Premium Essay

Letter from the Understudy

In:

Submitted By aiaaamund
Words 1151
Pages 5
“Letter from the Understudy”
The price for fame, attention and recognition can be high – and yet so many people around the world, want to achieve it. At times, the aim for these achievements can result in horrible situations that might end up hurting more people than you thought. In the short story “Letter from the Understudy”, by the famous British writer Katryn Simmonds, the protagonist draws to psychotic measures to keep up with his fellow actor on his journey to fame. This essay will analyze and interpret the narrative technique, the many references to Shakespeare and his works and a characterization of the protagonist, Gavin.
The short story’s protagonist is Gavin Pollard who lives in London and works as an actor. The text is formed as a letter from Gavin to Malcolm – the director of a play, in which Gavin plays the understudy. In the personal letter Gavin tries to explain a crime he has committed towards his fellow actor, Alex, who plays the leading role of the play. In the letter Gavin writes about his passion for the theatre and that he really wants to be in the spotlight – just for once. His jealous feelings towards Alex results in a purchase from a Chinese herbalist, which is used to poison Alex. Because of the poisoning Alex gets sick, with a short-term stomachache, and therefore Gavin gets the chance to perform in front of the audience.
After the performance, Gavin gets the attention that he so badly wants, which makes him greedy. He gets his friend to round up journalists and casting agents to come see him as the lead role of the play. But when Alex recovers and is ready to come back to the play, Gavin panics and hits him in the head with a cricket bat. They start fighting, but it shortly ends when Gavin hits him again and gets Alex seriously hurt. In the letter Gavin states that it wasn’t his intention to hurt Alex in that extend, although it did

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Letters from the Understudy

...Letter from the Understudy Man has become obsessed with the idea of becoming famous, successful and acknowledged. Man wants to climb the social ladder, and stand at the top. There are different ways to achieve these goals, and some are more desperate than others. “Letter from the Understudy” is a short story by the author, Kathryn Simonds, in which she portrays this desire to acquire acknowledgement and fame. “Letter from the Understudy” conveys the protagonist, Gavin’s, longing after climbing the theatre’s social ladder, and becoming the leading role instead of the understudy: “But I knew, I knew in my heart, that I didn't lack talent. I just needed the opportunity to prove myself as the Gavin Pollard I could be, (…) the scene-stealing, balcony-scaling leading man.” (pg. 2, l., 27-29) The short story is written as a letter from Gavin to Malcolm, the director: “Dear Malcolm (…)” (pg. 1, l.. 1) Gavin is the understudy in Malcolm’s play, in which Gavin’s colleague, Alex, plays the starring role. Gavin writes the letter, as an apology to Malcolm: “The first thing to say is, I'm sorry. I know it won't be easy for you to believe after recent events, but I deeply regret the mess I've made and the embar-rassment I've caused you.” (pg. 1, l., 2-3) The letter is written by Gavin, which means that we only hear one side of the story. This means that it is a first person narrator. He might exaggerate, leave out details or change the story. Gavin is most likely unreliable, but manages...

Words: 1027 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Letter from the Understudy

...Kathryn Simmonds Letter from the Understudy Dear Malcolm, The first thing to say is, I'm sorry. I know it won't be easy for you to believe after recent events, but I deeply regret the mess I've made and the embarrassment I've caused you. I've had time to turn it all over since I've been here – to be honest, there's not much else to do but ruminate once you've wandered around the market and visited the Orang-utan sanctuary - so I'm writing to try and explain. It's true, Alex and I didn't have the best relationship, but I wasn't the only one in the cast who found him difficult. He's a fine actor, of course, but it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he also has an ego the size of a small planet. As a director, you wouldn't know what it was like to be around that all the time. The way he strutted around back stage in those tights. We used to say the only reason he'd climb a balcony in real life was if he knew there'd be a reflective surface at the top. You don't know what it was like to come in and see him every evening, warming his voice, poring over his notices, practising his Jude Law smile. I knew he'd never give me a chance. Apart from anything else, he seemed to have the constitution of a Shire horse – not so much as a runny nose, a headache Actually, my own head is pounding rather. It must be the heat. Apparently it's so hot because the rains are due, that's what one of the local children told me anyway. There are a little gang of them who like to practise...

