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Sure Thing David Ives Analysis

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Language is the way people communicate. A person’s choice of words, tone, and even body language all make up his or her language. Language is incredibly important, especially during a first encounter. It is said that language limits thought and thought is dependent upon language. When two people first meet, it is their language that helps both people to form their own opinions of each other and can make or break the bond between these two people. There are many works of literature that show the importance of language as a major literary theme. One of these works is Sure Thing by David Ives. This play emphasizes the significance of language in a light-hearted, humorous account of two strangers that meet in a local café and begin to talk to each other in the hopes of obtaining a date. In Sure Thing, Ives uses many literary techniques to portray the value of language as a main theme within his play, including minimalism, symbolism, and repetition. In Sure Thing, Ives’ minimalistic approach to the setting is crucial to the development of the characters and the play. Not only are there only two characters, Bill and Betty, within the drama, but there is also hardly anything else on the stage …show more content…

Throughout the play, there is a bell that rings every time Bill or Betty say something that would make their conversation begin to falter. After the bell rings, Bill and Betty get the chance to recant their earlier statements and say something else that might intrigue the other person more. The ringing bell symbolizes a fresh start and a second chance to make a good impression. This ties into Ives’ theme of language being paramount because the bell rings when Bill or Betty use language that is not beneficial to their end goal - getting to know each other and going out on a date. However, because of the bell, they each get endless opportunities to change their language to successfully meet their end

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