{"id":120,"date":"2020-02-11T22:37:00","date_gmt":"2020-02-11T22:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/freestyleacademy.rocks\/~NickS\/?page_id=120"},"modified":"2020-02-12T00:30:03","modified_gmt":"2020-02-12T00:30:03","slug":"narrative-1-english","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/freestyleacademy.rocks\/~NickS\/narrative-1-english\/","title":{"rendered":"Narrative 1 &#8211; English"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Short Story<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The main character of my short story is Doug McGuire. As a rouge-like mercenary-for-hire, McGuire&#8217;s vocation has caused him to be untrusting of others, and highly suspicious as to the motives of anyone who interacts with him. However, his daily life (the status quo) is rocked off its feet when he encounters a young boy seeking his help. While attempting to help the boy escape his pursuers, McGuire meets Tara Sands, a fiery, capable woman who happens to share his interest\u2014protecting the unnamed boy. As the story progresses and their attempts to escape reach greater and greater extremes, McGuire comes to learn the importance of trust. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Long Way Home, by Nicholas Schein<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"100%\" height=\"166\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"no\" allow=\"autoplay\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/752814808&#038;color=%23ff5500&#038;auto_play=false&#038;hide_related=false&#038;show_comments=true&#038;show_user=true&#038;show_reposts=false&#038;show_teaser=true\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cC\u2019mon, Doug!\u201d My partner shouted at me. \u201cWe gotta lose these guys!\u201d<br> \u201cAlright!\u201d I responded. \u201cBut I don\u2019t want to get the cops on us too!\u201d I veered onto Rodeo Drive at Mach speed, my partner rattling in his seat. The big, black chevy SUV was not easy to hide in traffic, but people sure got out of its way. \u201cWhere do I drive?\u201d<br>\u201cI\u2019m not the driver! Figure it out yourself!\u201d<br>If you were near Brighton Way and Rodeo at around nine last Saturday night, you would have flinched at the sound of squealing, overheating brakes and burnt rubber. The contract had been simple. Steal Joe Morgan\u2019s new import of exotic vehicles, and bring them over to a warehouse in LA that was owned by his direct competitor, the Nuestra Familia. However, neither the Nuestra Familia or I had realized in the 50,000 dollar deal that the Mafia might, just possibly, notice. As we hadn\u2019t planned for this, Pete and I had run along our planned route far faster than expected. \u201cDoug, hand me your p-two-two-six!\u201d <br>\u201cI\u2019m not giving Sarah over to you!\u201d Sarah was my personal best friend, a Sig Sauer I had purchased for a tidy sum three years ago. Her name came from Sarah Jane (I had been a fan of Bravestarr, which aired in the 80s, when I was a child). \u201cPetey, call the Familia, tell them we\u2019re arriving early, and that we\u2019re bringing company!\u201d<br>He leaned back in from the window. \u201cAlright, I just ran out of ammo anyways!\u201d<br>By the time we reached the warehouse, a blockade set up by the Familia lit up our pursuers. I sped through the blockade, screeching to a stop just in front of the loading bay. \u201cCervantes, I\u2019ve got vehicles! None of them have been shot!\u201d <br>\u201c<em>PING<\/em>!\u201d <br>\u201cOne of them has been shot! \u2026 It\u2019ll buff out!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWHAT!?\u201d<br>\u201cThree hundred thousand for damage and ammo.\u201d<br>\u201cBut they\u2019re your enemies! Not ours!\u201d<br>Cervantes smiled\u2014something one hoped never to see. \u201cAnd who brought them here? You, McGuire! You destroyed a Lamborghini, costed my men plenty of ammunition, and now the cops know that warehouse is mine! You\u2019re lucky that you\u2019re not dead!\u201d<br>Pete and I left with nearly nothing\u2014just enough in our pockets to restock on ammo, pay for the commission price (we got our contracts through these greedy hogs we called \u201cmiddlemen\u201d), and get dinner. After a quick meal, we went our separate ways. You work with people, but you aren\u2019t really friends with anybody in this type of business.  As I was heading home, the lights on my 310,000 dollar Overfinch Velocity, a modified Range Rover SVAutobiography Long Wheelbase model (having no permanent residence and relying on driving a lot, I had convinced a rich baron to pay me with his vehicle), lit up the silhouette of a small boy. I slammed both feet onto the aluminum brake pad, activating the carbon-ceramic brakes, barely managing to come to a halt before hitting him. Still shaking with vertigo from whiplash, I stumbled out of the vehicle to face the boy. Confused as I was, I could hear him clearly: \u201cHelp me, please!\u201d<br>\u201cWhat? How can I help? Why are you in the middle of the road? Is someone chasing you?\u201d The boy nodded. \u201cPetey said you can help me.