Sure Thing by David Ives - Essay Example

Sure Thing by David Ives Introduction The “Sure Thing” is a short comical drama authored by David Ives. The play features a coincidental meeting of two characters, Bill and Betty. The conversation between the two actors is continually reset by using a bell to demonstrate how people respond to noise stimuli. The proceedings in the play take place in a coffee shop where the theme of tribulations among the youth is featured. In the introduction, the play brings on board the episode when Bill tries to woe Betty, and she shuts him down a couple of times (David 5). On the other hand, the “Beauty” by Jane Martin is a narrative about discontent and jealousy of the two key characters. The two characters, Bethany and Carla, are antagonistic. Carla is a gorgeous but abortive model without personality and brains. On the contrary, Bethany works as an accountant with a high earnings and successful in writing small stories but she is dissatisfied with her look. Both ladies desire what the other possesses: Carla wants to be elegant and Bethany wants to be stunning This essay explores and analyses the two comical plays in significant depth so as to bring out both the effect of comedy and a sense of seriousness. To do this, every aspect of the plays is analyzed so that all comical statements and assertions by the characters are identified. Comic In David Ives Sure Thing, we experience several comical scenes: the background itself portrays physical humor especially when Bill tries to meet and get to know Betty, but is let down again and again (David 7). The sounding bell at the end of each scene in the Sure Thing is comical as the bell resounds like a gong to signify disapproval every time something wrong or inappropriate is said. In Jane Martin’s the Beauty, we see collect humor when Bethany tries to distract Carla from her phone call in the first scene (Jane 7). Carla is talking to some stranger on the phone, but Bethany shows little interest on what ts happening: comedy. The first scene as Carla tries to remember an incident when a boy called her. In addition, the impolite and uncultured way that Betty answers Bill is comical in the Sure Thing. It is ironical for Betty to insist on being rude while answering Bill as he finds out more about her (Jane 8). The timing of the scenes in the Sure Thing posts a sense of humor. There are several scenes in both Sure Thing and Beauty that shows how serious they are. Sure Thing is a play about two people meeting in a coffee shop (David 11). This is an example of how modern relationships start. In Beauty, Carla wishes she was Bethany and Bethany wishes she was Carla (Jane 9). This shows exactly how modern day youth are and how they do not appreciate who they are. In the first scene of the play, Carla receives a phone call, but doesn’t know the person calling her (Jane 9). This shows just how many boys are after her just because of her physical appearance and nothing more. The mood of the play set up in the Sure Thing shows how important the play is and how two young people meeting in a coffee shop to know one another is important before starting a relationship. Bethany wishes to cure her uncle from a terrible disease when the magic genie asks her what her wishes are. Jane Martin brings out Bethany as a humane person who wishes people well. Seriousness In Jane Martin’s Beauty, Carla wishes she was smarter and could do equally well as Bethany while Bethany wishes she could be more beautiful as Carla so that more boys pay attention to her. This shows how many young people do not appreciate their identity worth and wishes to be someone else. The need to be someone different from what you are is a major issue in today’s society as the youth do not appreciate themselves. In the ‘’Sure Thing’’ by David Ives is about two people who meet up in a coffee shop acting as an example of how modern day relationships start. David Ives tries to show us how important it is to meet someone, have a conversation and get to know them before being serious in a relationship. The fact that Bill and Betty could not create an instant connection shows how normal it was and how it is part of the many things in a relationship (Jane 9-12). As the play Beauty starts, Carla receives a phone call and doesn’t seem to know who’s calling her. Part of her conversation goes like; “In love with me? You’re in love with me? Could you please describe yourself again? Uh-uh And you spoke to me?” Jane Martin wanted to bring out the aspect of physical beauty being a major issue in today's society. We see Carla has many boys interested in her who have only seen her once, but still are interested in her due to her physical appearance alone. Physical appearance has been a major issue among peers that lead to people wishing they could be someone else. Bethany in this case makes one her wishes as ‘to be beautiful' so as to get attention and boys interested in her. The setting of David Ives's Sure Thing itself shows how serious it is. It is important in such a way that it sets the mood of the play. It is set in a coffee shop where two people, Bill, and Betty meet. The connection that Bill and Betty experience in the coffee shop is important as they connect despite the ringing bell that always disrupts their conversation. How Bill doubts himself before talking to Betty shows how people can fear making a mistake when trying to be in a relationship. Bethany from Jane Martin's Beauty makes one of her wishes as to get her uncle cured of a terrible accident which shows how humane and caring she is. Irony The significant message hidden in the Beauty story is that people only perceive the awful side of their existence and the excellent plane of the others’. In this case, the irony comes out clearly since it is only expected of a person to have self appreciation in addition the play describes two sisters who are full of jealousy of each other. The two sisters would be expected to love and care for each other. On the contrary, they try to bring each other down. Furthermore, it is ironical for the two ladies not to appreciate the few good things in them. In the Sure Thing, irony come out very well when Betty ignores Bill’ s advances, though we clearly identify that she has a soft spot for him. Inside the coffee cafe, a situational irony comes out when Betty denies Bill an opportunity to sit. Though Betty claimed that she has secured the seat for another person, we later on finds that she was lying. The role played by the ironical incidences in the play is to bring about further information to a situation. Ironical situations and statements in literature arouse reader’s interests. It makes literature work more intriguing and makes readers comprehend and imagine the underlying meanings. Conclusion From David Ives’s Sure Thing, we learn how important it is to meet and know someone when interested in having a relationship with them. Bill also shows us how being patient helps in almost all situations as he never gave up on trying to talk to and get to know Betty better. Jane Martin shows us how people always want something else that don’t belong to them and to be someone different from what they are from the play Beauty. However, we learn that the life that we so desire to live isn’t perfect after all. Works Cited Rorty, Richard. Contingency, Irony, and Solidarity the Clark Lectures the North cliff Lectures. 5th ed. Vol. 2. Boston: Cambridge UP, 2008. 231. Print Read More