Question
ACT II
Scene 1
20 [A stadium. Atalanta stretches downstage. Upstage, Hippomenes, dressed for a race, sits in the stands. Announcer enters.]
21 ANNOUNCER: [To audience.] Welcome to the First Annual Race for Atalanta’s Hand!
22 HIPPOMENES: [Aside.] Annual? Not if I can help it.
23 ANNOUNCER: Atalanta, daughter of bears, slayer of boars, courageous Argonaut, will commit herself in matrimony to the man who can best her in a contest of speed. [Atalanta waves at the audience.] Anyone who fails [Pauses for dramatic effect.] will be exiled. Let the races begin! Runners, on your mark. Get set.
24 [Atalanta bends into starting position alongside five runners.]
25 ANNOUNCER: Go!
26 [Atalanta dashes offstage, right, ahead of the runners.]
27 HIPPOMENES: [Starry eyed.] She’s a wonder.
28 [Atalanta dashes onstage, left, raising her arms. She struts around as the crowd cheers. The five runners drag in, out of breath.]
29 ATALANTA: Who’s next?
30 HIPPOMENES: [Distressed.] I don’t stand a chance.
Scene 2
31 [A sheltered place behind the stands. Hippomenes is alone. The announcer is heard calling runners to the next race.]
32 HIPPOMENES: Aphrodite, Goddess of Love, help me win this race against Atalanta so that she will be my wife.
33 [A sack drops from the sky, landing at Hippomenes’ feet. He picks it up and opens it.]
34 HIPPOMENES: What am I supposed to do with golden apples?
35 [Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love herself, appears before him.]
36 APHRODITE: If you want to win her heart, you must know what’s already in it.
37 HIPPOMENES: [Frowning.] How can I know what’s in another person’s heart?
38 APHRODITE: You have watched her.
39 HIPPOMENES: Oh, yes. She is a wonder to behold.
40 APHRODITE: And you have listened to her.
41 HIPPOMENES: Yes. I could listen to her night and day.
42 APHRODITE: So what have you seen, what have you heard, that tells you what’s in her heart?
43 HIPPOMENES: Well, she doesn’t like weaving. But she was captivated by the golden thread. Perhaps these could be of use after all.
44 [He glances at the sack of golden apples in his arms. He stands there for a moment, thoughtful. Then he smiles and exits.]
Scene 3
45 [The stadium. Hippomenes, holding the sack, and Atalanta are on the starting line. Atalanta is trying to hide her interest in Hippomenes. Announcer stands upstage.]
46 ATALANTA: [Looking at him curiously, even hopefully.] You’re the last one.
47 HIPPOMENES: And the one who will win your heart.
48 ATALANTA: [Coyly.] We’ll see. That sack looks heavy. Won’t it slow you down?
49 [Hippomenes just smiles.]
50 ANNOUNCER: On your mark, get set, go!
51 [Atalanta dashes ahead of Hippomenes, who tosses an apple into her path.]
52 ATALANTA: [Stopping to pick up the apple.] Shiny!
53 [Hippomenes speeds past her, but she catches up and passes him. This happens twice more, but when she stops to pick up the third apple, Hippomenes crosses the finish line, arms raised in victory. Atalanta follows, smiling good-naturedly.]
54 ATALANTA: Very clever! But can I tell you a secret?
55 HIPPOMENES: You can tell me anything, my love.
56 ATALANTA: [Tossing him an apple, with a wink.] I let you win.
57 [Hippomenes grins and takes her hand. Together they wave to the cheering crowd, clearly feeling they both have won.]
Selection 2: The Ruby Necklace
Adapted from a story by Guy de Maupassant
1 “Where is it, where is it?” Diane had searched every inch of the apartment. The necklace wasn’t anywhere to be found.
2 “You know everything Clarice owns is priceless. How are we going to tell her?” Brian knew the answer before he even finished his question: They weren’t going to say a word.
* * *
3 Brian was late for dinner.
4 “Where have you been?”