\u201d Damn it, Pete. <br>\u201cAlright, hop in.\u201d I opened the passenger door and helped the boy into his seat. Illuminated by the lights inside the car, I took a closer look at the newest in a series of complex problems that made up my life. He was certainly young; the boy was small, but not unfed. He had no obvious clues as to his ethnicity; upon my questioning, he declined me an answer. <br>We slept in the car that night\u2014the cement-reinforced doors on my car, though heavy, give a sense of security like no other (a variety of under-the-radar modification had been made to fit my vocation). The next day, the boy attempted to tell me who was after him\u2014all I could gather was that they were right on our tails, and because I had helped him, I was on their list as well. Either way, I knew we had to move, as I had no means to fight multiple professionals at once, particularly while driving. I decided to head northeast, towards Boulder, Colorado. While heading out of LA on highway 10, I noticed a small sedan behind us. The driver was wearing sunglasses, and was female. As we headed onto highway 15, I concluded that she was following us\u2014every time I faked to head for an exit, she followed. Eventually, I pulled over at a gas station on highway 40. I pretended to go into the store, but snuck around the back to the left rear corner of her car. Walking to the left, I peered through the windows. The car was relatively clean\u2014a late model ford sedan, with no weaponry or modifications. The vehicle looked very much like the average driver\u2019s car\u2014but I couldn\u2019t believe all was as it seemed. Cautiously, I pulled out my Sig and made preparations to learn more. Before I could do anything, though, she turned to look me right in the eye, and then proceeded to duck. I followed suit. The sound of a window rolling down emitted from above my head, and I heard the woman say \u201cStop! I\u2019m here to help the boy!\u201d<br>Backing up quickly, I stood, with my gun pointed at the figure. She had put her hands up, touching the ceiling. \u201cYeah, right. Out of the car.\u201d She carefully opened the right door, hands still in the air, and walked around the front to face me. \u201cCan I put down my hands? It might make you look bad.\u201d<br>\u201cSure,\u201d I replied, as soon as I make sure you won\u2019t kill me if I let you.\u201d Walking in a circle around her, I noticed an odd shape stuffed in her waistband above her back pockets, and immediately took the gun from her. \u201cYou know, this could\u2019ve killed me,\u201d I said as I walked back around to face her. \u201cThese things hurt. However, you did have the safety on, so kudos to you.\u201d She gave me a wry smile.<br>\u201cThat\u2019s in case someone tries to attack me, or if they put a gun in my face for no reason.\u201d <br>\u201cSays the person who\u2019s been following us since LA. Prove you\u2019re safe to be around.\u201d<br>\u201cI can\u2019t, really,\u201d she responded. \u201cJust know this: I have a reason to protect that boy\u2014a better one than almost hitting him in the middle of the night.\u201d I twitched. \u201cYeah, I saw that too. Nice of you to let him into your car, though.\u201d <br>I needed information. \u201cSo who are you? Why were you following him?\u201d<br>She sighed. \u201cMy name is Tara Sands. My only affiliation to this kid is that I want to help him, for some reason.\u201d <em>Just like me.<\/em> <br>\u201cWell, that sure isn\u2019t much to go on. But I know what you mean by trying to help the kid.\u201d While my conscious considered it highly unreasonable, I felt compelled to allow this woman to help. <em>Sigh<\/em>. \u201cOkay. We\u2019re driving to Boulder. Think you can follow us there?\u201d<br>\u201cSure,\u201d she said. \u201cJust as soon as I\u2014\u201d A spray of bullets shattered the car window three inches to the left of our faces. \u201cDUCK!\u201d I yelled, as I dropped to the ground. <br>\u201cDamn!\u201d She said. \u201cI thought they were farther behind! How did I not notice?!?\u201d <br><em>The boy!<\/em><br>I grabbed Tara\u2019s arm and raced over to my Range Rover. Throwing open the door to use as a shield, Tara and I vaulted into the vehicle and peeled out of the parking lot. <br>\u201cHow many?\u201d I asked as I swerved left and right. Highway 40 had little traffic, and the best I could do was weave to avoid getting shot. The three of us bounced around in the seats as I hit a pothole. \u201cHere\u2019s your gun back! Go for the tires!\u201d<br>\u201cI know,\u201d Tara growled through clenched teeth as she loaded her pistol. \u201cI\u2019ve been doing this longer than you, boy.\u201d <em>Ooh, she\u2019s fiery.<\/em><br>\u201cOho! Boy, you call me? Well, who was the one that managed to get the other at gunpoint, huh?\u201d<br>Tara frowned. \u201cThat\u2019s because I was being nice.\u201d She had good form\u2014accurately firing from an unstable position, all while flying down the highway at 140 miles an hour. