he states, “It is a convenient we met (Wasserstein 19), giving the reader a sense of feeling that there really isn’t any love there. Throughout the play the structural elements of stage direction also allowed me to gain a sense of Bylinkov’s true feelings. His muttering while exiting after having the discussion of the bicycle and even the tearing of the note after she rides off allows the reader to see that he is anger and he isn’t really in love. The moral or lesson in the story is get to know someone before you decide to marry them. Although Varinka spoke so highly of Bylinkov it seems as though she was only marrying him because of his reputation and not because she truly loved him. As for Bylinkov the readers can also see that he didn’t want to really marry her but it is because of convenient they met.
ReplyDeleteContinuation:
Varinka: Hello my little stale babka. How was your day today? Did you finish up your work?
Bylinkov: Yes, I did. (Not making any eye contact) And did you return the bike?
Varinka: I did attempt to but no one was home, so I placed it in your garden.
Bylinkov: (Standing up) Why didn’t you just leave it in front of his house.
Varinka: No one was there and it was such a beautiful day I decided to ride it back here. I’m thinking of getting one for myself. Then maybe you can get one too and we can ride together like the headmaster’s wife suggested. I’ll teach you (giggling).
Bylinkov: Nonsense I will not be getting a bike and neither will you. Return the bike at once and do not return with it.
(Walks away and exits the house.)
This play is about two couples who seem to be lost in a way in their love life. Varinka and Byelinkov both love each other but only one shows love to the other. Varinka is a girl who acts immature and based on the way she acts, she is afraid that she will never get married. After finding a love Byelinkov she loves him to no extent, however Byelinkov portrays no love towards Varinka because of how immature she is. Overall Varinka has a tough life becasue she want love in her life, she wants to be loved but to her this seems impossible, especially since Byelinkov cancels the marriage at the end. Although she is 30 her immature acting portrays her as a child, irresponsible, and childish and with this fact knowing she realizes how nobody wants to marry her.
ReplyDeleteIn “The Man in a Case” by Wendy Wasserstein, Byelinkov is portrayed as a “stiff” man who tries not to be the center of attention in anyway while following his own schedule and personal set of rules. Out of the two main characters I find Byelinkov’s behavior to be a bit unusual. It is as if he is afraid to have fun at all or engage in any romantic conversations with Varinka. It seems his actions only abide by his view of the social norm. The way he gets defensive when he is called a “sad man” by Varinka makes me think he might actually be sad on the inside, but Varinka is making him happy, although he does not like to admit it. The note at the end of the story concerning him ripping the paper was also peculiar. I deduced that he was probably sad Varinka actually left and/or was really embarrassed how he handled the bicycle situation in front of Varinka. He was probably upset she laughed at him which is why he ripped it in the first place out of frustration. He does care about her due to the fact he picked up the ripped pieces and put them in an envelope. I get the vibe he really enjoys Varinka and loves having her around deep down and would be miserable if she was not around. He is probably not used to her kind of behavior which is why he acts the way he does. Regarding the moral of the story or the theme, I feel as if it revolves around Byelinkov’s true feelings about being sad and not expressing his feelings in general. Byelinkov tries to act like a sort of “android” by being as emotionless as possible and trying to avoid expressing his love towards Varinka. I believe he is just embarrassed and shy due to the plentiful hints throughout the story. The whole situation at the end of the story shows he was saddened by his pathetic display with the bicycle because he probably believes he looked foolish to Varinka. I guess he over thinks situations and the frustration can cause him to act unsightly, for example when he ripped the paper. Although he still cares because he picked up the pieces and put them in an envelope. The setting of the play is important because it is this beautiful day outside in a lovely garden, and the setting itself is basically conflicting with the way Byelinkov is acting. I also believe the beautiful setting can be a sign of the mood between the two characters, being deep down Byelinkov is actually happy and at the very end the “lights fade to black”(23). If this story were to continue, I believe it go along the lines with Byelinkov thinking about Varinka, wondering when she will return again. Maybe Byelinkov would start to feel guilty about the way he treated her and regret the fact he told her to leave to go back to her brother’s house. Byelinkov would be portrayed in a depressing mood, as well as the setting, then the story’s charisma will sky rocket again once Varinka returns into the picture.
ReplyDeleteWhen reading “The Man in a Case” by Wendy Wasserstein a character that stood out to me the most was Byelinkov. Byelinkov has a very worried and conservative personality compared to his bride to be Varinka. He is set in his ways, and doesn’t want change, or to be embarrassed. Wasserstein writes, “Byelinkov: Please don’t be cross. I too am an excellent housekeeper. I have a place for everything in the house. A shelf for each pot, a cubby for every spoon, a folder for my favorite recipes” (20). Wasserstein then continues to write, “Byelinkov: Varinka, I don’t like change very much” (20). By Wasserstein making a note of this more than once you get a sense of how his personality is before he is married, and how he himself admits he will be after he is married. He has no intentions of changing which goes against something very important with all relationships. I believe you need to not change how you are completely but a person must be able to make exceptions, to improve themselves and their relationship. If Byelinkov has one view on something always, and even something as simple as a quilt, eventually Byelinkov and Varinka will always be fighting because Byelinkov cannot make any adjustments to his personality. Which is what I believe the moral and lesson of the story is which is to be open minded. If Byelinkov was more open minded, he would be happier and not afraid to show love and affection towards future bride and also would not be afraid of being embarrassed or Varinka’s actions embarrass him.
ReplyDeleteWhile reading the story "The Man in a Case" written by Wendy Wasserstein, Varinka stood out the most to me. She can be described as a free spirited, naive woman. It seems she is more obsessed with the fact of being married, then the person in who she is marrying. It seems as if the only reason she acts like a young girl is because she is trying to avoid the fact that she is "too old to be single". She acts as a younger woman so that she can cover up the fact that she is older.
ReplyDeleteIn Wendy Wasserstein’s “The Man in a Case”, the character I liked the most was Byelinkov, I choose him over the rest of the characters because athough given his unlikable nature and character, I could sympathesis with his situation which I attributed to a low self esteem.
ReplyDeleteHe is a very strict man who lives and follows life by the book. He declines having tean with Varinka because he follows a regular schedule (line 115). This trait could have developed in him as he was growing up, probably instilled in him by his parents who might have also been very strict on him.
Byelinkov is also a man of his word. When he promises to do something, he He even went as far as writing in his notebook that he'd place a lilac in Varinka's hair every year on the day they danced in his garden (line 42). This action could also cast Byelinkov as a romatic character, who cares enough to remember one day to place a flower in his future wife's hair.
Byelinkov is a well learned man and critical thinker. He likes saving and is very conservative. Small incidences such as wearing galoshes, even when it's not raining, to extend the life of his shoes, warping unused tomato slices and sleeping with curtains on his bed. Although being a Greek and Latin teacher, Byelinkov behaves as though he has no money. Teachers are usually well paid and it is difficult to explain his fear of spending money.
Similarly, Byelinkov does not like change. He tells Varinka, "I do not like change very much (line 63). This is tied in with his conservative nature as seen above. Unwillingness to change would also make him a very unsuitable husband to Varinka, who is such a wild spirit and quickly adapts to changes around her.