Personal Conflicts in Am I Blue
The author of Am I Blue, Beth Henley begins the play with the seventeen-year-old protagonist John Polk sitting alone in a bar. John contemplates on the red and black card in his hand. From the street, a sixteen-year-old girl whose name is Ashbe sits next to him. She hides under his raincoat because she stole two ashtrays from a local inn. Ashbe is a social person and soon begins a conversation with John. Through persistent questioning, Ashbe discovers John is in a fraternity. John admits the fraternity is not solving his problems like his brother told him it would. Ashbe, noticing the red appointment card, asks John why he has an appointment with a prostitute. John responds "Yeah, I like to give myself a treat"(line 50). Ashbe knows the girl John has an appointment with and explains what the girl looks like. John makes a comment that he needs to go to a cheap bar so he can stay drunk. Ashbe says she has a bottle of rum and invites John to her apartment. While at Ashbe's apartment, she entertains John with a blue rum drink, her voodoo doll, and making him a paper hat. Ashbe asks John about his aspirations in life. John is unsure what he wants to do with his life, but his father is pushing him t
John Polk's second conflict is deciding his ambitions in life. Ashbe asks John what he is studying to be, and he answers indecisively. His dad wants him to attend business school and help manage the soybean farm. However, John wants to do something else with his life. John states "I don't know. I wanted to be a minister or something good, but I don't even know if I believe in God"(280). John wants to be a minister or something good. However, his problems in life are breaking his spirit. His belief in God disappears as he fills his life with immoral acts. John says "I never used to worry about being a failure. Now I think about it all the time. It's just I need to do something that's ... fulfilling"(line282). John does not believe managing the soybean is fulfilling. Even though he does not want to work on the farm, John feels obligated to make his dad happy. Ashbe believes in developing individuality. She wants John to explore his own ambitions and not allow others to make his ambitions for him. John Polk's third conflict is attempting to develop individuality. John allows others to make his decisions. When Ashbe asks "why did you join?"(line 35), John responds "I don't know. Well, my brother ... I guess it was my brother ... he told me how great it was, how the fraternity was supposed to get you dates, make you study, solve all your problems"(line 36). John realizes he is not happy in the fraternity. The fraternity is not solving his problems; instead, it is adding to t
Some common words found in the essay are:
John Polk's, John Polk, Ashbe John, God280 John, Oh God, Beth Henley, john polk, john polk's, ashbe john, personal conflicts, individuality john, life john, soybean farm, Conflicts Blue, develop individuality john, john fraternity, personal conflicts blue, fraternity john, adjusting adulthood, help manage soybean, difficulty adjusting adulthood, john polk's conflict,
Approximate Word count = 1002
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
