CONTENTS

Sl
No.

Name

PageNo.

1.

AboutDrama

2.

AbouttheStory

3.

TheDrama

416

4.

Acknowledgement

17

5.

Bibliography

18

ABOUTDRAMA
Drama:Dramaisoneofthemostancientmeansof
intellectualentertainment.Lookingbackintohistory,we
findthatdramawasthemostpopularmediuminancient
Greece,over2400yearsago,duringthetimeofAristotle.

StructureofaDrama:AccordingtoGerman
playwrightGustavFreytag,dramaessentiallyconsistsof
fiveparts:exposition,risingaction,climax,fallingaction
anddenouement.

Inrisingaction,arelatedseriesofincidentsbuild
towardsthepointofgreatestinterest.
Theclimaxistheturningpointofthestory.
Duringthefallingaction,theconflictbetweenthe
protagonistandtheantagonistunravels,withthe
protagonistwinningorlosingagainstthe
antagonist.
Thedenouementcompriseseventsfromtheendof
thefallingactiontotheactualendingsceneofthe
drama.

 ElementsofaDrama:Theessentialelementsofdrama
areasfollows:
DramatisPersonnaeorthepeopleofthedrama,
thatis,alistofcharactersinaplay.
Charactersasinastory,peopleorcreatures
thatappearinascriptbyspeakingordoing
somethingorsomeoneinascriptwhoisinvolved
withaplot.
Proparetheobjectsusedonstageoronscreenby
actorsduringaperformance.
Stagedirectionsshowonlywhatistakingplace
onstage,thatis,whattheaudiencecanhearor
see.Stagedirectionsarealwaysenclosedin
parentheses.Thesedirectionsmayalsoindicate
wherethesceneistakingplace,whatacharacter
issupposedtodo,orhowacharactershould
delivercertainlines.
Dialoguesarethelinesspokenbytheactors.In
thescriptofdrama,thedialoguesareprecededby
thenameofthecharacterthatistospeakthe
words.Besidesinthedramamoreemphasisis
laidoninteractionofcharacters,andnotonthe
completesentencesofadialogue.

ABOUTTHESTORY
Theauthor:LangstonHughes:LangstonHughes,
oneoftheforemostblackwriterstoemergefromthe
HarlemRenaissance,wasbornon
February1,1902,inJoplin,Missouri,
USA.Hughesbrieflyattended
ColumbiaUniversitybeforeworking
numerousjobsincludingbusboy,cook,
andsteward.Whileworkingasa
busboy,heshowedhispoemstoAmericanpoetVachel
Lindsay,whohelpedlaunchhiscareer.Hesoonobtained
ascholarshiptoLincolnUniversityandhadseveralworks
published.Hughesisnotedforhisdepictionsoftheblack
experience.Inadditiontotheblackdialect,he
incorporatedtherhythmsofjazzandthebluesintohis
poetry.Whilemanyrecognizedhistalent,manyblacks
disapprovedofhisunflatteringportrayalofblacklife.His
numerouspublishedvolumesinclude,"TheWearyBlues,"
"FineClothestotheJew,"and"MontageofaDream
Deferred."Hughesearnedseveralawardsduringhis
lifetimeincluding:aGuggenheimfellowship,anAmerican
AcademyofArtsandLettersGrant,andaSpingarn
MedalfromtheNAACP.LangstonHughesdiedofheart
failureonMay22,1967.

FirstPublicationofTheStory:Thestorywasfirst
publishedin1958.

THEDRAMA

[DramatisPersonnae]

MRSLUELLABATESWASHINGTONJONES:
ReferredtointhedramaasMrsJones,sheisonethepivotal
charactersinthestory.Herouterrigidnatureenclosesasoft
andsympatheticheart.

ROGER:
AteenagerrepresentingthehavenotclassofAmericainthe
firsthalfofthe1900s.

[Setting]
DOWNTOWNNEWYORK

[Scene1]
[Itisalmosthalfpasttwelve.MrsLuellaBatesWashington
JonesleadsRogerdownthehalltothefrontdoorandopensitto
allowhimtoleave.]
MrsJones:
Roger:

Goodnight!Behaveyourselfboy!
[Turnstowardsthebarrenstoop.]Thankyou
Maam!I........

[Ashelooksbackatthelargewomanandwasgoingtocomplete
hisspeech,theladyshutthedoor.Heloseshersight.]
Roger:

[Murmuringtohimself]Whatanight!What
anexperienceitsbeen!NowGod,letme
sweartomyself:Iwouldneverruninto
snatchinganymore!

[Walkingdownthelane,heislostinreverieashethinksofthe
nightthathasbroughtachangeinhimachangeforgood.]

