Structure of Plays “Ruined” Essay

Introduction

Theatre and artworks associated with it are essential in forming cultural life. Plays, most of the time, are divided into certain parts, and it allows following the text, and it also makes it easier for a reader to percept. Ruined is not an exception, so it contains some regular structural components. Sometimes, the action slows down, but then it becomes more dynamic. Thus, this piece includes scenes of stasis, as well as moments of intrusion.

Main body

It is crucial to define the stasis and see where it is in Ruined. According to Ball (1983), stasis is characterized by the absence of action and occurs when there is nothing unusual happening. In this play, the relatively slow part is when a reader learns about life in Mama’s house. There are some interactions between the main characters and the surrounding environment, but the motion is still quite slow. Then, intrusion – a significant change – comes with the simultaneously arising conflicts that change the routine of the bar, as well as the lives of people. The girls start rebelling, and the governmental army gets in an argument with Mama. It is important to note that a notion of change is quite remarkable in this piece, as Buckner names it an “activist drama” in the U.S. culture (p. 16). Salima’s death finalizes the motion of change, and that leads to the new direction of the plot. New stasis takes place when a reader contemplates Mama getting back to her regular life.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this play allows evaluating all stages of action development. The plot is interesting, as it gets more and more intriguing until the very end of the piece. It provides a unique insight into the existing issues and keeps readers engaged in reading the text and finding out the outcomes. The structure contributes to the process and helps to understand the main idea.

Works Cited

1. Ball, David. Backwards & Forwards: A Technical Manual for Reading Plays. Southern Illinois University Press, 1983.
2. Buckner, Jocelyn L. A Critical Companion to Lynn Nottage. Routledge, 2016.