The satirical scene criticizes attention to appearances and material things. Suburban Man 1's exaggerated emphasis on the quality of his hedging shears and the fanciful imagery of serving a high tea on top of his hedge showcases a preoccupation with how things look and the status associated with gardening tools, rather than the practical purpose of those tools or genuine neighborly interaction.
Feature
[Suburban Man 1 walks over to his neighbor’s house, hedge shears in hand.]
Suburban Man 1: Hello there, neighbor! I see you’re edging your lawn. That’s a fine, fine cutting tool you have. May I ask where you bought it?
[Suburban Man 2 turns from cutting an exact edge where his grass meets his driveway.]
Suburban Man 2: Online.
[Suburban Man 1 squints, suspicious, and then he masks his face with a smile that doesn’t meet his eyes.]
Suburban Man 1: Online where? Plenty of places to pick up garden tools online. Take these shears. [holds them in the air while Suburban Man 2 keeps his head down while edging]. They are top-of-the-line, British hedging shears. You know the masterful hedgerows in England, right? Well, I have just the tool to make that happen. See here, you could set a dinner plate on top of my hedge and eat a five-course meal off of it. [Suburban Man 2 does not look up from his edging.] Actually, you could lay out a table setting of twelve on top of my hedge, serve a five-course meal, and have a case of the finest drinks on there. [Once again, Suburban Man 2 does not look up from his edging, making Suburban Man 1 irritated.] Come to think of it, since such fine hedges are found in England, why not lay out a high tea on top of my hedge, with the dinner setting, and the case of drinks. That’s right: all the finest cakes, scones, cookies, silverware, all here on top of my hedge….
Question
Use the play excerpt to answer the question.
What does this satirical scene criticize?
(1 point)
Responses
attention to appearances and material things
attention to appearances and material things
the relationship dynamics between the two characters
the relationship dynamics between the two characters
how people live in the suburbs
how people live in the suburbs
how much the characters value gardening
how much the characters value gardening
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1 answer