5 “Sorry, dear, my meeting ran late.”
6 Diane rolled her eyes and murmured, “Who would believe a lowly computer programmer is so important as to have an evening meeting.”
7 Brian heard her, of course, but he did as always and ignored the abuse.
8 “You wouldn’t be so upset if you knew what was in my jacket pocket,” he said quietly.
9 Diane stopped short and looked at him. Brian never brought home gifts or flowers; they didn’t have the money for those kinds of extras. They lived in a tiny apartment in Silicon Valley, close to Brian’s job—and around the corner from the neighborhood of elegant mansions where Clarice lived.
10 “Mr. Thomas took me aside this afternoon and said he noticed how much work I had done on the software project we just finished. He offered us an invitation to his annual spring gala. Take a look, if you don’t believe me,” he said, pointing to the front door where his jacket hung.
11 And since she didn’t believe him, she plucked the envelope from his jacket pocket and opened it gingerly. The envelope was as black as night with delicate designs in gold foil, and the card, a soft cotton paper. The invitation alone was nicer than anything she owned.
12 “I took $300 out of our savings account for a gown and anything else you might need. Don’t go overboard, now, because that’s all we have until my next payday.”
13 Diane went to the stores the following day. She chose the loveliest dress in the store, floor-length, red, and sequined, and she used every bit of the money her husband had withdrawn from their savings account.
14 At home that night, she stared at herself in the hall mirror. Something is missing, she thought to herself.
15 “I need a necklace,” she told Brian when he came home.
16 One look at the dress and Brian knew all the money was spent. “Do you have a friend to borrow one from? Your Aunt Margaret, maybe?”
17 Diane frowned. “I doubt she’d have anything elegant enough.” She brightened. “But Clarice would!”
18 “Why don’t you see what your aunt has before borrowing anything from a friend,” Brian suggested.
19 “Fine,” Diane snapped. “But it’ll just be a waste of time.”
* * *
20 “No, my dear.” Aunt Margaret looked up from the rose bush she was pruning. “I am sorry, but I’m afraid that wouldn’t do.”
21 Diane had come to her aunt’s house to ask for a necklace and had found Aunt Margaret in her little flower garden in the front yard.
22 Now she frowned. “Wouldn’t do? But I’m your niece. I’ve always thought we were close.”
23 Aunt Margaret nodded. “We are, and I’d like to keep it that way. Borrowing something from a family member can get tricky.”
24 “Tricky?” Diane let out a laugh. “How tricky can a necklace be?”
25 Aunt Margaret furrowed her brow. “It may start out as just a necklace, but these things too often become complicated. I’m sure you’ll look just as lovely without the jewelry.”
26 “Well.” Diane snatched up her purse. “Thank you, anyway. Since you can’t be bothered, I have a friend who probably has something more suitable.”
27 “Do you think that’s wise, dear?” Aunt Margaret reached for Diane’s hand. “Wouldn’t it better to be happy with your life as it is than to yearn for someone else’s? A necklace is a personal and valuable possession. If anything should go wrong, it could put more than just the necklace in peril—friendship, peace of mind, happiness. Think hard about whether you really want to risk any of that.”
28 “Oh, for heaven’s sake.” Diane threw her hands in the air. “I only want to look my best on a special occasion. Not borrowing a necklace would be more of a risk to my happiness.”
29 Aunt Margaret sighed. “Do as you like,” she said. “You always do. But remember, fate is the logical consequence of the decisions one makes.”
* * *
30 The day before the party, Diane awoke early, put on her nicest blouse and skirt, and hurried to Clarice’s mansion. Just a walk away, the mansion might as well have been on the moon as far as Diane was concerned. It represented an elite world of wealthy software moguls, visionary tech disrupters, and smooth venture capitalists. That world paid Brian’s salary, but she and Brian lived only on its outskirts. Like children with their noses pressed up against the candy store window, they could only hope to truly enter that world one day. The invitation to the gala would take them closer than they had ever been.