Words: 1752 - Pages: 8

Free Essay

Letter from an Understudy Analysis

...The text 'Letter from the Understudy', written by Kathryn Simmonds, is, by the assignment paper, classified as a 'short story'. The characteristics for this branch of writing is that the story will often center around a single event, and that it has an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. Furthermore, short stories are often, due to their limited word count, written with great precision. If we look at the text, it does indeed meet all of these criteria. The short story is written in a 1st person narrative, the 'storyteller' being the perpetrator himself, Gavin Pollard. The lack of a 3rd person omniscient narrator makes it impossible for the reader to know which parts of the story are true, and which aren't. The whole thing could easily be a lie, but to analyze the text, we have to trust that at least parts of it is true. We are introduced to Gavin Pollard, an actor from London who has fled the country after assaulting 'Alex', the star of a play in which Gavin was an understudy. The entire three pages are supposed to be a letter from the attacker to the instructor of the play, Malcolm, in which the understudy tries to explain his actions, and the reasoning behind the committed crime. Judging by the language used, and the mention of a Golf GTI (which, it turns out, is a car), it can be determined that the story takes place in the present time. From the text, we know that Mister Pollard comes from a lower class family (page 2, line 21; "my parents aren't middle class). We...

Words: 1001 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Benefits Of Studying Abroad Essay

...framework, which goes for giving understudies data with respect to all regions of life. Keeping in mind the end goal to be fruitful one should be taught. Being learned is the top most need. For a superb methodology of the brilliant vocation, learners today try to seek after abroad study. Be that as it may, your readiness for study on abroad land requires certain things to consider. Choosing to study abroad helps individual to get an all encompassing global introduction, get charge over the subj ect by getting prepared from specialists from differed spaces and streams furthermore open up incredible energizing openings for work. Be that as it may, these can be accomplished effectively by picking the right college and course on the fancied subject. Above all else, you ought...

Words: 701 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Strayer University: School Summary

...Strayer University has 1200 worldwide understudies from 110 particular countries in around the globe, at present chose in all grounds of the instructive framework. Generally understudies begin from Asia, Middle East, and African countries. Social arranged qualities is one fundamental part in all school programs. School Summary The specializations as information advancement, accounting, and business give a solid foundation by the thought of the examinations of humanities, science, history, government and distinctive courses. ELS Center nearest: Charlotte, NC; Philadelphia, PA Kind of establishment: 2-year schools, four-year school, master undertakings (general for male and female) and educational cost based schools. Abilities: College...

Words: 436 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

The Importance Of Year-Round Education

...Association examined the achievement gap using a sample of students from across the United States. The study examined the achievement gap by measuring student growth and achievement using a continuous, cross-grade measurement scale. Mathematics and reading scores in grades were examined and the following results were reported such that An achievement gap exists between students in low-poverty schools and those in high-poverty schools. Also; In mathematics, students enrolled in high-poverty schools tend to grow less academically during the school year than students enrolled in low-poverty schools. moreover; African-American students grow less academically during the school year then students in other groups. This difference is more noticeable in mathematics than in...

Words: 959 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Troen Om Fattigdom I Verdnen

...Assignment 1: Letter from the Understudy Write an essay (900-1200 words) in which you analyze and interpret Katryn Simmonds’ short story: “Letter from the Understudy.” Part of your essay must focus on narrative technique and Shakespeare references! From http://www.short-stories.co.uk/ Kathryn Simmonds Letter from the Understudy Dear Malcolm,   The first thing to say is, I'm sorry. I know it won't be easy for you to believe after recent events, but I deeply regret the mess I've made and the embarrassment I've caused you. I've had time to turn it all over since I've been here – to be honest, there's not much else to do but ruminate once you've wandered around the market and visited the Orang-utan sanctuary - so I'm writing to try and explain.      It's true, Alex and I didn't have the best relationship, but I wasn't the only one in the cast who found him difficult. He's a fine actor, of course, but it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he also has an ego the size of a small planet. As a director, you wouldn't know what it was like to be around that all the time. The way he strutted around back stage in those tights. We used to say the only reason he'd climb a balcony in real life was if he knew there'd be a reflective surface at the top. You don't know what it was like to come in and see him every evening, warming his voice, poring over his notices, practising his Jude Law smile. I knew he'd never give me a chance. Apart from anything else, he seemed to have the constitution...