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By the time we got to Albuquerque, we had lost our pursuers. Not knowing how far they were behind us, we drove on through the night, stopping only to get gas and switch places\u2014driving in the dark requires focus, and worrying about our followers didn\u2019t help. The next major event was getting to Boulder. Getting there was not enough\u2014being close to where we had last lost our bounty hunters, we decided we needed to get further. We randomly picked a state\u2014Montana\u2014and purchased tickets (in cash so we couldn\u2019t be traced) for the soonest flight. Arriving in Big Timber, we hitchhiked to our destination, having left the Range Rover at the airport for a friend, and receiving fifty grand wired to a private account in return. Having silently agreed to stay together to protect the child we had brought with us, we put down a joint forty thousand for an acre of land. We hoped it was an inconspicuous place to live, and were reassured when we got there. As time passed, Tara and I got closer, mostly due to the whole escapade of running from our previous lives and raising a child. I finally got what I had always wanted\u2014a peaceful life, out in the middle of nowhere, undisturbed by anyone. Leaving my old life had been good, but taking the step to trust Tara was better. We renamed the boy Vincent McGuire, and I\u2019m proud to say that my <em>son<\/em> went on to be a wonderful man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sincerely,<br>Doug McGuire<br>49 Windsong Way, Big Timber, MT 59011<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Behind the Scenes of the Short Story Audio Recording:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"545\" src=\"http:\/\/freestyleacademy.rocks\/~NickS\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Screen-Shot-2020-02-11-at-4.16.32-PM-1-1024x545.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-135\" srcset=\"https:\/\/freestyleacademy.rocks\/~NickS\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Screen-Shot-2020-02-11-at-4.16.32-PM-1-1024x545.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/freestyleacademy.rocks\/~NickS\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Screen-Shot-2020-02-11-at-4.16.32-PM-1-300x160.jpg 300w, https:\/\/freestyleacademy.rocks\/~NickS\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Screen-Shot-2020-02-11-at-4.16.32-PM-1-768x409.jpg 768w, https:\/\/freestyleacademy.rocks\/~NickS\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Screen-Shot-2020-02-11-at-4.16.32-PM-1-1536x817.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/freestyleacademy.rocks\/~NickS\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Screen-Shot-2020-02-11-at-4.16.32-PM-1-1600x851.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/freestyleacademy.rocks\/~NickS\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Screen-Shot-2020-02-11-at-4.16.32-PM-1.jpg 1917w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>This is a screenshot of my work in Pro Tools. The blue line is my voice recording; the green line is music; the rest are various sound effects.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Honors Short Story Author or Playwright Study<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For the Honors Short Story Author or Playwright Study, I chose to study Anton Chekhov, a Russian playwright form the mid to late 1800s. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was born on January twenty-ninth 1860 in Taganrog, Russia, which is directly south of Moscow. Chekov\u2019s father was a harsh, serf-born father, who often treated his child with draconian methods. As his family of eight had little money, Chekov helped work from an early age, and after enrolling in a medical school in Moscow took on jobs such as writing and tutoring. As a matter of fact, Chekov stayed in medicine his entire life, although he is best known for his writing. The plays and various short stories which he wrote often showed the hypocritical way men acted, which resulted from his harsh upbringing. This profession likely stemmed from his mother Yevgenia, who was fond of storytelling.\u00a0While Chekhov began his writing career with \u201clowbrow\u201d comic sketches, by the mid 1880\u2019s his serious works became known and were shown in magazines such as the New York Times. At the same time, Chekhov began writing short plays known as farces; quickly, he began to create his plays known for being a mix of comedy and tragedy. Some of his serious plays and stories were \u201cA Dreary Story\u201d, about a dying medicine professor, and \u201cThe Steppe\u201d, an autobiography as told from a child\u2019s point of view. Around 1888, Chekhov wrote a play named \u201cIvanov\u201d, which covered the suicide of a man around Chekhov\u2019s age. These three works have come to be called \u201cclinical studies\u201d, because they are about mentally and physically ill people\u2013with knowledge stemming from Chekhov\u2019s medical career. \u201cIvanov\u201d and \u201cThe Wool Demon\u201d are considered both tragedies and comedies, as they cover stories of the educated elite dealing with debt, disease, and disappointment. Other important short stories include The Seagull, Uncle Vanya, The Three Sisters and The Cherry Orchard. To create his famous research thesis The Island of Sakhalin, Chekhov journeyed to the penal settlement, which was over 6000 kilometers east of Moscow. This all stemmed from Chekhov\u2019s will to escape urban life, where he was reproached by critics for not taking a social or political stance in his writing. In 1901, he married Olga Knipper, and died in 1904 from tuberculosis. He was only forty-four at the time.