31 Clarice was shocked to hear the doorbell ring so early, but she was happy to see her former classmate Diane. After college, Clarice had focused on work, whereas Diane had married. Clarice had done well, but she only had her beautiful things to comfort her. She had always thought Diane was the lucky one to have found the love of another person. As Diane saw it, though, Clarice was the only one deserving envy.
32 “You may borrow whatever you’d like.”
33 The gala was a delight, and Diane spun around the dance floor, her dress sparkling as bright as the rubies and diamonds strung around her neck.
34 Brian and Diane left the party still so full of energy that they walked the entire 30 blocks home, laughing like newlyweds the whole way. Neither noticed when the necklace fell silently to the ground.
* * *
35 Brian and Diane finally went to the jewelry district, where they visited five stores before seeing a necklace that looked similar to Clarice’s. Brian negotiated a lower price, but it would still take years to pay it off with his salary. They ended up borrowing money to buy the necklace to give to Clarice.
36 Diane worked endlessly to pay for the replacement necklace, cleaning houses during the day and waitressing through the night. Her thick brown hair turned a dull grey, and wrinkles began to form around her eyes. She aged ten years in the first few months of dealing with this debt.
37 Finally, the necklace was paid off, but Diane was by then an overworked and sad woman, and she and Brian barely spoke. But their debt was paid.
38 One afternoon, as Diane was walking home, she looked up in time to see Clarice’s bright blue eyes. Her friend’s silky shirt and tailored pants were in stark contrast to Diane’s simple drab dress.
39 Clarice stopped and looked at Diane, not recognizing her friend at first. “Why, Diane, what has happened to you?”
40 Tears filled her eyes as Diane told her friend the story and begged forgiveness for not telling her the truth. Clarice was shocked to hear the pain her friend had suffered. “Oh, Diane, that necklace wasn’t worth more than a few dollars! It was nothing more than costume jewelry.” She gave Diane a quick hug and hurried on her way.
41 Speechless, Diane stared after her. After a moment, she looked up. She realized she was in front of her aunt’s house. Aunt Margaret was in the yard tending her roses—and watching Diane.
42 Diane let out a sigh. “I know,” she said. “You tried to warn me. But how could I know that something as simple as borrowing a necklace could ruin my life? It hardly seems fair.”
43 Her aunt gave her a sympathetic smile. “Now that your debt is paid off, perhaps you can begin living your life again,” she said. “But when you do, think about what you truly want. Fate is neither fair nor unfair. It is merely the mirror image of one’s own desire.”
In what way is “The Ruby Necklace” an example of non-linear plot development?
Scene 1
20 [A stadium. Atalanta stretches downstage. Upstage, Hippomenes, dressed for a race, sits in the stands. Announcer enters.]
21 ANNOUNCER: [To audience.] Welcome to the First Annual Race for Atalanta’s Hand!
22 HIPPOMENES: [Aside.] Annual? Not if I can help it.
23 ANNOUNCER: Atalanta, daughter of bears, slayer of boars, courageous Argonaut, will commit herself in matrimony to the man who can best her in a contest of speed. [Atalanta waves at the audience.] Anyone who fails [Pauses for dramatic effect.] will be exiled. Let the races begin! Runners, on your mark. Get set.
24 [Atalanta bends into starting position alongside five runners.]
25 ANNOUNCER: Go!
26 [Atalanta dashes offstage, right, ahead of the runners.]
27 HIPPOMENES: [Starry eyed.] She’s a wonder.
28 [Atalanta dashes onstage, left, raising her arms. She struts around as the crowd cheers. The five runners drag in, out of breath.]
29 ATALANTA: Who’s next?
30 HIPPOMENES: [Distressed.] I don’t stand a chance.
Scene 2
31 [A sheltered place behind the stands. Hippomenes is alone. The announcer is heard calling runners to the next race.]
32 HIPPOMENES: Aphrodite, Goddess of Love, help me win this race against Atalanta so that she will be my wife.
33 [A sack drops from the sky, landing at Hippomenes’ feet. He picks it up and opens it.]