Words: 1797 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Technology and Isolation

...world without the Internet. It has revolutionized the way our culture treats almost everything from watching television to socializing. It has affected the globe economy & has been a boon for corporations & independent entrepreneurs alike. Technology and human life can't be differentiated; society has a staggering reliance on innovation. We utilize innovation, rely on upon engineering in our everyday life and our needs and requests continue climbing. The age old tenet has been overlooked since our reliance on engineering, "with incredible force comes extraordinary obligation" (Stan Lee "Stunning Spiderman"). We have disregarded the cautioning signs, the mental wellbeing issue that have raised their terrible heads as a consequence of our reliance. The contention for innovation is the increment of criminal arraignment in light of social networking; long range interpersonal communication makes new social associations. Understudies are improving in school, better personal satisfaction, online networking as a wellspring of work, yet the negatives are difficult to simply clear under a carpet. Understudies who are investing a lot of time on online networking destinations have lower scholastic evaluations, social networking is the reason for less eye to eye correspondence, social average locales in charge of the ascent in tormenting that has gone digital and the suicides from that new manifestation of harassing. Notwithstanding the way that more of us are investing...

Words: 1894 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Hrm 531

...HRM 531 Week 4 Knowledge Check Correct answer in Capital Letter 1. The level of training needs analysis that focuses on identifying whether training supports the company’s strategic direction is called _____ analysis. a. individual b. environmental c. operations D. organization Organization analysis determines the overall needs of the company so that training can be designed to focus on strategic goals. 2. _____ analysis is helpful in determining the special needs of a particular group, such as older workers, women, or managers at different levels. a. Individual b. Operations C. Demographic d. Organization A demographic analysis can assist in designing training and selecting appropriate training methods. 3. The level of training needs analysis that attempts to identify the content of the training is _____ analysis. A. operations b. individual c. environmental d. organizational The operations analysis tries to break down the job and determine the specifics tasks that the employee needs to learn. 4. ____ refers to the material that is rich in association for the trainees and is therefore easily understood by them. A. Meaningfulness b. Pygmalion effect c. Orientation d. Training paradox To structure training for meaningfulness, provide an overview of the material at the start of training. Use real-life examples and build from simple skills to more complex as you go. 5. Which theory...

Words: 633 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Swot Analysis on Five Guys

... APU has earned an advantageous notoriety as a honor winning University through its accomplishments in winning a large group of prestigious grants at national and global levels, and additionally a fabulous reputation in creating profoundly employable graduates who can quickly add to industry upon graduation. . Initially settled as the Asia Pacific Institute of Information Technology (APIIT) in 1993 and the Asia Pacific University College of Technology and Innovation (UCTI) in 2004, APU's sound way to deal with supporting school leavers into qualified experts has brought about our graduates being exceptionally looked for after by businesses. With a universal understudy group from more than 110 nations examining in its Malaysian grounds, APU offers a genuinely cosmopolitan learning environment which gets ready understudies well for the worldwide difficulties which lie ahead. While Technology frames a typical center as an empowering influence over its scholarly projects, APU offers a wide scope of projects including territories, for example, Computing, Technology and Engineering, and projects in Business, Accounting and Banking and Finance. The Asia Pacific Language Center (APLC) is the particular Language Center of The Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation (APU) and the APIIT Education Group, situated in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. APLC offers an extensive variety of value English dialect courses...

Words: 1726 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Bad Cover Letters

...expression - for fear that they wind up in the organization's "Introductory Letters From Hell" that it posts on its Web webpage. Six years back, Bob Killian, proprietor and author of the organization, started posting mysterious portions from inadequately composed introductory letters he got from those requesting job. The errors extended from terrible exclusions ("I am looking for another position as i have as of late been laid" and "I additionally have a degree English which serves me well in altering content for poor grammer or mistakes") to gibberish sentences and subjects ("It is through the innovational procedure, and also media, that the elements of a picture can be highlighted and conveyed to the front line for the buyer survey" or "The hues red, blue, and lavender are those that I relate to the most. I feel they precisely depict my identity. I pick red in light of the fact that I turn red when I get humiliated ..."). A few hopefuls even attempt their hand at verse - one young lady reworked "'T'was the Night Before Christmas," altering herself and the publicizing organization into the story and substituting presents for work. The objective of putting the letters on the web, Killian said, is to show work seekers that, "Welcome! This is not a conspicuous type of correspondence!" Mocking Not the Point As of late, Killian experienced 100 letters that touched base at his organization from candidates asking for occupations and meetings. Of the 100, not one was...