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"> After reading a variety of his short stories, including <em>Ivanov<\/em> and <em>Uncle Vanya<\/em>, I chose to write a short play of my own that matched Chekov&#8217;s style. The play, and an analysis of my writing as compared to Chekhov&#8217;s, is included below for your reading pleasure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-heading\">NIKOLAI<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-heading\">A PLAY IN TWO ACTS<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-heading\">(1860-1861)<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Characters<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NIKOLAI DVINSKY, a once-wealthy landowner struggling with debt<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NADENKA DVINSKY, his sister<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">PYOTR SMIRNOV, a famous writer from a rich family<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">KATYA LOPATIN, Smirnov\u2019s fiancee<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">JOSEF PICHLER, a medical professional<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>The action takes place at Nikolai\u2019s estate. There is an interval of six months between Acts One and Two.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-heading\">ACT ONE<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>The solarium of <\/em>NIKOLAI<em>\u2019s estate.&nbsp;The room is dark, as it is overcast and little to no light is able to enter through the heavy glass windows. A coat rack laden with multiple coats hangs on a dark green wall to the left. On the right, a dimly lit arch leads to another room. Hanging on the wall are faded pictures of bygone relatives.&nbsp;<\/em><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\t<\/em><em>NADENKA and KATYA converse on the left, as NIKOLAI and PYOTR shake hands.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NIKOLAI [<em>steps forwards and hugs <\/em>PYOTR]. It is good to see you again, friend. It has been many months, no?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">PYOTR [<em>returning the hug<\/em>]. Let me think, Nikolai. When was the last time? Smolensk, in eighty-two? Why, that must be ten, fifteen years ago! [<em>Thinking.<\/em>] We were still working together at the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NIKOLAI. No\u2014Yes. You had gone on a trip to Volgograd for a writing venture, and Katya had stayed here in Roslavl with us for three months. But that was another time. Please, come in. [<em>Walks with <\/em>PYOTR <em>into the antechamber, right.<\/em>] Still, Bryansk is over a hundred kilometers away. Did it really take only three days to come here?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">PYOTR. No, it took five. We had one horse pulling the carriage, the wheels getting stuck in those godforsaken ruts! We would have to get out and take our stuff off the roof so that the coachman could push it to more stable ground. But, what matters is that we have arrived at a dear friend\u2019s house, and he welcomes us ever so warmly.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NIKOLAI [<em>laughing<\/em>]. Here, Pyotr, have some vodka. You must be tired, and I shall have my servants move your things to the guest room.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">PYOTR. I shall. Thank you. [<em>To servant.<\/em>] Take this up, and this, please.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[<em>Enter <\/em>KATYA <em>and <\/em>NADENKA.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NADENKA. \u2014and those crumpets! I had never seen such a disaster before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">KATYA [<em>giggling<\/em>]. Yes, they were very dry. When she wasn\u2019t looking, Pyotr spit them up on one of her potted plants! [<em>Putting her arm playfully on <\/em>NADENKA\u2019s forearm.] Oh, that makes me laugh. [<em>Seeing <\/em>PYOTR.] What is it like to be famous, master writer?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">PYOTR [<em>frowning<\/em>]. Badly, at the moment. For the past two years, I have not been able to create any work except for the most feeble of short stories. The critics are starting to say I am a one trick pony. You know, I despise them for that! [<em>sighing.<\/em>] Alas, it may be true. I came here, to the countryside, in hopes of finding something better to write about. And Nikolai, how have you fared with your land?