Student-designed final essay sample e

Final Exam Question #2:  Your general “learning curve” about tragedy and related genres across the semester.  Where did you start and where have you arrived?  What do you carry out of the course?

     When I enrolled in Tragedy, I had several preconceived ideas about what genre consisted of.  Although my knowledge of the concept was rather limited, I am pleased to admit that what I did know was consistent with what we covered throughout the semester.  I knew that genres were used in literature, in film, and in television as a form of classification.  I knew that different types of pieces, or genres, within literature consisted of distinct characteristics that differentiated them from each other.  But I knew that I was ill-informed as to what those formal characteristics were.  This course taught me more about the concept of genre.  And as we read literary masterpieces, the course also taught me ways to critically evaluate literature by gaining an appreciation for the characteristics of various sub-genres.

     At the beginning of the Summer 2004 semester, I had heard of and was fairly familiar with the genres of tragedy, comedy, romance, and satire.  I had previously understood tragedy to refer to any type of story that had a tragic plot.  But after reading portions of Aristotle’s Poetics, I came to understand something different.  In Classical Greek tragedies for instance, the tragic hero was someone of noble rank whose actions—tragic flaws—affected vast amounts of people.  It just was not enough that the hero committed some heinous act or offended the gods and incurred their wrath upon himself and his family.  The Classical Greek contribution to tragedy required more universal repercussions.  Punishments for the tragic flaw were passed down for several generations and inflicted whole communities and societies.  It has been rightly pointed that, “The problem presented in a tragedy affects everyone” (BH 04). 

     Sophocles’s tragic play entitled Oedipus The King exemplifies this quite well.  Oedipus’s actions affected all of Thebes and his family in particular for generations.  Another of Sophocles’s tragic plays entitled Antigone deals with some of the repercussions of Oedipus’s previous actions.  Antigone was one of Oedipus’s daughters, and the play dealt with her respect for her fallen brother and her participation in his illegal burial.  In several lines in the play, references were made to Oedipus’s tragic flaw that led to Antigone’s problems.  The point here is that Antigone had to deal with issues her father instigated years ago.  The longevity of the repercussions of the hero’s actions adds to the tragedy’s appeal.

     Another aspect of genre that I learned about this semester is that the boundaries between various types of genres often overlap.  It is important to understand that labels tend to differentiate things into distinct categories, and these categories, especially in literature, should remain flexible.  For example, a comedy often ends with a party, a marriage, or some type of gathering that brings people together in a jovial setting.  A romance on the other hand often ends in a moment of transcendence, where the principal characters rise above their challenging environment and live happily ever after so to speak.  Lorraine Hansberry’s play entitled A Raisin In The Sun exhibits concluding characteristics consistent with comedies and romances.  Although this play contains tragic elements, it can be seen as a comedy because the Younger family comes together at the end of the play.  They are happy with each other because of Walter’s actions and because they are moving into their new home.  This play can also be seen as a romance because their moving represents a transcendent moment in that they have overcome the miserable conditions within the ghetto.  Their new home is a tangible representation of their victory over poverty, and it also represents a new life for them.  This play satisfies characteristics of both comedies and romances. 

     Another example of ambivalent labeling occurs in Marsha Norman’s ‘Night Mother.  This wonderfully moving play contains several comic moments, but it is not a comedy.  It can be seen as either a tragedy or a romance.  It depends on how the reader or the viewer judges Jessie’s suicide.  If one judges her suicide as a woman’s tragic flaw in that she has given up on life and takes the easy way out, then they would classify it as a tragedy.  On the other hand, Jessie’s suicide can be seen as a woman’s rational and informed choice to continue life in another way.  The romantic element of this plot asserts that Jessie’s choice to commit suicide is her way of conquering life’s problems and enabling her to live by her own rules.  The suicide itself, an action not tainted by spectacle, seems to be a transcendent moment for Jessie.  So, ‘Night Mother can be seen as a tragedy or a romance.

     One of the most fascinating things I learned throughout the Summer 2004 semester is that genre, and tragedy in particular, undergoes constant evolution.  I learned that genres in general adapt to the societal circumstances in which they were produced.  I also learned that it is counterproductive to ascribe rigid and inflexible rules to literature because it hinders the creative process.  As I indicated earlier, when I began this course I had preconceived ideas about tragedy.  I learned early in the course that tragedies consisted of the actions of noble people and whose actions affected vast amounts of people.  But as we progressed, I also became aware of the democratization of tragedy.  It had never even occurred to me that tragedy had evolved in such a way.  The democratization of tragedy—to me—does not repudiate Aristotle’s comments regarding the necessary nobility of the tragic character.  Rather, it allows for the expansion of Aristotle’s ideas.  It sort of elevates so-called lower people so that they can be noble enough to participate in the tragic realities of life.  As it was stated in one of the 2004 midterm papers, “Tragedy is a staple of the human condition.  One cannot run from it, or escape it; tragedy is inevitable” (DD 04). 

     Tragedy is a reality that no one can elude.  It really is democratic in that sense, and it is that way, more so than comedy, romance, and satire, because tragedy focuses on deep human emotion.  Tragedy’s democratization gives credence to the plights of the common man.  An example of this occurs in several of Eugene O’Neill’s masterful plays.  “Eugene O’Neill uses his plays to explore the triumphs and tribulations of his family, as well as the American family.  He uses comedy, tragedy, and romance to exemplify the problems faced in everyday life” (JL 02).  The murder of a father and the incestuous marrying of a mother are tragic events, but they hardly represent problems of the common family.  In A Moon For The Misbegotten, Hogan and Josie are obviously common folk who do not possess much in life.  Their characterization opposes that of Tyrone and Harder who have considerable means at their disposal.  The interesting thing is that Hogan’s and Josie’s struggle to hold on to their livelihood ennobles them.  Their plight is nothing like Oedipus’s, but their dilemma is real nonetheless.  Although the play plainly stresses that they are behind in their rent because they squander their means on alcohol and other vices, and that they engage in illegal mischief, their quest to maintain their version of the “American Dream” by defeating the capitalistic whims of Harder, elevates them to the point that they can be considered noble for their cause.  The democratization of tragedy is fascinating, and it can be seen in other examples from plays we have studied this semester.

     “Tragedy” taught me several aspects of genre that will serve me well in my teaching career.  I have come to understand that tragedy is the greatest genre because it deals with deep human emotion.  I have learned that genres often overlap and create sophisticated plots.  I have also learned that genres undergo evolutions in form and substance.  This is a valuable course for anyone interested in the humanities.  The various topics covered regarding genre, and tragedy in particular since it is in my research focus, have helped me better understand ways to critically evaluate literature.  And for that, I am very grateful. [RA]