Necessary Targets: sub-text
Necessary Targets: sub-text
Overview of Sub-text in Necessary Targets
- Sub-text, the unspoken or less obvious meanings or themes in a literary work, is used extensively in Necessary Targets to reveal characters’ hidden emotions, goals, and motivations.
- It helps in understanding the depth of characters and their psychological complexities.
Sub-text in Dialogue
- In the play, Ensler often uses sub-text in dialogue to convey what characters are really feeling or trying to achieve, which can be very different from the literal meaning of their words.
- An example is Zlata’s sceptical and confrontational attitude towards J.S.; it is a mask for her desperation and disappointment, her true feelings.
Role of Culture and Background in Shaping Sub-text
- The author incorporates the cultural context and personal background of characters to shape the sub-text.
- Characters’ experiences of war, their worldview and coping mechanisms all contribute to the subtle underpinning meanings of their dialogues and actions.
Sub-text in Character Relationships
- The dynamics between characters and their relationships are often coloured by multiple layers of sub-text.
- The guarded acceptance and eventual trust of the Bosnian women toward Melissa and J.S. is underlined with subtle resentment and testing of the latter’s sincerity and understanding.
Sub-text as a Reflection of Themes
- The sub-text in Necessary Targets often makes implicit references to the play’s major themes - war, trauma, healing, and cultural understanding.
- Ensler uses sub-text to add depth to these themes and provoke thought on the complexities of war, psychology, and cross-cultural experiences.
Importance of Sub-text Analysis
- Analysing sub-text in Necessary Targets provides a deeper understanding of characters, their relationships, and overarching themes of the play.
- It reveals the disparity between appearance and reality, fostering a comprehensive understanding of the play’s portrayal of human experience and psychology.