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NIKOLAI [<em>downhearted.<\/em>] Just as well as your book-writing, I\u2019m afraid. There was little water this year, and the crops grew badly. The forest caught fire in the summer, and we have no wood for heating this wretched house. And as for the land I bought\u2014I was duped by that horrid bastard, Rubenov. His land grows no fruit for me, and I had to sell it to another poor lad for pennies! I am afraid I have little saved up for this winter.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NADENKA. And I have not been to the hairdressers in ages!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[<em>A silence ensues.<\/em>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NADENKA. Well, I think I hear someone knocking at the door! [<em>Exit <\/em>NADENKA <em>left<\/em>.]&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">KATYA. I shall accompany her. [<em>Exit <\/em>KATYA <em>left<\/em>.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NIKOLAI [<em>rubbing hands together<\/em>]. I am telling you, it seems to be getting colder every year.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">PYOTR. I agree. Now what is it you so urgently need to talk to me about, such that you asked Katya and I to come here?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NIKOLAI [<em>takes in a deep breath<\/em>]. I need money. [<em>breathes out.<\/em>] Sixteen thousand roubles, Pyotr. Sixteen thousand to pay off the debts I owe for that land, and for the investors. I know I am asking much from you, dear friend, but can you loan me sixteen thousand? You know that I am good on my word. I will pay you back as soon as I can, I promise\u2014I\u2019ll pay you within five years, all of it back and then some.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">PYOTR. [<em>sighing.<\/em>] Nikolai, you are my dearest friend, and you know that your pain is mine as well. However, I do not have sixteen thousand roubles myself, and I would have to ask my family for the money. You know I can\u2019t do that\u2014when I told them that I was to be a writer, my parents refused to give me anything. I have barely enough to even feed Katya and I, nonetheless any to give to you. I would, really, but I have nothing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NIKOLAI. Please, Pyotr. Your parents liked me, they always did. Can you not ask them for me? Tell them I am good for my word. I need those sixteen thousand roubles, Pyotr, or I know I will sink! I will have to sell the house, and Nadenka and I will have to live on the streets! She will get sick again, and I will have no way to help her! Thats\u2019 right\u2014I won\u2019t even be able to afford a doctor and medicine for my dear sister!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">PYOTR [<em>frustrated<\/em>]. I don\u2019t have the money, Nikolai. What am I to say?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NIKOLAI [<em>frenzied<\/em>]. Pyotr, you traitor! Care you not for your friends? I supported you when you first became a writer\u2014fed you, clothed you, housed you. And this is how you repay me? [<em>grabs at <\/em>PYOTR]. [PYOTR <em>&nbsp;steps back.<\/em>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">PYOTR [<em>angered<\/em>]. And I thank you for that! I know I never repaid you, but I can\u2019t now! You think if you get crazed enough I will reveal some hidden stash and give it all to you? I told you once, and I, Pyotr, do not lie! I am through with you, until you calm down and apologize to me for treating me in such a way! [<em>Exit<\/em> PYOTR.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NIKOLAI. Oh, God! Lord in heaven, forgive me! What have I done? My precious childhood friend, distraught due to my problems! Who am I to make him bear my troubles? I am a truly rotten human. I ignore him, leave him be, and the moment I need help I call him over expecting him to save me! A rotten swine, trash! I used to be rich, powerful, friendly, even. But has the prime of my life passed me before I even turn thirty? For now I am a contemptible being, degraded to the point of utter insanity. I was once glorious, full of intelligent thoughts, full of admirable dreams and aspirations. I cannot continue like this much longer. Oh, let me be saved! Let the reckoning commence!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[NIKOLAI <em>sits and cries. Fifteen minutes pass.<\/em>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NIKOLAI. I should find Pyotr and apologize. Perhaps he is with the ladies in the waiting room. I shall go and beg his forgiveness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[NIKOLAI <em>walks up to doorway, pauses.<\/em>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">KATYA [<em>puts her head in her hands<\/em>]. Oh, woe is me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NADENKA. What is wrong, Katya? You seemed fine earlier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">KATYA [<em>through her hands.