34 HIPPOMENES: What am I supposed to do with golden apples?
35 [Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love herself, appears before him.]
36 APHRODITE: If you want to win her heart, you must know what’s already in it.
37 HIPPOMENES: [Frowning.] How can I know what’s in another person’s heart?
38 APHRODITE: You have watched her.
39 HIPPOMENES: Oh, yes. She is a wonder to behold.
40 APHRODITE: And you have listened to her.
41 HIPPOMENES: Yes. I could listen to her night and day.
42 APHRODITE: So what have you seen, what have you heard, that tells you what’s in her heart?
43 HIPPOMENES: Well, she doesn’t like weaving. But she was captivated by the golden thread. Perhaps these could be of use after all.
44 [He glances at the sack of golden apples in his arms. He stands there for a moment, thoughtful. Then he smiles and exits.]
Scene 3
45 [The stadium. Hippomenes, holding the sack, and Atalanta are on the starting line. Atalanta is trying to hide her interest in Hippomenes. Announcer stands upstage.]
46 ATALANTA: [Looking at him curiously, even hopefully.] You’re the last one.
47 HIPPOMENES: And the one who will win your heart.
48 ATALANTA: [Coyly.] We’ll see. That sack looks heavy. Won’t it slow you down?
49 [Hippomenes just smiles.]
50 ANNOUNCER: On your mark, get set, go!
51 [Atalanta dashes ahead of Hippomenes, who tosses an apple into her path.]
52 ATALANTA: [Stopping to pick up the apple.] Shiny!
53 [Hippomenes speeds past her, but she catches up and passes him. This happens twice more, but when she stops to pick up the third apple, Hippomenes crosses the finish line, arms raised in victory. Atalanta follows, smiling good-naturedly.]
54 ATALANTA: Very clever! But can I tell you a secret?
55 HIPPOMENES: You can tell me anything, my love.
56 ATALANTA: [Tossing him an apple, with a wink.] I let you win.
57 [Hippomenes grins and takes her hand. Together they wave to the cheering crowd, clearly feeling they both have won.]
Selection 2: The Ruby Necklace
Adapted from a story by Guy de Maupassant
1 “Where is it, where is it?” Diane had searched every inch of the apartment. The necklace wasn’t anywhere to be found.
2 “You know everything Clarice owns is priceless. How are we going to tell her?” Brian knew the answer before he even finished his question: They weren’t going to say a word.
* * *
3 Brian was late for dinner.
4 “Where have you been?”
5 “Sorry, dear, my meeting ran late.”
6 Diane rolled her eyes and murmured, “Who would believe a lowly computer programmer is so important as to have an evening meeting.”
7 Brian heard her, of course, but he did as always and ignored the abuse.
8 “You wouldn’t be so upset if you knew what was in my jacket pocket,” he said quietly.
9 Diane stopped short and looked at him. Brian never brought home gifts or flowers; they didn’t have the money for those kinds of extras. They lived in a tiny apartment in Silicon Valley, close to Brian’s job—and around the corner from the neighborhood of elegant mansions where Clarice lived.
10 “Mr. Thomas took me aside this afternoon and said he noticed how much work I had done on the software project we just finished. He offered us an invitation to his annual spring gala. Take a look, if you don’t believe me,” he said, pointing to the front door where his jacket hung.
11 And since she didn’t believe him, she plucked the envelope from his jacket pocket and opened it gingerly. The envelope was as black as night with delicate designs in gold foil, and the card, a soft cotton paper. The invitation alone was nicer than anything she owned.
12 “I took $300 out of our savings account for a gown and anything else you might need. Don’t go overboard, now, because that’s all we have until my next payday.”
13 Diane went to the stores the following day. She chose the loveliest dress in the store, floor-length, red, and sequined, and she used every bit of the money her husband had withdrawn from their savings account.
14 At home that night, she stared at herself in the hall mirror. Something is missing, she thought to herself.
15 “I need a necklace,” she told Brian when he came home.
