'Language of ‘Abigail’s Party’ Emily Huntley Essay\r'

'Mike Leigh implementd to be one of a kind, famous for creating movies through an droll process that involves extensive rehearsals and improvisations with his actors; a process that begins weeks onward anyone picks up a camera. In each of his operates, he has depicted the often-uneventful lives of ordinary people. The results ar ever so utmost from conventional. And it is through his success that many directors are in a flash using his proficiencys to clutch the texture of e preciseday life.\r\nLeigh achieves this graininess in the majority through his speech communication, although the whole break away is based on naturalism, he go fors this technique to capture the essence of each characters persona. I think this technique is particularly successful, as the interview m of age(predicate)s it blowzy to refer themselves to the evening unravelling onwards them, and manage to do themselves in the situations of the characters.\r\nLawrence\r\nMy first impression of Lawr ence was that he was an comfortably- educated, cultured man, who was scarcely a dandy social mixer only if if this is the aim of Leigh. He wanted the reference to turn over the opposite of Lawrence and then buzz murder their approximations ‘dashed’. In a way I believe that this makes the earreach experience vulnerable as if they’ve been deceived and they then sample comfort in one of the other characters which look simple and honest and and then they find themselves ‘delving’ into the play further.\r\nLawrence speaks in a polite and precise carriage ‘Ah, yes-now, when would you be best for you? …No, no, I’ll fall in with you, Mrs Cushing.’ (Page 2) this enforces the stem of him being a well brought up man and hopefully in his eyes achieving the idea that his guests consider him of a high social relegate. Leigh too subroutined the language of the character Lawrence to make him persuasive and condescendin g, ‘I don’t altogether deal Minis-I like lots of other cars. scarcely I find the Mini economical, efficient and reliable.’ (Page 8) this is a soundly role model of the ‘rule of 3’ a pixilated persuasive technique, this is how he enforces his ideas on others and appears so supreme and always call forms to be in good order as no one has the courage to object. Generally Lawrence’s terminology is direct and focused, he speaks when spoken to and rarely initiates a intercourse, unless asking probing questions to seek his wealth and clear up over the other guests ‘You have a car, do you? (Page 8).\r\nAlthough Lawrence’s vocabulary is relatively simple, he solace uses this to his advantage by toilsome to snap off himself and eject his supposedly higher social status ‘Macbeth. let out of our heritage’. This also links to Lawrence’s popular ‘name dropping’ this is in an attempt to try and appear culturally educated, with references to ‘Van Gogh’ ‘Shakespeare’ ‘Lowry’ etc.tera\r\nLawrence also frequently uses questions in his artistic style, this is to distract guests from a previous topic that may be a bit ‘uncomfortable’ for him, and so that he tints as though he is re primary(prenominal)ing control, he undersurface choose what subject to initiate a conversation with ‘You’ve got footballer’s legs, though, haven’t you? … public lecture of Paris, challenge, do you like art?’\r\nAnother technique Leigh used in Lawrence’s character, are put-downs. This is achieved by the use of rhetorical questions. ‘What would you know about smell? (Page 48). And also by repetition of the persons name who he’s talking to. ‘I’ve seen to the drinks, thank you, Beverly!’ (Page 42), in this is example it is used as a ‘put down’ to remind B everly to look around and accumulate herself.\r\n passim the play, Leigh rarely uses poetic language or imagery, with few metaphors and no symbolism. Lawrence is a prime example of this as he is a simple dialect character.\r\nBeverly\r\nWhen I initially read the play, I thought the whole plot pivoted around Beverly and how noisome a hostess she was. I later found this not to be true. After seeing the play I realised that Beverly is actually a really good host, this is proved when she adds the room, and the conversation withers. She also dominates the play, with her monologues, and comical ‘ paddy field’ taking of Lawrence.\r\nIn Abigail’s Party Beverly is the only character to frequently swear with no discernible acknowledgement for her guests. ‘Oh sod off Lawrence’ (Page 49). This although may be offensive to some, understands the extreme contrast between the ‘nouveaux riches’ and the true middle class, such as Sue.\r\nthroughout the play Beverly uses a patronising tone, save I feel this isn’t a condescending technique, but rather being besides honest ‘ divert don’t be offended when I say this, but, you’re wearing a rattling lovely dress, If I may say so; now, you see that pink ribbon down the antecedent? If you’d chosen, Ang, a colour slightly warm that pink, I think it would have blended very much with your skin tones;’ (Page 10). In this example, I feel that she is trying to make Ang feel better in herself. Although this does prove how materialistic Bev is as she thinks that making yourself look better solves all problems.\r\nBeverly babbles incessantly, is garrulous, and uses a lot of personal anecdotes in her dialect. ‘ this instant my bloke had told me to turn left, right? Now we come to the first give way, and the bloke in front shotmed his brakes on. Now, I’m difference behind him and I suppose I’m going a little bit too quick w ith me nerves; so I slam on my brakes and I went slap into the bear of him.’ (Page 9). This is a give the sack example of Beverly’s considerable and complex sentences, although she also uses short simple sentences ‘Lawrence you’re going to get heartburn’ (Page 2). Beverly is also very informal in the way that she speaks, and this makes it easier for the audition to familiarise themselves with her.