WHOSE LIFE IS IT ANYWAY

1

• WHOSE LIFE IS IT ANYWAY
• Remember when writing about Whose Life that a
  play is meant to be performed. It was written for
  13 actors to perform to a theatre audience.
• When you read the play think about the dialogue
  and how it should be said by each character in
  each situation what emotions are they
  feeling/going through? And think about the
  significance of the actions described in the
  stage directions.
• Concentrate on the dramatic impact. (This is not
  really a question where you talk about
  alliteration or punctuation of stage directions).
• Areas to consider
• The Plot A play is a carefully constructed
  story. Each event that happens has a bearing on
  the whole play.
• The Characters The characters may change or
  your perception of them may alter during the
  play.
• Themes Ideas in the play, issues the playwright
  wants you to consider or points they want to
  make.
• The setting Time and place chosen for the play
• The language The writers choice of words and
  phrases which are deliberately chosen to convey
  characters and ideas.
• Staging and performance Set, lighting, SFX,
  acting style and delivery

2

• EXAM FORMAT
• 
  
  You have to
  choose one question to answer from a choice of
  three.
• The first of the three choices will always be
  extract based. The extract is usually one to two
  pages in length and the question focuses
  attention directly on the extract. These
  questions do require an understanding of the play
  as a whole but really close attention to the
  extract printed is the key to successful answers.
  For Example
• Re-read pgs 20-23. In what ways does the writer
  create dramatic tension in this section?
• At least one task will be set which focuses on a
  broader topic than the extract-based task.
  Questions often ask for a response to a character
  or a relationship what this adds to the impact
  of the play. For Example
• How does the writer present the character of
  Ken Harrison? OR
• Explore the way that the author presents the
  relationship between Ken and Dr. Scott
• Another question will be likely to offer an
  imaginative/re-creative task in which you can
  write in role as one of the characters. Questions
  of this type will not necessarily always be set
  but they often appear as a third choice. For
  Example
• Imagine you are Dr. Scott the night before the
  trial. Write your thoughts
• These empathic questions are a popular and often
  successful option if you enjoy the opportunity to
  think and feel as a character at that particular
  moment in the play and its a change form more
  conventional essay approaches

3
Whose Life Is It Anyway?

• Read through setting and background notes and
  highlight anything relevant to the study of the
  play.
• Read through Timeline notes so you are aware of
  all the major scenes.
• Getting to know the play- Activity Sheet 1 and
  Activity sheet 2

4
Whose Life Is It Anyway?

• Read through general summary notes
• Read Pages 1-4 (up to Johns entrance) and answer
  the following questions
  1.
  What are the differences between the ways Sister
  and Nurse Sadler respond to Ken?
  
  2. What examples of Kens self-deprecating humour
  can you find in this section?
  3. What
  methods does the author
  use in the opening section of
  the play to establish Kens
  personality and what has
  happened to him?
  

5
Kens Humour

• The opening of the play gives a glimpse of Kens
  sense of humour. We have seen how he introduces
  his backside to Nurse Sadler and jokes about
  being a skateboard during the night for an
  imaginary friend. Much of his conversation has a
  sexual edge to it and his obvious physical
  incapacity makes his repeated sexual innuendo
  (double meanings about sex) both darkly humorous
  and pathetic. While the nurses lower his bed he
  pretends to be descending in a lift through
  Obstetrics, Gynaecology, Lingerie, Rubber wear
  (womens underwear and fetish wear. The joke is
  on Ken since he knows there is no future for him
  in these areas). He makes frequent jokes based on
  his own sexual impotence, Have me on the floor
  Sister please. Have me on the floor.
• Kens humour is self-deprecating. He is prepared
  to use himself as the butt of the jokes he makes.
  He is not afraid to laugh at himself and the
  position he finds himself in. He jokes about sex
  because he finds it ludicrous to imagine himself
  in any sexual situation.

6
Whose Life Is It Anyway?

• 4. In the opening pages how has Clark conveyed
  all this information in such a short space of
  time?
• 5. How does Kay show her inexperience as a nurse?
  Why does Ken call her a breath of fresh air?
• 6. What do you think would engage the interest of
  an audience in this opening?

7
Whose Life Is It Anyway?

• Activity sheet 3 will give you an opportunity to
  practise writing as if you were that character.

8
Whose Life Is It Anyway?

• Read through summary notes for pages 4-23.
• Look at questions as you read and try and answer
  them for yourselves with reference to the play
  script.

9
Whose Life Is It Anyway?

• Another key scene is the one where Ken talks
  to Mrs Boyle. Re-read over this scene p.24-30 and
  then look at Activity 6

10
Mrs Boyle

• In the stage directions she is described as being
  very professional in her manner. Ken is often
  abrupt with other characters but he is
  consistently rude to Mrs Boyle. The problem is
  probably to do with the role she is obliged to
  play. She has no medical function. Her only task
  is to convince Ken to change his mind and accept
  the new life fate has presented him with.
• Ken feels he is patronised by Mrs Boyle. He tries
  to communicate with her but he thinks she is not
  listening. This is not true, both she and Dr.
  Emerson understand perfectly but they cannot
  accept his decision so they gloss over his
  remarks or change the subject.
• How do you think Mrs Boyle would justify her
  professional detachment?

11
Whose Life Is It Anyway?

• Look at how Act One ends p.31 36
• What else do we learn about Nurse Sadler and the
  Sister?
• What do you make of Kens compliment to Dr.
  Scott? (p.33).
• What is Kens point about his sexuality?
• What does Johns last line mean?

12
Whose Life Is It Anyway?

• Act Two
• Look at summary notes on pages 37-53 and think
  about the questions raised.

13
Whose Life Is It Anyway?

• Ken and Dr. Scott
• You may get a question about what makes a
  particular incident in the play dramatic or
  moving or effective.
• Look at the dialogue between Dr. Scott and Ken
  on pages 53-55. What makes this a particularly
  moving moment in the play?

14
Ken and Dr. Scott (Act 2, P. 53-55)

• Dr. Scott uses Kens first name for the first
  time in this scene. Ken is being treated as a
  person, not just a patient here and it makes him
  feel like a human being again.
• It represents another credit for Ken after
  Mr Hill has agreed to represent him and he can
  see a way out of his situation.
• It shows Clare Scotts increasingly personal
  involvement with Ken and his case and it confirms
  the sadness she will experience if he succeeds in
  securing his own death.
• It is a bittersweet and complex moment for Ken
  because he is attracted to Dr. Scott and enjoys
  flirting with her but (unlike Mr. Hill) he will
  never be able to date her and develop this
  relationship and so this very attraction to her
  reinforces his determination to seek his own
  death.

15
Whose Life is it Anyway?

• Look at summary notes from p.56-p.71
• Analysing another key scene in the play,
• P71 75.
• Read scene and then go through highlighting and
  making notes on the following question
  
• Explore the ways in which Clark highlights
  the main issues in the play through Kens
  conversation with the judge?

16
Whose Life Is It Anyway?

• Looking at three key characters
• Ken
• Dr. Emerson
• John
• Character notes read through past paper
  questions on characters and plan answer on one.

17
Whose Life Is It Anyway?

• What is the dramatic function of Dr. Scott in the
  play?
• How does the writer present the character of Ken
  Harrison?
• Explore the presentation of Dr. Emerson?
• What is the dramatic function of the character of
  John?

18
Whose Life Is It Anyway?

• Key Themes
• The Dignity of Choice
• Professionalism
• Desire