Preview

The Birdcage

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
787 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Birdcage
The Birdcage is how human social life, groups, and societies emphasize on modern, industrialized systems. Val Goldman and Barbara Keeley are engaged to be married, and have decided to have their families meet. Val's father, Armand Goldman , owns The Birdcage, a South Beach drag club. His domestic partner is Albert , who appears regularly as Starina, the show's star drag queen. They are a nuclear family. A nuclear family is a household in which a married couple or single parent live with their own or adopted children. Barbara's father, however, is ultraconservative Republican Ohio Senator Kevin Keeley. According to the concept of states, this is power. They are an extended family. An extended family is where kin in addition to parents and children live in the same household or have a close relationship. Fearing their reaction if they learn the truth about Val's parents Barbara changes the family's last name from Goldman to Coleman to hide their Jewish background. This was sociological imagination. What we believe to be true or “natural” is strongly influenced by social forces. (McCreary, Lecture, 8/27/09). Meanwhile, the Keeleys are traveling to South Beach. An example of a sociological is that the father is running for senator, and is clearly in the upper class. As the evening draws nearer, Agador, the Goldmans' flamboyant, gay housekeeper, has been made into a butler and chef for the evening, despite the fact that he cannot cook and never wears shoes. Being a gay housekeeper was Agador’s social role and identity in society. The Keeleys arrive at Armand's residence, but Katherine, who is to play Val's mother, is still not there she is stuck in traffic. Everyone engages in awkward small talk but Armand is nervous, even more so because Katherine has not arrived. Kevin and Louise, meanwhile, are worried that Armand's nervousness is because he has heard about the Jackson scandal and is uncomfortable having the Keeleys in his house. Suddenly, Albert emerges

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    Mexican Culture

    • 1187 Words
    • 5 Pages

    References: Macionis, J. J. (2009). Society the basics. In L. Jewell (Ed.), Culture (Vol. 2, p. 38-79). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.…

    • 1187 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Sparrow by Norman Maccaig

    • 548 Words
    • 3 Pages

    “Sparrow” by Norman MacCaig has a strong social issue of the class system and how the classes differ. MacCaig talks about the issue of the class system in relation to survival of to fittest. The poem itself talks about birds like sparrows and other birds in general, which are metaphors for people. Word choice, sentence structure and enjambment were strong in improving my understanding of the social issue of the class system.…

    • 548 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The caged birds

    • 396 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Autobiographical Incident Unit Test Part 2 This test has two parts. Part 1 is computer-scored, and should be completed online. Part 2 is the questions below, which you will need to turn in to your teacher. You must complete both parts of the test by the due date to receive full credit on this test. (16 points) ScoreWhat roles do the adults or older figures play in the lives of the various narrators Select a figure from each of the four memoirs and write one sentence answering the question for each memoir. Answer (15 points) ScoreAll of the memoirs in this unit are told from the first-person point of view. Why is it important that they are told in the first person How would they be different if they were told from a different point of view Imagine one of the memoirs you read told from a different point of view, and use that example to explain both the benefits of telling the storyin the first person and how it would be different if told from another point of view. Answer PRIVATE ANSWER (15 points) Score PRIVATE GRADE Select one of the memoirs from this unit and explain its theme. Support your answer with at least one example from the story that illustrates the theme. Answer Memoir A cub pilot the theme of the story is Courage in the story it sharing some of the things Mark Twain has seen and done While he was in Mississippi as a Cub pilot. Courage is the theme of the story because it took a lot of courage for Mark Twain to stand up to his pilot (Brown) when he tried to mess with his little brother. (15 points) Score PRIVATE GRADE Which narrator do you think faces the most significant conflict What is the conflict that the narrator faces Is it resolved satisfactorily Why or why not Use details from the story to support your answer. Answer Your Score___ of 61 Graded Assignment…

    • 396 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Death with Dignity

    • 1657 Words
    • 7 Pages

    It is a common belief that people should take control of their lives, therefore, should be also allowed to take control of our death? Can one have quality of life while dying? Who determines if we shall live or die and under what circumstances? Is the doctor’s only duty to keep you alive at all cost, or is it also assisting you in a death with dignity?…

    • 1657 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    References: Macionis,J. Society- the basics. Tenth Edition. eBook. Pearson Education, 2009. Chapters 8, 10, 11.…

    • 929 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Ghost Bird

    • 746 Words
    • 3 Pages

    About 1,000,000 books are published in a year in the US , do you think two books are alike, they don’t even have to be the same-but just have one similarity? Well i’ll tell you i’ve found two that are alike, and at the same time have there differences. What do you say? How about a book by Roland Smith called “The Ghost Bird” and “Animal Distress Calls” by Eliot Schrefer? I’ll explain to you why I chose these two right now. Birds live in lots of many states over the world, but some species have become extinct and some are on the verge of extinction. In each passage they relate to birds in some way whether it have them being sick or extinct-or maybe that they could go extinct. “The Ghost Bird” and “Animal Distress Calls” have the same theme of…

    • 746 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Caged Bird Essay

    • 404 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Prose exposes numerous straw man arguments with To Kill a Mockingbird. Prose critiques the novel in a confident, yet slightly harsh manner. She believes that the novel could’ve been different if there was just a bit more detail. Prose interprets To Kill a Mockingbird in a way that focuses on prejudice and racism.…