16 One look at the dress and Brian knew all the money was spent. “Do you have a friend to borrow one from? Your Aunt Margaret, maybe?”
17 Diane frowned. “I doubt she’d have anything elegant enough.” She brightened. “But Clarice would!”
18 “Why don’t you see what your aunt has before borrowing anything from a friend,” Brian suggested.
19 “Fine,” Diane snapped. “But it’ll just be a waste of time.”
* * *
20 “No, my dear.” Aunt Margaret looked up from the rose bush she was pruning. “I am sorry, but I’m afraid that wouldn’t do.”
21 Diane had come to her aunt’s house to ask for a necklace and had found Aunt Margaret in her little flower garden in the front yard.
22 Now she frowned. “Wouldn’t do? But I’m your niece. I’ve always thought we were close.”
23 Aunt Margaret nodded. “We are, and I’d like to keep it that way. Borrowing something from a family member can get tricky.”
24 “Tricky?” Diane let out a laugh. “How tricky can a necklace be?”
25 Aunt Margaret furrowed her brow. “It may start out as just a necklace, but these things too often become complicated. I’m sure you’ll look just as lovely without the jewelry.”
26 “Well.” Diane snatched up her purse. “Thank you, anyway. Since you can’t be bothered, I have a friend who probably has something more suitable.”
27 “Do you think that’s wise, dear?” Aunt Margaret reached for Diane’s hand. “Wouldn’t it better to be happy with your life as it is than to yearn for someone else’s? A necklace is a personal and valuable possession. If anything should go wrong, it could put more than just the necklace in peril—friendship, peace of mind, happiness. Think hard about whether you really want to risk any of that.”
28 “Oh, for heaven’s sake.” Diane threw her hands in the air. “I only want to look my best on a special occasion. Not borrowing a necklace would be more of a risk to my happiness.”
29 Aunt Margaret sighed. “Do as you like,” she said. “You always do. But remember, fate is the logical consequence of the decisions one makes.”
* * *
30 The day before the party, Diane awoke early, put on her nicest blouse and skirt, and hurried to Clarice’s mansion. Just a walk away, the mansion might as well have been on the moon as far as Diane was concerned. It represented an elite world of wealthy software moguls, visionary tech disrupters, and smooth venture capitalists. That world paid Brian’s salary, but she and Brian lived only on its outskirts. Like children with their noses pressed up against the candy store window, they could only hope to truly enter that world one day. The invitation to the gala would take them closer than they had ever been.
31 Clarice was shocked to hear the doorbell ring so early, but she was happy to see her former classmate Diane. After college, Clarice had focused on work, whereas Diane had married. Clarice had done well, but she only had her beautiful things to comfort her. She had always thought Diane was the lucky one to have found the love of another person. As Diane saw it, though, Clarice was the only one deserving envy.
32 “You may borrow whatever you’d like.”
33 The gala was a delight, and Diane spun around the dance floor, her dress sparkling as bright as the rubies and diamonds strung around her neck.
34 Brian and Diane left the party still so full of energy that they walked the entire 30 blocks home, laughing like newlyweds the whole way. Neither noticed when the necklace fell silently to the ground.
* * *
35 Brian and Diane finally went to the jewelry district, where they visited five stores before seeing a necklace that looked similar to Clarice’s. Brian negotiated a lower price, but it would still take years to pay it off with his salary. They ended up borrowing money to buy the necklace to give to Clarice.
36 Diane worked endlessly to pay for the replacement necklace, cleaning houses during the day and waitressing through the night. Her thick brown hair turned a dull grey, and wrinkles began to form around her eyes. She aged ten years in the first few months of dealing with this debt.
37 Finally, the necklace was paid off, but Diane was by then an overworked and sad woman, and she and Brian barely spoke. But their debt was paid.
38 One afternoon, as Diane was walking home, she looked up in time to see Clarice’s bright blue eyes. Her friend’s silky shirt and tailored pants were in stark contrast to Diane’s simple drab dress.
