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The Hitchhiking Game, By Milan Kundera

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There are a multitude of theoretical perspectives that just about anybody could take and apply to an ample amount of scenarios. One of the more popular theories is the theatre perspective; which relates to the idea of method and classical acting. These two styles combined, with a little miscommunication thrown in, can turn a silly game, between a couple, into their worst memory together. The couple in the short story “The Hitchhiking Game”, by Milan Kundera, is the prime example of the previously mentioned scenario happening. The couple uses both of these styles, not adequately noting how what they are doing is affecting their significant other, and it leads to a very troublesome ending. The theatre perspective of both the method and classical acting styles can thoroughly explain the mindset of the couple in “The Hitchhiking Game” and why they acted the way they did.

Method acting, or the Stanislavski method, was introduced by Constantin Stanislavski in the twentieth century; it is when an actor recalls emotions or reactions from his own life and uses them to personally identify with the character he is to portray. One of the most acclaimed method actors known in society today is the deceased Heath Ledger, who played the Joker in the Dark Knight. Rumor has said that Ledger died from accidentally overdosing on pills from loss of sleep after he played the role in this film; he turned himself into this demented character for the film and couldn’t get out of the role.

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