A Surprising Point of View: A Television Play in Two Acts
Characters:
(in order of appearance)
1. JASON: a boy of about 14. He is a student in Ms. Smith’s English class. He regularly misbehaves in order to get attention, and he doesn’t apply himself to his schoolwork.
2. THE CLASS: 25 seventh-graders, male and female, also in Ms. Smith’s class.
3. MS. SMITH: a woman about 45 years of age. She is a well-respected, experienced middle-school English teacher.
Act One
Fade in.
INT. of classroom-Full Shot
4. [Ms. Smith’s English class at a large middle school. The hallway can be seen through the open classroom door.]
5. [As the action begins, students are seated in their desks, but their attention is on Jason, who is entering the classroom a little late and intentionally trips over a stack of books by one student’s desk. The class laughs. Jason grins broadly.]
Angle on Ms. Smith
6. MS. SMITH: [cautioning in a patient voice and casting a disapproving look toward Jason] Jason, come here right now.
7. [Ms. Smith moves to the hallway just outside of the classroom.]
8. [Jason moves to the hallway just outside of the classroom and faces Ms. Smith. He begins to look more serious as he approaches her. Seeing a warning look from Ms. Smith, the other students look down at their desks and get busy with schoolwork.]
INT. of hallway-Full Shot
9. JASON: [with a meek smile] Sorry about that, Ms. Smith.
10. MS. SMITH: [glossing over his misbehavior and adopting a serious tone as she hands Jason a piece of paper] Yes, OK. So, tell me your plan for the project. Have you consulted this project list yet? You really need to quit putting this off. You’re the only one without approval on your project idea, and the project is due in two weeks.
11. [Jason scans the project list.]
12. JASON: [uncomfortable and groping for a response] Umm…I guess I’ll do the video.
13. MS. SMITH: [pressing for more information, using a controlled voice] What kind of video did you have in mind?
14. [Jason stands there, shifting from foot to foot uneasily.]
15. JASON: [vague and hesitant] I guess I could reenact a scene from the novel I read, “The Call of the Wild.”
Angle on Ms. Smith
16. MS. SMITH: [somewhat stern] Could you be a bit more specific? Which scene do you plan to use?
Angle on Jason
17. JASON: [stammering] I think I should look at the book again to be sure which part is best.
Angle on Ms. Smith
18. MS. SMITH: [explaining tolerantly] Yes, Jason, I think perhaps you should do precisely that. Don’t forget, this project counts as a test grade. I don’t have to remind you that if you want to avoid going to summer school, you need to bring up your grades to make up for your lackluster performance last semester.
Angle on Jason
19. JASON: [humbling, turning to enter the classroom] Yes, ma’am.
Fade out.
Act Two
Fade In.
INT. of classroom-Full Shot
20. [Ms. Smith’s English class, two weeks later. The desks have been arranged into a semicircle to allow presentation in the center. A large television has been positioned on Ms. Smith’s desk in the front center of the room.]
21. [As the act begins, nervous energy is pumping through the students as the last presentation, Jason’s, is about to be made. The students eye Jason expectantly as he takes his place front and center. Ms. Smith is positioned on a high-legged chair at the back center of the room, ready to score the presentation.]
22. MS. SMITH: [giving Jason a hopeful smile] you may begin, Jason.
Angle on Jason
23. JASON: [facing the class and speaking knowledgeably, as though well-prepared] My project is about the main character from “The Call of the Wild.” Since Ms. Smith is always talking about the elements of fiction, I figure I’d focus on Buck’s point of view.
Angle on Ms. Smith
24. [Ms. Smith, writing on a score sheet, looks up, surprised, when she hears her name and Jason’s mention of point of view.]
Angle on Jason
25. JASON: [continuing confidently] Now, for those of you thinking a dog can’t have a viewpoint on things, I remind you that pets let us know their feelings. They sense things and react – like we do, I guess. So I figured I’d show Buck’s reaction to being stolen from his home – “doggie-napped” is what I call it-and I’ll show what it was like, from Buck’s point of view, for him to be taught the “law of club and fang.”
26. [Camera pans faces of students in class. They look intently at the television on Ms. Smith’s desk as Jason shows the video of his “The Call of the Wild” presentation. As the video ends, the class erupts into enthusiastic applause.]
Angle on Ms. Smith
27. MS. SMITH: [smiling broadly with approval] Well, Jason, I’d say you’ve done an excellent and very creative job of meeting the project requirements. By holding a camera low to the ground and moving with quick, darting motions like a dog in captivity, you have effectively portrayed Chapter I from Buck’s point of view.
Full Shot
28. [A bell rings, and Ms. Smith dismisses the class. The students quickly grab their things and exit the classroom, but Ms. Smith asks Jason to remain behind.]
Angle on Ms. Smith
29. MS. SMITH: [with a twinkle in her eye] Now, Jason, you know what this successful presentation means, don’t you?
Angle on Jason
30. JASON: [eyes searching Ms. Smith’s face] Umm…you know I can do my work from now on?
Angle on Ms. Smith
31. MS. SMITH: [with a slight smile] No, I always knew you could do the work. Now you know you can do the work.
Angle on Jason
32. JASON: [smiling and speaking with an air of confidence] Thanks, Ms. Smith.
33. [Jason grabs his backpack and heads out the door.]
Fade Out.
1) What conclusion can you draw about Jason from the dialogue in line 10 in A Surprising Point of View?
A. Jason procrastinates doing his homework. ***
B. Jason and Ms. Smith have a good relationship.
C. Jason is one of the best students.
D. Jason is embarrassed to talk to Ms. Smith.
2) Which detail from the play best supports the conclusion you drew in the previous question?
A. Jason is known to attract attention and not apply himself to his schoolwork.
B. Ms. Smith tells Jason she knew he could always do his work.
C. Jason is uneasy and shifts from foot to foot when Ms. Smith talks to him.
D. The students look nervously at Jason before his presentation. ***
Can someone please check my answers to these two questions? Thanks! (=
I agree with your answer to #1, not with your answer to #2.
Ok, then is number 2 A?
Well, other students' reaction to his presentation is immaterial to the question. If Jason is known for bad behavior that attracts attention and not doing his homework, that might just be support for the idea that he procrastinates when it comes to homework.
Yes, I think A is a better answer. :)
Ok thanks! (=
Your answers are correct!
1) The conclusion that can be drawn about Jason from the dialogue in line 10 is that he procrastinates doing his homework. This can be inferred from Jason's response to Ms. Smith's question about his project plan. He is unsure and vague, indicating that he has not yet made a concrete plan for his project, suggesting that he has been putting it off.
2) The detail from the play that best supports the conclusion drawn in the previous question is that the students look nervously at Jason before his presentation. This detail implies that the students are aware of Jason's usual behavior and lack of effort, and they are uncertain about how well he will perform during his presentation.