1. BIG IDEA QUESTION Can members of different social classes truly understand each other and have empathy for each other?
2. I would say that people from different social class do not truly understand each other. If you are a person who is wealthy you do not know what it is like to struggle. A wealthy person has the privilege to access all their needs and wants without having to save for it or spend their last just to have it. Therefore they aren’t appreciative of things they can just desire and then get. Meanwhile, someone in the lower-class may have to save or spend their last just to get something. These people are more appreciative of materialistic things because they know they had to go through a lot to get what they have. These people I feel understand the value of money more and are more appreciative of the things they have. Therefore people from social class don’t understand each other because they value material things differently. People who come from a lower-class background have to depend more on other people. Meanwhile, people who are wealthier may depend on people less or not at all. For example, people who are from a lower class will see someone struggling and will show empathy towards that person and may try to help in any way possible. Meanwhile, a person who is wealthier and sees someone struggling will not truly understand what the person is going through and will just go on. This relates to Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory because Charlie was more appreciative for the little he did have rather than the wealthy children who had everything.
3. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory relates to the historical moments from slavery. For example, African American couldn't read or write, had no many, and went through cruel punishment, but as long as they had they had their children they were grateful. The valued having their family in the presence rather than money they did not have or freedom they didn't. Another example of this was in the fiction unit when I read Corduroy. Even though the bear was missing a button when she went back to get him the next day she was still appreciative for him like he was new and nothing was wrong. Through not only drama, but also fiction, non-fiction, poetry,etc.
4. Charlie is the protagonist. He is the protagonist because he is the one that the story is basically centered around. Charlie has been seen as this appreciative child that is understanding and loves his family. Charlie has struggles financial as a child, and struggled to have food to eat. While the other character go on with their everyday lives we see Charlie’s life slowly progressing. Charlie goes from having to worry about what he is going to eat to never having to worry again. The other children would be considered as both the major and minor characters. The situations determine when one character is major or minor. The protagonist most distinctive traits is obedience, appreciation, honest, and hope. His most distinctive values is to be appreciated for what you have rather than unappreciative for what you don’t have. He also values family a lot and see that it means more than materialistic things. The character is motivated because of his grandfather. He loves his grandfather and know that whatever his grandfather have hos grandfather will give him. He sees that he can have no money and still have a great time with his grandfather. The internal conflict is that Charlie values all of his family members and when he can only take one family member he experiences an emotional struggle. The external conflict is man vs. society. This is a conflict because Charlie wants to win the golden ticket, but doesn’t succeed at first. Lines that reveal most about Charlie is when he gets the opportunity to live in the chocolate factory, but passes the opportunity down.
5. A conflict that was identified in this play was greed. It's one of the seven deadly sins, and for a reason. Greed is a selfish desire to have more of something that is needed. This is where people not say “I want more”, but rather say “I want more than anyone else”. Greed, makes people do not-so-smart things. Despite the fact that it's an unfair world, where the selfless people struggle to get by and the selfish people succeed. Family is clearly the most important thing to families who do not have much materialistic things. How do we know? For one thing, the less fortunate family is grateful for the little they do have, and whatever they have they share it between each other because they are not greedy. That's love right there. Meanwhile families who are more fortunate in life have a different approach. These are people who don’t know what it likes to spend your last dollar, or to be grateful for anything because they have everything. Therefore sharing, caring, and being appreciative is something these people do not value due to greed. In the end, if you are generous with your family, and if you stick together, you can get through tough times together. But if you're selfish, you might just end up at the bottom where you belong. The theme implied to resolve this conflict is good thing comes to those who wait. They will receive a well-deserved life as long as you have patience.