<\/em>] Oh, woe is me. Pyotr and I are fiancees, yes, for a long time. But I think I am not happy. A fortnight ago, when I came over to stay with you and Nikolai, I met your doctor, Josef.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NADENKA [<em>surprised<\/em>]. Josef? Josef Pichler? You only saw him that once!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">KATYA [<em>reminiscing<\/em>]. Ah, but he was wonderful. You were sick in bed, you wouldn\u2019t have known. The talks we had! Politics, medicine, life, love. Hours and hours we talked, just the two of us. A friendship quickly built grew beyond certain boundaries. You remember how I didn\u2019t want to go back to Bryansk. Just the previous night, Josef had held me. Oh, it was ecstacy! I wanted to run away with him right then and there. But, I was still young and with Pyotr at the time, and Josef had his reservations (though they were quickly falling). After I left, all I could think of was Josef, Josef, Josef. Josef when I looked at the medicine Pyotr took. Josef when I passed the doctor\u2019s office. Oh, he was everywhere, at least in my mind. I knew it was foolish; I knew it could never work. But still, I fantasized about seeing him again. I had finally gotten him out of my mind when you invited us over! I shouldn\u2019t tell you this, I really shouldn\u2019t. [<em>gets up and begins to walk away.<\/em>]&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NADENKA [<em>grabbing <\/em>KATYA<em>\u2019s arm<\/em>]. Wait! Katya, dear, I would never tell a soul! Let me share with you whom I love, and be equal with you. A secret for a secret!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">KATYA [<em>sitting back down, looking at <\/em>NADENKA <em>with interest<\/em>]. So, the angle has a love interest! And who is the lucky man? [<em>Jokingly.<\/em>] Not Josef or Pyotr, I hope.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NADENKA [<em>quietly<\/em>]. No, neither of them. It\u2019s&#8230;well&#8230; I love Nikolai! [<em>gasps<\/em>.] You must not tell anyone\u2014I would simply break down and die!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">KATYA. I would never tell a soul. But to love your brother! You live with him everyday, yet cannot tell him. How tortured you must be! [<em>wrapping her arms around <\/em>NADENKA.] You poor thing!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NIKOLAI [<em>from behind the doorway<\/em>]. Oh, oh! Whatever shall I do? The woman I love dislikes her fiance, but loves another man! And my sister loves me! Whatever shall I do!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">CURTAIN<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>There is an interval of six months between Acts One and Two.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-heading\">ACT TWO<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>The dining room of <\/em>NIKOLAI<em>\u2019s estate.&nbsp;The room is comfortable, warmly lit by candles and a fireplace in the hearth. The high ceiling keeps the room from feeling stuffy, and the French doors are open to a garden. <\/em>NIKOLAI <em>sits at the head of the dining table. <\/em>KATYA <em>sits<\/em> <em>on the left and <\/em>NADENKA <em>sits on the right. On the table lies a turkey, whole, a plate of greens, fruit salad, anchovies and crackers, various dips, and salt and pepper shakers. In front of each character is a steak, cooked medium-rare for the ladies, and well-done for the males.&nbsp;<\/em><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NIKOLAI. Nadenka, thank you for joining us for dinner. It is nice to have you over, considering how you have been in Moscow for five months now.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">KATYA. Yes, and now I get to be in this house with the man I love. Josef and I never got together, but I broke up with Pyotr nonetheless, and Nikolai took care of me. How wonderful! [KATYA <em>kisses <\/em>NIKOLAI.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NADENKA. Well, I did have a break from my job in the city, and you were nice enough to invite me over for the summer. <br>NIKOLAI. Let us eat!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[<em>The three eat and finish their meal.<\/em>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NIKOLAI. Excuse me. I am going to the study, to finish off some work I have\u2014the land business has been doing better and better since last winter, and I need to contact the bank. [<em>Exit<\/em> NIKOLAI.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">KATYA. Nadenka, my dear, it really is nice to see you again. Tell me about your job in the city\u2014is it interesting?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NADENKA. [<em>pleasantly<\/em>]. Not particularly. It goes slowly, and the city is always bustling so as to get you confused. I fear that I may have to move out of the city again, and find a nicer place to be. It is terribly stressful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">KATYA [<em>making a face<\/em>]. Sorry, dear. I must head to the bathroom\u2014I am afraid that my steak was too rare for me. [<em>Exit <\/em>KATYA, <em>in a hurry<\/em>].