Words: 601 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

James Baldwin Annotated Bibliography

...General Kennedy welcomed Baldwin to meet with him over breakfast, and that getting was taken after together with a second, when Kennedy met with Baldwin and others Baldwin had welcomed to Kennedy's Manhattan condo see Baldwin–Kennedy meeting. This meeting is talked about in Howard Simon's 1999 play, "James Baldwin: A Soul on Fire" The assignment included Kenneth B. Clark, a clinician who had assumed a key part in the Brown v. Leading group of Education choice; performer Harry Belafonte, vocalist Lena Horne, author Lorraine Hansberry, and activists from social equality organizations. Although the vast majority of the participants of this meeting left feeling very crushed, the meeting was an essential one in voicing the worries of the social equality development and it gave introduction of the social equality issue as a political issue as well as an ethical issue. James Baldwin's FBI record contains 1,884 pages of archives, gathered from 1960 until the mid 1970s. During that time of unlawful observation of American scholars, the FBI aggregated 276 pages on Richard Wright, 110 pages on Truman Capote, and only nine pages on Henry...

Words: 1844 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Bloom Taxonomy for Smart Homes

...arrangement of addressing as indicated by six levels of larger amount considering. Most if not all instructors are taught to utilize Bloom's Taxonomy in planning lesson targets for their understudies. On the other hand, most smart homes have not been taught how to utilize Bloom's Taxonomy in conversing with their youngsters. In the event that it is useful for school setups, it is clearly also useful for smart homes (Anderson, 2009). "Smart Home" is the term regularly used to characterize a home that has machines, lighting, warming, aerating and cooling, TVs, PCs, amusement sound and video frameworks, security, and camera frameworks that are fit for corresponding with each other and can be controlled remotely by a period plan, from any room in the home, and additionally remotely from any area on the planet by telephone or web (Miller, 2015). Consequently, Bloom taxonomy can easily be intergrated in a smart home setup through the use of the various devices that are available. Technologies and Devices in Smart Homes for Bloom Taxonomy Application A parent queries the children on how to take care of a given genuine issue. Inquiry as to why they think something is critical is important. The child can be requested to proceed with a solution of what might happen in a given circumstance using ideas from similar illustrations. Consequently, they can be urged to make a model of their solution to the issue. Therefore, children can use illustration software like Corel or Paint to illustrate...

Words: 662 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Final

...Is sanction school the better formula for what's to come for our youngsters or is traditional/conventional training the better course for our kids. Research have demonstrated that scholars who went to contract schools for a long time have indicated a change scholastically superior to state funded school understudy in math and proficiency (Fryer, 2012). Research takes a gander at sanction schools vs. state funded schools in a cluster of states, including Florida, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. Charter school scholars overshadow their standard state funded school associates. Students in New Jersey enlisted in urban sanction schools take in altogether all the more in both math and perusing contrasted with their conventional state funded school associates. More and more the weight is shifting more towards charter schools. The data is showing that it seems that students are really getting a better education in charter school system. Should parents consider taking their children to charter schools? This is a question that I hope will be answered during the essay? April Browne is a 3rd grade charter school teacher in a Newark charter school; this is from the interview from February 2014. What do you see as the future of charter schools? Browne stated that in the beginning it was positive but now as years have passed it have been challenges. Overall the look is good and positive. Do you think...

Words: 1822 - Pages: 8

Free Essay

Manhatten Project

...The Manhattan Project was an innovative work extend that delivered the main atomic weapons amid World War II. It was driven by the United States with the backing of the United Kingdom and Canada. From 1942 to 1946, the task was under the bearing of Major General Leslie Groves of the U.S. Armed force Corps of Engineers; physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer was the executive of the Los Alamos National Laboratory that planned the genuine bombs. The Army segment of the venture was assigned the Manhattan District; "Manhattan" bit by bit superseded the authority codename, Development of Substitute Materials, for the whole venture. Along the way, the venture assimilated its before British partner, Tube Alloys. The Manhattan Project started humbly in 1939, yet developed to utilize more than 130,000 individuals and cost almost US$2 billion . More than 90% of the expense was for building processing plants and creating the fissile materials, with under 10% for advancement and generation of the weapons. Exploration and generation occurred at more than 30 destinations over the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. Two sorts of nuclear bomb were produced amid the war; a generally straightforward firearm sort splitting weapon was made utilizing uranium while a more intricate plutonium implosion-sort weapon was planned simultaneously. For the Gun-Type weapon advancement uranium-235 was required. Synthetically indistinguishable to the most well-known isotope, uranium-238, and with practically...

Words: 1592 - Pages: 7