Shoe_Horn_Sonata_Distinctively_Visual

Distinctively visual elements are frequently used by composers to imprint powerful images in people’s minds and get their messages across. These elements are used a lot throughout the play shoehorn sonata by john misto. John mistos purpose in writing the play was to reveal the truth about the war and tell the country what actually happened to the women war prisoners in their camps and how they were treated as the stories of these women were kept away from the spotlight when the women returned. To do this he uses a variety of techniques that allow the readers to clearly see and appreciate the experiences of the women P.O.Ws at the hands of the Japanese. So much so that their experiences remain tattooed to our minds. An example of this would be in scene five of the shoe horn sonata. The scene starts off with Sheila and Bridie continuing to be interviewed in the studio. During the scene photos were used to show the attitude the Japanese had towards the women in the camps. We see photos of the women lining up for food, sleeping in barracks, carrying water. The photos show them being treated as inferior and like slaves. Theses photo imprint a strong message in our mind that the Japanese didn’t show any respect or leniency towards the women in the camp and make us respect the women in the camps for what they went through. These photos also help create a reality to support the story being woven by misto. During the scene we are also introduced into the choir the women created during the war. John wrote about the choir to symbolize that the women still have the will to fight and remain positive and not give up. Seeing the resilience the women have makes us appreciate their dedication. This one link they have to humanity helps them survive. Misto also conveys messages through the use of photos in scene nine of the play. During the scene photos of the male P.O.Ws, malnourished and skinny are displayed. He did this to show that there were many photos of men after the war but nearly zero photos of the women as the government were trying to hide how poorly the women were treated during the war. This is one of the main reasons john wrote the play, he wanted people to really know what happened to the women in the camps. He also adapts the use of dialog to convey message throughout the play. In scene 9 Sheila and Bridie sing “the captives hymn” and explain they used to sing this every Sunday during the war. The juxtaposition of the hymn and reality reflects the women’s bravery and refusal to give in. Misto also uses juxtaposition to juxtapose the deep scenes with lighter ones to keep the audiences engaged. Bridie- “As I drifted off to sleep, I wondered about the soldier and If Id ever see him again”, Rick- “And did you'” Bridie- “Yes, as a matter of fact I did, after the war I married him”. Just like in the shoe horn sonata, Author Anthony Browne uses a combination of distinctively visual elements to create a sense of meaning throughout his book ‘gorilla”. the story is of a girl named Hannah and her father and the obstacles they face to connect. On the first page of the book, there is a picture of Hannah sitting across a table opposite her father. Browne adapts the use of colours, only using blacks, greys, blues and other dull colours to represent the dull relationship between Hannah and her father. The only bright colour is the red of Hannah’s jumper showing that she wants to be happy, she desires a close relationship with her father. The relationship seems almost lifeless. He also left the table bare, much like the relationship between the two. The father is also shown reading a newspaper, showing no attention towards his own daughter. This newspaper creates a visual barrier between the two and makes us realize theres not a strong relationship between them. He also gave the father facial expressions that clearly show disinterest in his daughter.