Change_and_Gows_Away

Change is a process a transition that everyone experiences throughout his or her lifetime. The impact on individuals or groups can be both positive or negative, long or short, serious or superficial. A person grows within themselves and has a change in self when they embrace change and learn from it. Through studying the focus area ‘changing self’ it has becomes clear that change is much more beneficial if we view it in a positive way and accept it and learn from it. The texts that have effectively shaped my understanding of change are the play Away written by Michael Gow, the short story Sky-High by Hannah Roberts and the movie Remember the Titans. The play Away by Michael Gow shows three families whose members must undergo change in order to save them selves and their family’s relationships. Gow shows change and change in self through the development of his characters. Many of them change; they are different people by the end of the play. The techniques that Gow has used in his play to show how the characters change throughout the play are the use of symbolism in the transition scene, placing a play within a play and the metaphor of the storm, which is the catalyst for change in the characters. Each of these techniques helps show change in the characters. One character in particular that has dramatically changed is Gwen. Gow presents her at the start of the play to be a woman who greatly believed in controlling every aspect of her life. She was very bossy and demanding and acted like a constant victim. All she cared about were her possessions and Gow showed this through her attitude towards other characters in the play, “We’ve got a new caravan, everything you could want in it. Have a lovely time in your…tent”. We learn that this behaviour was caused by Gwen’s fear of insecurity and poverty that she experienced during the depression. In the middle of the play Gow symbolically uses the storm as a metaphor for the healing power of nature. All of Gwen’s possessions are taken away from her and she is forced to move out of her comfort zone. After this storm we gradually see Gwen change. She learns of the suffering of others and realises how selfish she has been when she is told of the impending death of another character Tom and sees the positive attitude of his parents, enjoying life together whilst they can. The use of the play within a play, “The Stranger in the shore” at the end of the play helps readers understand that there has been a change in Gwen, this is evident in her enthusiasm, “the play was led 'thunderously by Gwen' compared to her sour disappointment with the production of Midsummer Night's Dream in the beginning 'very silly choice if you ask me' shows she has now become more appreciative of others rather than her materialistic possessions. Also the transition scene shows Gwen accepting the slippers, thus symbolising her acceptance of domesticity indicating that there has been a major change in her character. We see that a person grows within themselves and has a change in self when they embrace change and learn from it. Another character in the play Away’, Coral, a middle aged principals wife also goes through significant changes. At the beginning of ‘Away’ Coral’s soliloquy shows her as a tragic figure who is lost and depressed. Her husband Roy lets the audience know that she is very distant from society, “You’ll have to take stock, come back to reality”, Coral replies “ I mightn’t like it there”. This shows she hasn’t come to terms with some type of loss, she is not communicating or living in the real world. In the middle of the play Coral is seen with Rick having intimate conversations in this scene we see Coral desperately trying to find her son within Rick, in their conversation Coral says “ You’d have made into the army easily…”, “You’re still alive. You’re still alive.” When Coral leaves to search for herself she ends up at a beach where another young man Tom is learning to cope with his impending death. It is here that we see a major change in Coral as she accepts the death of her son and learns to live again. Through the use of the play within a play, “The Stranger in the shore” at the end of the play helps readers understand that there has been a change, when she plays the character of a mermaid who cannot walk. In the play she learns to walk again, “ I’m walking, I’m walking”, thus showing that Coral herself is ready to live in the real world again. At the end of the play in the transition scene, Coral symbolically gives her husband seashells indicating she is living in the real world again. Again, Gow has shown that a person grows within themselves and has a change in self when they embrace and accept change and learn from it. The film Remember the Titans, directed by Boaz Yankin is another excellent text for gaining an understanding of change and changing self. The film focuses on changing self much like the play Away. The characters in the film have a change in attitude towards each other just like the character of Gwen who has a change in attitude towards others. The film is based on true events that take place in an American town called Virginian in 1971. The film deals with the changing relationships of three generations as they each cope with the desegregation of blacks and whites. The main change in self is shown through the players of the local football team. The two main characters, Garry a white boy and Julius and African American, both have a change in attitude towards each other as they get to know each other. Garry and Julius change from narrow minded and stubborn characters to characters that have a strong friendship of trust and respect. Through tragedy and common ground they learn to embrace each other for what is on the inside and not by the colour of their skin. When Julius is told that only family members are allowed in his hospital room, he responds with, “Alice, are you blind' Don't you see the family resemblance' That's my brother.” The film has a powerful message about embracing change and emphasises how people can have a change in themselves when they gain knowledge and understanding of others. Change is something everyone must face in life, it is inevitable, it is part of living. However, when people embrace change whether it is positive or negative and allow themselves to grow from the experience they learn new things and change and become better people, they can change their point of view about themselves, others or the world. The texts Away, Remember the Titans each provide a message about accepting change and show how people can have a change in self when they gain knowledge and understanding of others. Liberation is waiting for those who are prepared to embrace change.