[Exits]

[Scene2]
[Itis11oclockinthenight.MrsJonesiscomingbackfromher
workplace,alone.Shecarriesalargepursethathaseverything
buthammersandnails.Ithasalongstrap,andshecarriesit
slungacrosshershoulder.]
MrsJones:

[Singingtoherself]Ray,adropofgoldensun
Me,aname,Icallmyself
Far,along,longwaytorun
Sew,aneedlepullingthread.........

[Thedarksilhouetteofaboyarisesbehindher.Itlooksasifhe
isfourteenorfifteen,frailandwillowwild,intennisshoesand
bluejeans.Itisevidentthathehassomevilebusiness.
Suddenly,herunsbehindherandtriestosnatchherpurse.But
theboysweightandtheweightofthepursecombinedcauses
himtolosehisbalanceso,insteadoftakingofffullblastashe
hoped,theboyfallsonhisbackonthesidewalk,andhislegsgo
up.]

MrsJones:

YOUBLOODYFOOL!Thinkofstealingmy
purse,huh?Notsoeasy.Nowtakethis......
[Kickshimrightinhisbluejeanedsitter,then
picksuptheboybyhisshirtandstartsshaking
him,rattlinghisteeth.]Doyouknowwhoam
I?HOWDAREYOUstealmypurse,beingof
suchatenderage!Pickupmypocketbook,and
giveithere.

[Shestillholdshim.Butbentsdownenoughtopermithimto
stoopandpickupherpurse.]
MrsJones:
Theboy:
MrsJones:
Theboy:
MrsJones:

Nowaintyouashamedofyourself?
Yesm..
Whatdidyouwanttodoitfor?
Ididntaimto.
YOUALIE!

[Twoorthreepeoplepassby,stop,turntolookandsomestand
watching.]
MrsJones:
Theboy:
MrsJones:
Theboy:

IfIturnyouloose,willyourun?
Yesm.....
ThenIwontturnyouloose.
[Whispering]Imverysorry,lady,Imsorry.

MrsJones:

Umhum!Andyourfaceisdirty.Igotagreat
mindtowashyourfaceforyou.......Aintyou
gotnobodyhometotellyouwashyourface?
Nom....

Theboy:

MrsJones:

Butyouputyourselfincontactwithme.Ifyou
thinkthatthatcontactisnotgoingtolast
awhile,yougotanotherthoughtcoming.When
Igetthroughwithyou,sir,youaregoingto
rememberMrsLuellaBatesWashington
Jones.

[Sweatpopsoutontheboysfaceandhebeginstostruggle.Mrs
Jonesstops,jerkshimaroundinfrontofher,putsahalfnelson
abouthisneck,andcontinuestodraghimupthestreet.They
proceedtowardsherhouse.]

[Scene3]
[Asshegetstoherdoor,shedragstheboyinside,downahall,
andintoalargekitchenettefurnishedroomattherearofthe
house.Sheswitchesonthelightandleavesthedooropen.The
boyhearsotherroomerslaughingandtalkinginthelarge
house.Someoftheirdoorsareopen,too,sohecomestoknowhe
andthewomanarenotalone.Thewomanstillhashimbythe
neckinthemiddleoftheroom.]
MrsJones:
Theboy:
MrsJones:

Whatisyourname?
Roger.
Then,Roger,yougotothatsinkandwashyour
face.[Turninghimloose.]
10

[Rogerlooksatherandatthedoorandgoestothesink.]
MrsJones:
Roger:
MrsJones:

Roger:
MrsJones:
Roger:
MrsJones:

Roger:

Letthewaterruntillitgetswarm.Heresa
cleantowel.
Yougonnasendmetojail?
Notwiththatface,Iwouldnottakeyou
nowhere.HereIamtryingtocookmeabiteto
eatandyousnatchmypocketbook!Maybe,you
aintbeentoyoursuppereither,lateasitbe.
Haveyou?
Theresnobodyhomeatmyhouse.
Thenwelleat.Ibelieveyourehungryor
beenhungrytotrytosnatchmypocketbook.
Iwantedapairofbluesuedeshoes.
Well,youdidnthavetosnatchmypocketbook
togetsomesuedeshoes......Youcouldhave
askedme.
Mam?

[Thewaterdrippingfromhisface,theboylooksather.Thereis
alongpause.Averylongpause.Afterhehasdriedhisface,the
boyturnsaround,wonderingwhatnext.]

11

Roger:

[Whisperstohimself]Theresthedoor....tis
open.Icanmakeadashforit....andrun,run,
run,run!But....butIcant!Somethingis
glueingmetothisplace.....Whatsit....whats
it?IsitthemotherlyaffectionthatIdbeen
thirstyfor........