\r\n in like manner to Lawrence, Beverly also ‘name drops’ to appear culturally educated ‘Beaujolais’ (Page 11) although from the quote ‘Oh it’s Beaujolais. Fantastic! won’t be a sec, I’ll bonnie pop it in the fridge.(Page 11) You can tell that Bev all the way has no idea about wine etc. like we originally thought.\r\nGenerally speaking Beverly is the main character to initiate conversation, she keeps everyone involved and the conversation flowing. She also reiterates a lot to confirm and seek ap proval, authorization and affirmation.\r\nBeverly has a few peculiarities of speech, including the adjectives ‘Great’ and ‘Fantastic’. These are character phrases enable the audience to link these legitimate words to her, and expect them, I feel this makes the audience feel much at ease with Bev, or simply more irritated by her.\r\nSimilarly to Lawrence, Beverly also never uses imagery, symbolism, metaphors or poetic language. But un impressly for her character there are frequent cozy innuendoes ‘He’s got a firm handshake, hasn’t he?’ (Page 5) ‘Tone, you can’t do much with a bed-head, can you?’ (Page 7).\r\nAngela\r\nAs a person, Ang is a simple and satisfied working class fresh wed.\r\nHer sentences can be long, but this is purely cod to her rambling and not knowing when to stop. ‘Oh, what a pin-up table. This is just what we need. It’s the next thing we’re going to get. ‘Cos a t the moment we’re eating off our knees. It’s unusual, isn’t it †with the wooden top and modern legs.’ (Page 22) Her conversation seems to be pretty pointless as she doesn’t seem to have anything of any value to add to the discussion. But similarly to Bev she also includes simple sentences to make her dialect feel more naturalistic.\r\nWhen comparing the characters I think it is attainable to state that Ang is the most colloquial of all of them, as she is most sayal, and although her grammar is a little ‘shakey’ it seems to be easier for the audience to accept her on face value as she is too honest and genuine to be cover anything.\r\nAng uses questions to seek assurance, and also to encourage people to occupy with her, as it provokes a response. ‘Isn’t she?’\r\nAng uses personal anecdotes to inform the audience of her character, although the comic element that Leigh included was how she seems exclusively oblivious to her boundaries, and therefore makes herself look foolish. ‘Tony had a bad experience in an Indian restaurant †this was before I knew him…He had a nasty point of gastro-enteritis after he’d had a curry, and you see that put him off. (Page 25). This medical reference shows hoe educated she is and reflects her job as a nurse.\r\nI feel it is the fact that Ang is too blunt and open to use any form of innuendoes, or symbolism, that makes it so easy for the audience to accept her.\r\nTony\r\nTony is a very mute character; he rarely uses full sentences, but rather one-word replies, this makes him appear constrained and paranormal which is why I believe it is not so surprising when he raises his voice at Ang as the audience can see the tension building inside(a) him. He never initiates conversation, as that would mean replies to more questions. He often uses slang, or colloquial language ‘top’ ‘ta’. Leigh also included conf used imperative or instructive verbs ‘leave it’ ‘ jump out up’ ‘turn that fucking record off’ (Page 51), but these are only ever commanded at Ang, and explains why the audience and guests never agree with Ang when she seems to find him domineering. Tony’s humour seems to be very ‘ dry out’ in that he finds his own things funny, rather than share-out a universal joke. Tony is the only character to use silence as a defence and round down mechanism. As we’ve seen with Bev and Lawrence they’d rather shout at each other to resolve problems. Tony uses silence to bring forth a tension and most often with Ang and therefore making her look stupid, in front of their company, clearly showing an imbalance in their relationship.\r\nSue\r\nIt is clear from the beginning of the play that Sue is of the highest social class in the group. Originally I though Sue was a well brought up and highly well mannered person, but when s tudying the play I realised the opposite. I felt that Sue is very rude and off-putting to the people around her as she has a lack of curiosity, she doesn’t seem to show any interest in them and clearly doesn’t want them to show any in her. She only speaks when spoken to, and never repays the question. When she does answer questions it’s always unexpansive, short; clipt one-word answers ‘Yes’. It is clear from her dialect that she is uncomfortable and frighten by the other characters. Her language is very unnatural and similar to that of a guide book.\r\nHer vocabulary is old fashioned, formal, and grammar school style. ‘Daren’t’ ‘Aren’t’. Otherwise it’s quite simple and easily understood so it doesn’t require any explanations. She never uses colloquial or slang vocabulary.\r\nShe rarely uses questions in her converse as this would initiate conversation. She keeps herself to herself and doesnâ⠂¬â„¢t want to canvas or get involved into either of the hard marriages in front of her.\r\nHer character phrases seem to be reliant on her politeness ‘Yes please’ ‘No thank you’. It is possible to say that she is trapped by her own politeness, She doesn’t have the nerve to leave the party, which she clearly doesn’t want to be at.\r\nThroughout the play she remains completely unassertive right until the end when her guard drops, and she tells Bev to ‘Shut up’ (Page 53).\r\nwords is a key tool that all playwrights use to distinguish the differences and similarities between each of the characters. The character phrases and accents attend the audience to realise the different backgrounds and diversity of the characters. change to the visual aspects, lines give a sense of derriere and person and how the characters interact with one another.\r\n'