role of the character

Question 1

what are tonys roles in west side story?

Answer 1

provide light in a time of darkness
represent optimism and unity in a post-war society

Question 2

how is tony shown to be. light during a time of darkness

Answer 2

he is an idealist and he is optimistic

Question 3

Where can it be seen in the beginning that Tony is providing light in a time of darkness

Answer 3

in the song
he is idealising everything around him no matter how bleak it is and turns it into something that brings good and excitement.

Question 4

how does tony provide light in a time of darkness in the middle of the show

Answer 4

the show splits to show gang violence and the romance pretty separately, so Tony is used to show how love and light can flourish against a backdrop of violence and also as an emotional lift for the audience

Question 5

give an example of Tony providing light in a time of darkness in the middle of the show

Answer 5

when he kills bernardo straight into him and amria singing somewhere
-lightens maria’s mood
-lightens the audience mood

Question 6

which character specifically does tony provide lift to

Answer 6

maria
he gives her life in a time of darkness for her and her future and her family

Question 7

how does tony still provide lift in the end of the show

Answer 7

after he dies he unites the jets and sharks providing emotional lift for the audience

Question 8

how does the light tony provided to maria become evident in the end of the show

Answer 8

after he dies, maria literally threatens to end her own life because of it

Question 9

how is west side story a post war story

Answer 9

originally concerted in 1949 as a story about jewish and non-jewish conflict in the east side of new york
details opposing ideals, racism, unnecessary violence, ideas of ‘purity’ - in many ways the Jets share an ideological stand point with the Nazis, if not as extremist as them

Question 10

how does tony embody this post-war story

Answer 10

he spearheads ideas of unity, and putting him forward as the main character allows the theme of unity in a time of violence to resonate with a re-constructionist America.

Question 11

what is the role of christ in miss saigon?

Answer 11

he represents America and it’s relationship with America.

Question 12

How does Chris represent America in the beginning of the show?

Answer 12

he meets kim and falls in love with her, and develops this desire to protect her and take her back to America. Although he is questioning his patriotism, he knows that America is safer than Vietnam rn so wants to take her back there. This mirrors how America tried to protect Vietnam from the Viet Cong and bring them back to capitalism.

Question 13

how does chris represent america in the middle of the show?

Answer 13

chris fails to get Kim onto the helicopter, mirroring how America failed to save Vietnam from communist forces

Question 14

how does Chris represent America towards the end of the play?

Answer 14

chris becomes Kims only hope of getting out of Vietnam and getting to America, yet he refuses to take Kim and Tam, their child, back with them as he has moved on with his life, despite the consequences his presence had on Kim (the birth of Kim and the false hope she now has).

Question 15

How does Chris’ relationship with Ellen mirror America’s relationship with its people?

Answer 15

Chris doesn’t tell Ellen what happened with Kim, mirroring how America kept the darkest parts of its time in Vietnam a secret from its people.

Question 16

how do Chris’ dreams contribute to this narrative?

Answer 16

Chris’ dreams reflect the way Vietnam continued to influence America’s decision making and the country as a whole every day. even if he chooses not to mention them he isn’t capable of forgetting them. The dreams also disrupt Chris’ marriage to Ellen, representing the tensions caused betweenAmerica the country and America the people during the year’s following Vietnam.

Question 17

What is Jack’s role in Newsies

Answer 17

he embodies the working class, their struggles and their dreams during the late 1800s

Question 18

How does Jack’s physical presence in the show help him represent the working class?

Answer 18

He works as a newsboy
He wears a flat cap
He has an accent
He’s cocky
he sleeps rough and eats at a soup kitchen
physically he shares the stereotypical attributes of a working class person in the late 1800s.

Question 19

how does jacks longing for santa feel help him be portrayed as a microcosm for the working class?

Answer 19

Jack isn’t wishing for a life in Santa Fe really, he’s wishing for a life outside of New York. The people weren’t;t happy with their lives and so were looking for better things which provided them with their needs and happiness and nature.

Question 20

how does jacks relationship with art help portray him specifically as a working class man of the late 1800s?

Answer 20

jack is very of his time - he paints landscape images and yearns for nature - romantic movement. Also he isnt being able to self fulfill as an artist due to the fact the has no money - art was for the wealthy still.

Question 21

How does Jack’s relationship with Santa Fe evolve throughout the play

Answer 21

at start santa fe is just a dream - it’s something far away which he can think about early on in the morning before the day starts. in the middle of the show, as ive just shown, Jack needs santa fe. throughout the song ‘let me go’ turns to ‘i need’ to ‘i got nothing if i ain’t got santa fe’. yet in the end jack chooses to turn to new york as his situation gets better.

Question 22

how does jacks relationship to santa fe show him as a working class microcosm?

Answer 22

His longing for elsewhere, for self-realisation, goes away once he is able to achieve it in the real world, in new york. he never actually wanted to go to santa fe he just wanted his life to improve, and this is very typical of the working class of this time. once they could self-realise they could be happy where they were, so Jack no longer needed santa fe.