Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet, one of Shakespeare's most famous plays, has been adapted into works of music by many composers such as Berlioz, Prokofiev, and Tchaikovsky. All tell the same story using various musical themes to represent different aspects of the story. Tchaikovsky is one of the most popular composers from the romantic period. He was first given the idea to compose a work based off of Shakespeare's play by Mily Balakriev and the original version was finished in six weeks. The distinction between family conflicts and the passion between the two lovers results in two contrasting themes. In the story Romeo and Juliet, the two people fall in love, but come from families who hate each other. The two refuse to let this stop them from seeing each other. The music starts at a slow tempo with solemn chords, but then transforms into two different, contrasting themes. The theme that represents the conflict between the two families is represented by quick, forceful and irregular rhythms that is initiated by a single note. To me, this represents the meaningless hatred between countries or people with differences and how it can appear to be set off so quickly. There is no true reason why the two families hate each other besides history, and similar situations still exist today. The piece then goes to a love theme, which comprises of melodic tones. On a more positive side, it shows that people will stand up for what they believe or follow their passions despite the consequences. However, the piece then goes back to the first theme to display the conflict between the two families and ends with a dying heartbeat played by the timpani. It then concludes with four bars of abrupt chords symbolizing the tragedy of the lovers' deaths. To me, this shows that conflict between people often ends in tragedy even though it's not necessary.

Realization

Wright goes to the May Day Parade, but cannot find who he is supposed to march with. An old party friend tells him that he can march with them. Wright says no, but the other many insists. He is then attached and kicked out of the parade by white communists while his black communist friends watch. He goes home, feeling alone because what he was trying to believe in rejected him. He comes to the conclusion that people, no matter the differences, will never unite. Despite his discouragement, he decides he's not going to stop trying. As he says, "I would hurl into this darkness and wait for an echo, and if and echo sounded, no matter how faintly, I would send other words to tell, to march, to fight, to create a sense of the hunger for life that gnaws in us all, to keep alive in our hearts a sense of inexpressibly human." By saying this he means that no matter what happens, he'll respond and not give up. I agree with Wright that people will probably never come together despite differences. I also think his decision to not give up because of this situation is good considering that it seemed like he spent a lot of the book feeling sorry for himself.

Artists and Politicians

I agree with Wright's view of the difference between politicians and artists and that it is often true, especially in the politician side. Wright tries to become involved with the Communist party, but realizes that it's not for him. Wright uses his art, writing, to make sense of the world and "meaningless suffering" and to try to improve the quality of people's lives. Politicians he encounters have a different approach to changing people's lives, not really improving them, by imposing their beliefs, hoping that people will conform . They are out for their own gain primarily a lot of the time. If one doesn't conform, such as Wright, they are treated negatively. Wright is even told that people who think individually or intellectuals fit well into the party. He becomes very frustrated with the way the Communist party functions, an example being the trial of his friend Ross, and decides it is not fit for him.

Passage in Parenthesis

Wright often adds his perspective or thoughts on what he had just written in parenthesis after that passage. Wright is working in a delicatessen in a white neighborhood. He talks about how he is afraid of not knowing what type of person he is dealing with. He then speaks about how he is starting to understand why people like Shorty allowed white men to treat him poorly. He says, "While working in Memphis I had stood aghast as Shorty had offered himself to be kicked by the white men; but now, while working in Chicago, I was learning that perhaps even a kick was better than uncertainty..." Wright's goal when moving out of the South was to escape racial tensions, but he is still experiencing it and relating to what he couldn't understand previously. The feelings he has and the realization he comes to do not fulfill what he wanted out of moving to the North.

Change

At the end of part one, Wright decides to move to the North at that time instead of waiting. I think that his decision was positive because instead of staying in the South like some other people he knew such as Shorty, he decided to do something about his dislike of how he was treated. Even though he had to steal to get the money needed to move, I think it was better for him to do it right away instead of waiting because there was a chance it might not have been possible if he waited to earn money. Even though overall it was a positive change, there were still risks involved regarding just getting by. Also, even though conditions for blacks in the North were much better, moving out of the South didn't guarantee that he would be free of all racial tensions and being treated differently.

Stealing

Wright thinks the only way he can escape from everything holding him back is by moving to the North. He needs to buy a train ticket, but does not have enough money so her resorts to stealing. He quits his job at the hotel and gets one at the movie theater where he resells tickets to make money. He also steals a gun from his neighbor's house and cans of fruit preserves from the college, which he sells for money. He hesitates to steal because it is what would be expected of him. He doesn't want to fall into the stereotype that blacks steal or make himself look bad compared to whites. I understand why Wright stole and I would have done the same thing to escape from his conditions, but I'm not sure that justifies stealing. Even though I too would have been impatient to get out of the South, there are ways to make the money needed to buy a ticket even thought it would have taken much longer. Even though I understand where he's coming from, I'm not sure it justifies stealing even though I would have acted in a similar way.

Learning How to Live in the South

Wright had a problem with only holding a job for a short amount of time because he was let because of the way he acted. He talks to Griggs, a former classmate, about his problem and Griggs tells him the "learn how to live in the South". By saying this he means that Wright needs to learn how to act around white people. He tells him, "When you're in front of white people, think before you act, think before you speak. Your way of doing things is all right among our people, but not for white people. They won't stand for it." While they're talking, Griggs also pulls Wright out of the path of some white people walking. Wright is surprised and somewhat annoyed by what Griggs has done, but Griggs tells him he needs to learn to get out of their way because "white people want you out of their way". Also, Griggs tells Wright that because of his behavior around whites, getting and keeping a job is difficult for him. Although Wright knows what Griggs is telling him is true, and Wright says, "it was simply utterly impossible for me to calculate, to scheme, to act, to plot all the time." He hopes he will someday be free of this.

Speech

Wright is named the valedictorian of his class and is asked to give a speech at graduation. He goes home and writes the speech, but the next day is handed a speech from the principal which he is instructed to read instead of his own. The principal justifies this by telling Wright that he is speaking to both blacks and whites, and therefore does not have enough experience to know what to say. He also tells Wright that the superintendent will be there and that he needs to make a good impression. He also adds that he has been principal for many years and that he has seen many people graduate and "none of them was too proud to recite a speech I wrote for them." The principal threatens to not allow Wright to graduate, but he still refuses even though his family urges him to give the speech written for him. On the day of graduation, Wright gives his own speech and flees the auditorium right after. I think that what Wright's refused to give the speech is justifiable. He worked hard to get where he was and deserved to give his own speech, not one written for him because he was viewed as incapable of giving an acceptable one. Although he gave his own speech the day of graduation instead of what he was instructed, I still think he acted in the right way.

Uncle Tom

One morning Wright wakes up to his uncle asking him what time it is. He looks at his watch and gives his uncle the time, but his uncle isn't sure of his answer and asks him again. Wright doesn't want to deal with him or look at his watch again and tells him, "If it's a little slow or fast, it's not far wrong." His uncle becomes angry because of what Wright said to him. Wright responds again in a way that angers his uncle and his uncle tells him, "I never heard a sassier black imp that you in all my life." Wright doesn't like the way his uncle is treating him and talks back. Wright sees nothing wrong with what he's said because he speaks the same way other people. The two get into a big argument and Uncle Tom threatens to beat Wright. When Uncle Toms moves toward Wright to beat him, Wright fights him off with razors. Wright is upset with Uncle Tom because he thinks he has no right to beat or control him because Uncle Tom was never a big part of his life. He sees nothing wrong with what he has done to deserve a punishment from a man who has no right to do so. Also, Uncle Tom tells him that he'll "never amount to anything" and "end up on the gallows".