<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[<em>Pause<\/em>.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NADENKA. Well. Well then. [<em>crying.<\/em>] Why did I come here? Did I think that seeing my brother again would cure me of my selfishness? I thought I would be with my brother, the man I loved. [<em>laughing.<\/em>] A foolish girl I was, picturing a happy ending. And Katya\u2014innocent Katya. How could I ever get mad at her? She is so nice, and when my brother proposed, she didn\u2019t think about how much it hurt me to hear that she and Nikolai were together. But how can I tell her of my woes? What right have I to deprive her of her happiness? Oh, I must leave. I must leave, lest I never move again. [<em>Exit<\/em> NADENKA.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[<em>Enter<\/em> NIKOLAI].<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NIKOLAI. Nadenka? Why are you crying so? Wait\u2014come back! Sister, come back! There is a storm outside! [NIKOLAI <em>chases after <\/em>NADENKA.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[<em>Enter<\/em> KATYA].<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">KATYA. Nikolai? Katya? Where are you two? Where have you gone? [<em>Exit <\/em>KATYA.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Curtain<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Explanation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\t<em>Nikolai <\/em>pulls strongly from Anton Chekhov\u2019s plays <em>Ivanov <\/em>and <em>Uncle Vanya<\/em>. However, the play is condensed into two acts, and with half as many characters. Unlike many playwrights of his time, Chekhov\u2019s plays catered toward the poorer, attempting to highlight the follies of the rich.&nbsp; In order to evoke a feeling similar to that of Chekhov\u2019s plays, I followed his \u201ccomedic tragedy\u201d style, well known for its love triangles and depressed aristocracy. Using Russian culture from the 1800\u2019s as a base, and his undeniable style, many of Chekhov\u2019s plays shared the same base structure.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\tChekhov often uses his first act as exposition, and the following to truly develop the story. My play, <em>Nikolai<\/em>, envelops the exposition as well as the majority of the story. In signature Chekhov style, each act takes place in one or two rooms at most, with at least one character in the room at all times. I chose an estate in the Russian countryside loosely based off of <em>Ivanov <\/em>and <em>The Three Sisters<\/em>. As well, a lengthy description of the room is given before the first dialogue. I used a solarium, commonly called a sunroom. Built with large windows to let light in, having overcast weather at the beginning of the play foreshadows the problems that follow. Having a description of the room helps the reader visualize the lifestyle and personality of the characters. As well, having characters move in and out of the set in each act gives a sense of fluidity to the play\u2014the characters do not simply stand in a room, but act as real people would, participating in more than one activity and going about their lives.&nbsp; There is almost no narration, as the play is almost completely dialogue. Narration is cut down to explanations of emotions and simple actions, instead of showing a view into the character\u2019s minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\tAs Chekhov is known for making fun of the rich, I made sure to have the majority of my characters come from a wealthy background. I also made sure to have a multitude of problems occur in the play. Nikolai needs money from Pyotr, who does not get along well enough with his family to help his friend. Another famous move of Chekhov&#8217;s was his love triangles, which I tried my best to copy in <em>Nikolai<\/em>. Pyotr loves his fiancee, Katya, but she loves another man. Nikolai loves Katya, and his sister Nadenka loves him. Someone is doomed to have unrequited love. Following Chekhov\u2019s style, the characters are blunt about their thoughts, and often reveal to each other if not the audience their feelings. Tension builds with Nikolai and Pyotr getting into an argument over money. For reference, Nikolai asks for sixteen thousand roubles, which when converted from 1860 values to 2019 values, comes out to around one hundred and twenty thousand United States Dollars. Similar to Vanya from <em>Uncle Vanya<\/em> and Ivanov from <em>Ivanov<\/em>, Nikolai reflects on his actions and feels very upset at his mishandling of the situation. The tension reaches a climax with the characters displaying their affections to each other and the audience, with the play ending on a realization. The amount of action and emotion at the end of an Act carries, if not forces, the reader into the next act. Such endings are notable in Chekhov\u2019s third act of <em>Uncle Vanya<\/em> and the end of the first act in Chekhov\u2019s <em>The Three Sisters<\/em>. At the end of the first act of <em>The Three Sisters<\/em>, two characters in other relationships show their love for each other filling the reader with a tension that forces them to flip the page and read the next act.