    • 404 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Cuckoos Nest

    • 934 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Both Ken Kesey the author of the novel One Flew Over Cuckoo’s Nest and Milos Forman the director of the film version, expose us to power and control strong nurses and aids acquire. Men carrying problems with women are placed in the mental institution ruled by Nurse Ratched. McMurphy a strong man that carries power in the outside world ends up joining the world of Nurse Ratched for his own problems. “My name is McMurphy, buddies, R.P. McMurphy, and I’m a gambling fool” (Kesey 11). He immediately shows off his confidence as he steps in the ward. In One Flew Over Cuckoo’s Nest, Kesey and Forman focus on how two leaders with different views and gender aim for power and control.…

    • 934 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    References: Macionis, J. J. (2006). Society: The basics (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.…

    • 2157 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Paleolithic and Neolithic

    • 626 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Paleolithic and Neolithic eras had many similarities in social structures. In the Paleolithic and Neolithic era each gender had a role in society, but later on the Neolithic era the men’s role was superior to the women’s role. In the Paleolithic era men hunted and women gathered, everyone in society was equal and no one was above only the gods they worshiped were the only higher ones than them. The Neolithic and…

    • 626 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The period that has come to be known as the Neolithic Revolution (somewhat erroneously so [see Ponting 1991, p37]) marked the most fundamental shift in human development seen since the first bipedal human-like species walked the earth. During this time and the brief era [see Ponting 1991, p18] that has followed it to the present, humans have made a multiplicity of social, cultural and technological advancements (inclusive of the political and religious realms), all of which began with an agrarian shift by an array of hunter-gatherer societies – a shift that marked the transition from ‘savage’ Palaeolithic man to ‘economic man’.…

    • 3271 Words
    • 14 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Deeply engaging with social issues, The Fosters’ ideological development departs from the quotidian inclusion in The Kids Are All Right. Visibility of lesbian characters in The Kids Are All Right is both apolitical and constrains queer visibility. Whereas The Fosters, albeit homonormative inclusion, effectively criticizes the ideological system that embeds the character narratives. Specifically, The Fosters’ meaningfully represents a family that is diverse and challenges the tropes of kinship. To illustrate, Lena alerts Stef to a racist comment she makes and follows up with an explanation of why her comment is problematic. Moreover, the episode explores the roots in the twin’s Latinx heritage and how this factors into their sense of familial belonging. These examples demonstrate The Fosters will to address institutional and personal struggles with identity formation and familial belonging. Offering a…

    • 720 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Except Goldman's family is a gay family, they are more interesting than the Kelley's, they often flitter each other. I remember that Albert once says: I was adorable once. Young and full of hope. Now, look at me. I am a short, fat, insecure, middle aged thing! Then Armand answered: I made you short? They are very funny gays, indeed. But Kelley's family is much more serious, they work in government and have high social standard while the Goldman's family operates a club. Albert always wear colorful clothes and acts exaggerating. Quote: Albert: Do not use that tone to me. Armand: What tone? Albert: That sarcastic contemptuous tone. That means you know everything because you are a man, and I know nothing because I am a woman. Armand: You are not a woman. Albert: Oh, you bastard. He works in Armand's club, and always acts as a woman in his club. I have to admit that their lives are funny and exciting. If we turn back to the homosexual issues, we can find that their difference could be more obvious. The Goldman's family is full of strange men, their maid prefer to wear lady's shorts while the Kelley's always wears formal clothes. The Goldman's family can attrack every passengers attention while they are walking on the streat, they are strange but…

    • 756 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The true sense of belonging can be found in different circumstances for different people. As each individual has their own desires, needs and values, they find their place in the world and a genuine sense of belonging in various avenues. Individuals may achieve the same sense that they truly belong outside relationships, though their connections to other ideas such as place and culture, or within themselves. Shakespeare’s As you like it and Mike Nichols The Birdcage are two texts in which an exploration of belonging is found as belonging can emerge from the connections made with people, places, groups, communities and the larger world. Relationships by nature are the ideas of a connection between two people which can fulfil human needs such as the need for social interaction, and thus can result in the individuals involved achieving a true sense of belonging. When individuals find meaning and tenacity in connections with other people, as they often do in relationships, the need to belong is fulfilled in the greatest sense as the individual’s life is enriched by the positive outcomes for their self-esteem, security and stability. This idea can be seen in the relationship between Adam and Orlando set up by Shakespeare in As You Like It. Adam promises that he will “follow thee to the last gasp with truth and loyalty” when Orlando decides to go to the forest. Shakespeare effectively emphasizes the lack of fun that exists in this relationship as opposed to other relationships he sets up in the play. Through this, Shakespeare communicates that in relationships which are built on trust, loyalty or other solid connections between people, individuals can find meaning, stability, purpose and thus a true sense that they belong. Relationships to a place is the concept of fitting in and being part of a group, in the Birdcage Armond shows his sense of belonging in his club as when he is walking around he is greeted by…

    • 1023 Words
    • 30 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Nathan Lane

    • 1012 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The plot of the Birdcage was about a women Val Goldman and Barbara Keeley are engaged to be married, and wish to have their families meet. Val's father, Armand, owns The Birdcage, a South Beach drag club. His domestic partner is Albert, who appears regularly as "Starina," the show's star drag queen. Barbara's father is ultraconservative Republican Ohio Senator Kevin Keeley, who is seeking re-election as the co-founder of the "Coalition for Moral Order". Fearing their reaction if they learn the truth about Val's parents, Barbara tells her parents that Armand is a cultural attaché to Greece, that Albert is a housewife, and that they divide their time between Greece and Florida; she also changes the family's last name from Goldman to Coleman to hide their Jewish background.…

    • 1012 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays