Lonely Planet

A detailed Summary of Lonely Planet

Throughout the play, "The Lonely Planet," the author, Steven Dietz, portrays the strong theme of friendship through the characters of Carl and Jody. We see these themes complimenting each other and becoming the cornerstone throughout the rest of the play. Carl plays the biggest role because of the strong character traits, which he possesses. He takes the role of a martyr, who in likeness stays with his cause and runs his course until the end. As a martyr figure he begins with Jody and then continues with many other individuals who are also outcasts like Jody but for a different reason. Carl in some ways imitates Christ by being a righteous man, friend to the outcast, and a self-sacrificing figure throughout the play.

Carl all through the play is see as a righteous man because of his strong nature to never give up on what he has set out to accomplish. Like many others, Carl is infected with the AIDS virus. This virus has no cure and is basically a death curse on all who contract it. He strongly represents himself and his fellow friends and colleagues who also have been stricken with the deadly disease. Jody says, " Carl is a constant reminder of what I love about maps: they are fixed objects. They have been called surro

After reading this play I was able to develop within my own self a new sense of reality. It has helped me become more aware of life's shortcomings. By looking at Carl's qualities of being righteous, friend to the outcasts, and a self-sacrificing figure we can learn from his experiences. We must all find within ourselves a sense of each of these qualities. This is what makes a person a human being. Each of us has God given instincts that must be applied in everyday life. Carl used these to help not only him but also others who suffered like him, and Jody who needed to become more aware of his surroundings and the world outside the map store. Our relationships we have throughout life play a key role in daily life. If we apply the qualities we have, just as Carl did we will be able to have satisfaction in life, disease or no disease. We must all realize that we have to apply the qualities that Carl had through out The Lonely Planet, so we too can develop a reputation that precedes others, one that is unique to us. Every person is like Carl to an extent, just on different levels. Steven Dietz did a great job showing us how our contributions in a relationship can help friendships flourish and change. These changes occur in our own life but also in the lives of others. We must not only be true to ourselves, but to the many relationships that we will experience in life, by going beyond what is expected in society today.

gates of space. They attempt to make order and reduce our reliance on hypotheses. They are a picture of what is known." (Act I, Scene I 15) By looking at this passage we can see Carl's righteousness clearly. He is constant and virtuous to what he feels strongly about. This is also why he and Jody are such close friends; they are opposites and complement each other in their actions. In the beginning of the play we see Carl bringing chairs into Jody's map store, at first Jody is disturbed by Carl's consistency with this, but soon realizes and faces the harsh reality of his friends deaths. Carl helps Jody to see this from a different point of view. He helps him face his fears. When Jody tells of his dream of being a boxer he states, referring to Carl, "You just shove me back into the center of the ring, I tell you I don't want to go, I try to leave the ring to get some water, but you have shoved me back into the center." (Act I Scene 2 p.30) This example clearly shows the reader ho

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Approximate Word count = 1638
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English