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\tIn many of Chekhov\u2019s plays, there is an intermission of a certain period of time between some of the acts. This refreshes the situation, and can show how characters have dealt with problems from the previous act. In many cases, the problems continue over. However, I wanted to highlight the problems a specific character is having. To do this, I had Nikolai and Katya get together, solving Nikolai and Katya love problems, and I had Nikolai solve his money problems. With Josef Pichler and Pyotr Smirnov both excused from the second act, the reader can focus on the troubles Katya is having. As her brother is now engaged, she has lost the love of her life. As well, her job is a large source of stress, and unable to deal with the problems she runs away in a flurry. To continue the sense of realism, Nikolai chases after her, as any brother would their sister. Katya ends the play wondering where the two have gone.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\tOther important notes include certain grammatical and story choices. I often use em dashes, which draw attention to whatever information they enclose. I am trying to show to the reader that the information offset by the em dashes is important. For contrast, I also have a character use parentheticals in their dialogue. Using parentheticals makes the information seem more like an afterthought, downplaying the words contained within them and showing how the information is helpful but unnecessary. The usage of such grammar is more common in older books, and I used this to try and connect to Anton Chekhov, who one would not consider a \u201cmodern\u201d writer. An important story choice was the structure of the dialogue. Chekhov often has his characters speak in large paragraphs at a time, helping to explain certain emotions, actions, or wishes. As such long blocks draw attention, I used them when a character was dealing with a problem, such as when Nikolai reprimands himself for his actions towards his friend, Pyotr, in the first act. When one character is not dealing with a problem, Chekhov often has a repeated switch of dialogue between a small number of characters. With so few characters already, most dialogue switches could only occur between two characters. The other characters were either not in the act or not in the room. The last important story choice was the female names. I chose my names specifically\u2014\u201cNadenka\u201d means \u201chope\u201d and \u201cKatya\u201d means \u201cpure\u201d or \u201cinnocent\u201d. Nadenka is \u201chopeful\u201d that her brother will love her and that the two of them will get together, but such unrealistic \u201chopes\u201d never become reality. Katya is \u201cpure\u201d, so when she steals Nikolai from Nadenka, it is without intended harm, and Katya does not realize the consequences her actions have on Nadenka\u2019s mental health.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Works Cited<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIvanov.\u201d <em>Five Major Plays by Anton Chekhov<\/em>, by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov and Ronald Hingley, Bantam Books, 1982, pp. 1\u201369.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cUncle Vanya.\u201d <em>Five Major Plays by Anton Chekhov<\/em>, by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov and Ronald Hingley, Bantam Books, 1982, pp. 131\u2013188.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe Three Sisters.\u201d <em>Five Major Plays by Anton Chekhov<\/em>, by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov and Ronald Hingley, Bantam Books, 1982, pp. 189\u2013265.<br><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Short Story The main character of my short story is Doug McGuire. As a rouge-like mercenary-for-hire, McGuire&#8217;s vocation has caused&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-120","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/freestyleacademy.rocks\/~NickS\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/120","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/freestyleacademy.rocks\/~NickS\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/freestyleacademy.rocks\/~NickS\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/freestyleacademy.rocks\/~NickS\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/freestyleacademy.rocks\/~NickS\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=120"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/freestyleacademy.rocks\/~NickS\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/120\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":137,"href":"https:\/\/freestyleacademy.rocks\/~NickS\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/120\/revisions\/137"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/freestyleacademy.rocks\/~NickS\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=120"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}