Drama as a vehicle for making a comment on an aspect of society.

Drama as a vehicle for making a comment on an aspect of society. Drama is a vehicle for making comment on an aspect of society. Through writing a play such as The Perfectionist, the playwright can raise issues and position the audience to respond to these issues in a certain way. This can be done through many different dramatic effects. The play "The Perfectionist" by David Williamson is a perfect example of drama working as a device to comment on aspects of society. In this case the aspects of society were the study of gender equality and of perfectionism in all aspects of life.David Williamson brings up the issue of gender equality by exploring the marriage of Barbara and Stuart Gunn. By examining this marriage we can see that the roles of men and women are definitely changing and that Barbara is obviously not happy with the role she has in her marriage. She tells this to Erik, however when he questions her, asking why she has not confronted Stuart, Barbara replies "...BecauseBarbara Kibbee Jayne Special Collection PhotoI am the last of the Vict orian wives..." here she makes it quite obvious that there is a definite problem in the marriage and something needs to be done about it.David Williamson chooses many dramatic elements to show us this marriage and its troubles such as in the setting, language and actions used, structure, Barbara as a raisonneur and he concludes with a well chosen ending.The play is set in two separate places. They are almost opposite, different weather, different lifestyle, different people, different language and a different hemisphere. These two places are of course Australia and Denmark. When Barbara and Stuart move to Denmark there are already seeds of destruction in their marriage but the problem does not improve. Denmark seems to act as a catalyst to the problems and their relationship deteriorates.

English Surnames Meanings and Origins

English Surnames Meanings and Origins English surnames as we know them today family names passed down intact from father to son to grandson werent widely used until after the Norman conquest of 1066. Prior to that time there just werent enough people to really make it necessary to use anything other than a single name. As the countrys population grew, however, people began tacking on descriptions such as John the Baker or Thomas, son of Richard to distinguish between men (and women) of the same name. These descriptive names eventually became associated with a family, inherited, or passed down, from one generation to the next.   While they came into use in the eleventh century, hereditary surnames were not commonplace in England prior to the era of the sixteenth-century Reformation. It is likely that the introduction of parish registers in 1538 played a role in the use of surnames, as a person entered under one surname at baptism would not be likely to be married under another name, and buried under a third. Some areas of England came later to the use of surnames, however. It was not until the late seventeenth century that many families in Yorkshire and Halifax took permanent surnames. Surnames in England generally developed from four major sources. Patronymic and Matronymic Surnames These are surnames derived from baptismal or Christian names to indicate family relationship or descent- patronymic derived from the fathers given name and matronymic, meaning derived from the mothers name. Some baptismal or given names have become surnames without any change in form (a son took his fathers given name as his surname). Others added an ending such as  -s (more common in the South and West of England) or -son (preferred in the northern half of England) to his fathers name. The latter -son suffix was also sometimes added to the mothers name. English surnames ending in -ing (from the British engi, to bring forth, and -kin generally indicate a patronymic or family name as well. Examples: Wilson (son of Will), Rogers (son of Roger), Benson (son of Ben), Madison (son/daughter of Maud), Marriott (son/daughter of Mary), Hilliard (son/daughter of  Hildegard). Occupational Surnames Many English surnames developed from a persons job, trade or position in society. Three common English surnames- Smith, Wright and Taylor–are excellent examples of this. A name ending in -man or -er usually implies such a trade name, as in Chapman (shopkeeper), Barker (tanner) and Fiddler. On occasion, a rare occupational name can provide a clue to the familys origin. For example, Dymond (dairymen) are commonly from Devon, and Arkwright (maker of arks or chests) are generally from Lancashire. Descriptive Surnames   Based on a unique quality or physical characteristic of the individual, descriptive surnames often developed from nicknames or pet names. Most refer to an individuals appearance - size, color, complexion, or physical shape (Little, White, Armstrong). A descriptive surname may also refer to an individuals personal or moral characteristics, such as Goodchild, Puttock (greedy) or Wise. Geographical or Local Surnames   These are names derived from the location of the homestead from which the first bearer and his family lived, and are generally the most common origin of English surnames. They were first introduced into England by the Normans, many of whom were known by the name of their personal estate. Thus, many English surnames derive from the name of an actual town, county, or estate where an individual lived, worked, or owned land. County names in Great Britain, such as Cheshire, Kent and Devon have been commonly adopted as surnames. A second class of local surnames derived from cities and towns, such as Hertford, Carlisle and Oxford. Other local surnames derive from descriptive landscape features such as hills, woods, and streams which describe the original bearers residence. This is the origin of surnames such as Hill,  Bush, Ford, Sykes (marshy stream) and Atwood (near a wood). Surnames which begin with the prefix At- can especially be attributed as a name with local origins. By- was also sometimes used as a prefix for local names.