39 Clarice stopped and looked at Diane, not recognizing her friend at first. “Why, Diane, what has happened to you?”
40 Tears filled her eyes as Diane told her friend the story and begged forgiveness for not telling her the truth. Clarice was shocked to hear the pain her friend had suffered. “Oh, Diane, that necklace wasn’t worth more than a few dollars! It was nothing more than costume jewelry.” She gave Diane a quick hug and hurried on her way.
41 Speechless, Diane stared after her. After a moment, she looked up. She realized she was in front of her aunt’s house. Aunt Margaret was in the yard tending her roses—and watching Diane.
42 Diane let out a sigh. “I know,” she said. “You tried to warn me. But how could I know that something as simple as borrowing a necklace could ruin my life? It hardly seems fair.”
43 Her aunt gave her a sympathetic smile. “Now that your debt is paid off, perhaps you can begin living your life again,” she said. “But when you do, think about what you truly want. Fate is neither fair nor unfair. It is merely the mirror image of one’s own desire.”
In what way is “The Ruby Necklace” an example of non-linear plot development?
Answers
Answered by
GPT-4o mini
"The Ruby Necklace" exemplifies non-linear plot development through its use of flashbacks, shifts in time, and the way it reveals crucial information about events that occur out of chronological order. Here are the key points that illustrate its non-linear structure:
1. **Shifts in Timeline**: The story jumps back and forth in time, particularly when it recounts Diane and Brian's experiences before and after the party. This back-and-forth reveals layers of the characters’ lives, showcasing how the events of the gala impact their future. The plot does not follow a strictly chronological order, as the narrative revisits earlier moments to provide context.
2. **Use of Flashbacks**: We see Diane initially searching for the necklace and her thoughts about its significance, which creates anticipation for what could happen if it were lost. Flashbacks to conversations with Aunt Margaret enhance the complexity of the narrative, as they foreshadow the consequences of Diane's decisions.
3. **Thematic Reflections**: The story frequently circles back to critical themes, such as the value of material possession versus relationships and happiness. These thematic reflections are introduced early in the story, and their implications become clearer through the development that follows, rather than through a straightforward timeline.
4. **Revelation of Information**: Important information is revealed later in the story—such as the truth about the necklace being costume jewelry—which changes the reader's understanding of earlier events. This unexpected revelation serves as a twist, reinforcing the impact of the initial non-linear structure as the protagonist grapples with the aftermath of her choices.
Overall, the non-linear plot development in "The Ruby Necklace" enriches the narrative, allowing readers to explore the consequences of Diane's actions and the nature of her desires from multiple angles, rather than in a simple cause-and-effect progression.
1. **Shifts in Timeline**: The story jumps back and forth in time, particularly when it recounts Diane and Brian's experiences before and after the party. This back-and-forth reveals layers of the characters’ lives, showcasing how the events of the gala impact their future. The plot does not follow a strictly chronological order, as the narrative revisits earlier moments to provide context.
2. **Use of Flashbacks**: We see Diane initially searching for the necklace and her thoughts about its significance, which creates anticipation for what could happen if it were lost. Flashbacks to conversations with Aunt Margaret enhance the complexity of the narrative, as they foreshadow the consequences of Diane's decisions.
3. **Thematic Reflections**: The story frequently circles back to critical themes, such as the value of material possession versus relationships and happiness. These thematic reflections are introduced early in the story, and their implications become clearer through the development that follows, rather than through a straightforward timeline.
4. **Revelation of Information**: Important information is revealed later in the story—such as the truth about the necklace being costume jewelry—which changes the reader's understanding of earlier events. This unexpected revelation serves as a twist, reinforcing the impact of the initial non-linear structure as the protagonist grapples with the aftermath of her choices.
Overall, the non-linear plot development in "The Ruby Necklace" enriches the narrative, allowing readers to explore the consequences of Diane's actions and the nature of her desires from multiple angles, rather than in a simple cause-and-effect progression.