[Thewomansitsonthedaybedandgazesattheboyfor
awhile.]
MrsJones:

IwereyoungonceandIwantedthingsIcould
notget.

[Thereisanotherlongpause.Theboysmouthopenswide.Then
hefrowns,butnotknowinghehasdoneso.]
MrsJones:

Umhum!YouthoughtIwasgoingtosaybut,
didntyou?YouthoughtIwasgoingtosay,but
Ididntsnatchpeoplespocketbooks.Well,I
wasntgoingtosaythat.

[Pause.Silence.]Ihavedonethings,too,which
Iwouldnottellyou,sonneithertellGod,if
Hedidntalreadyknow.Soyousetdownwhile
Ifixussomethingtoeat.Youmightrunthat
combthroughyourhairsoyouwilllook
presentable.

12

[Inanothercorneroftheroombehindascreenisaglassplate
andanicebox.MrsJonesgetsupandgoesbehindthescreen.
Thewomandoesnotwatchtheboytoseeifheisgoingtorun
now,nordoesshewatchherpursewhichsheleftbehindheron
thedaybed.Buttheboyhimselfsitsonthefarsideoftheroom
wherehethinksshecaneasilyseehimoutofthecornerofthe
othereye,ifshewantsto.]

Roger:

[Tohisinnerself]Ah,God!Atlast,youshowed
someonewholovesme,caresforme!I......I
cantaffordtobemistrustedbyhernow......
[Aloud]Doyouneedsomebodytogotothe

MrsJones:

Roger:

store,maybetogetsomemilkorsomething?
DontbelieveIdo,unlessyoujustwantsweet
milkyourself,Iwasgoingtomakecocoaoutof
thiscannedmilkIgothere.
Thatwillbefine.

[Sheheatedsomelimabeansandhamshehadintheicebox,
madethecocoa,andsetthetable.]
MrsJones:
Roger:
MrsJones:

Hereyougo.Eatasmuchyoulike,son.
Thanks......
IworkinthebeautyshopattheBarbizon
Hotel.Itoftenstaysopenlate.Itsactuallya
funnywork,youknow.Allsortsofwomen
comeandgoallthe

13

timeblondes,redheads,Spanish.Theres
alwaysanambianceofcommotionallaround.
Oh!youvefinished.[Shecutshimhalfofher
tencentcake.]Eatsomemore,son.
[Theyfinisheatingandgetup.]
MrsJones:

Now,here,takethistendollarsandbuy
yourselfsomebluesuedeshoes.Andnext
time,donotmakethemistakeoflatching
ontomypocketbooknornobodyelses
becauseshoescomebydevilishlikethat
willburnyourfeet.Igottogetmyrestnow.
ButIwishyouwouldbehaveyourself,son,
fromhereonin........
[Scene4]

[Thesoundofhisownfootstepsbringshimbackfromoblivion.
Heexhalesadeepbreath.]
Roger:

ThankyouMaam.....Thankyou.
[Walksaway.]

[Curtain]
14

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Theprojecthasgivenmethegoldenopportunityforlearning
and selfdevelopment. Working under Miss Indu Prasad is
really a pleasure and her monitoring and caring spirit have
assisted me a lot in completingthisprojectwithin thegiven
span through collaborative activities. Her assistance has
broadenthehorizonofmyknowledge.
Secondly, I would like to use this opportunity to owe my
gratitudetoourrespectedteachersMrTarunKumarDas,Mr
Anup Kumar Koner and Mr Sudip Khan for inspiring me to
undergotheinterestofworkingonthisproject.Thereafter, I
wouldliketothankMrKausikMukherjeeforhisguidanceand
assistancethathaveprovedbeneficialformetocompletethis
projectwork.
Atlast,butnottheleast,allmyfriendsandmyfamily,who
have supported me directly or indirectly, deserve a special
thanksfromme.Thankyou.
________________________
[SignatureofStudent]

15

BIBLIOGRAPHY
I Shubham Mishra, a studentof ClassXI,ScienceStreamof
BkTPP Prabir Sengupta Vidyalaya, has been given this
interestingandintellectualprojecttoworkonandforwhatI
have tried my best to complete the same within the time
provided.TheteachingstyleofourEnglishteachersandtheir
inspiringnatureandmonitoringactivitieshavebeentakenas
themainstreamfortheflowofthisproject.
I have also turned the yellow pages of some analytical and
referential books and have surfed the Internet, which has
helpedmetogainknowledgeonthebackgroundofthestory
and also on the necessary features of a drama. I owe my
courtesytoGoogleImagesfortheillustrations.

________________________
[SignatureofStudent]

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[Date][SignatureofStudent]

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[Date][SignatureofTeacher]

17