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- ##fa fa-bookmark## Play 2: Visit to a Small Planet
- This chapter is from the 1st Year English book 3 and it has been written by Gore Vidal. we have presented the important questions and main idea of this chapter for the intermediate (part 1) fsc fa ics i.com first year students.
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- ##fa fa-info-circle## Summary
- The Play 'A Visit to a Small Planet' is written by Gore Vidal, an American playwright. It is a reflective comedy. It contains the elements of adventure, suspense, and Comments about the modern civilization. Kreton, a mystery character from other planet, is the central character. His comments about the earthly civilization are very crucial. Roger Spelding is a very reputed T.V. programmer. He also plays a significant role in projecting the main character. General Powers intervention adds to the feeling of suspense in the play. The setting is purely American. Roger Spelding and General Powers are the symbols of American pride and arrogance. They have fixed notions. They want to see the world through their own perceptions. They do not accept any other force in the Universe. When they encounter a new challenging situation, they are exposed. Both Roger Spelding and General Powers suffer from the disease of self-projection. Like typical Americans, Spelding worships status and money. He does not want her daughter to marry an ordinary farmer. All this sets the background of the play. The real action, however, starts with the appearance of spaceship. There are many speculations about it, which end as the spaceship lands in Spelding's garden and the mystery character emerges from it. His name is Kreton. He starts with an ironical statement that the place where he has landed is much better than he had expected. He also laughs at the idea of nationalities. He just introduces himself as a citizen of the Universe. He criticises the authoritarian attitude of the rulers. He also does not like the idea of censorship in media. He is of the view that the Culture on the earth is full of suspicion and doubt. At this point he ridicules the earthly Creatures by saying that civilisation is just beginning on earth. Kreton also ridicules men in uniform. He believes that these people are responsible for battles and wars among nations. He also laughs at their intelligence level. Kreton tells General Powers that he is too dull to understand the mathematical notions he would like to share. He also tells his guests that all the modern inventions they feel proud of are very old. Kreton also humbles General Powers by saying that Americans are not worthy enemies. Why should he and his comrades ever think of invading them. The stranger also exposes the limitation of their knowledge. He proves to them that he is much more knowledgeable than the General and his guests. This wealth of knowledge has enabled them to know what the radars can't. General Powers is humbled when he is unable to take control of the spaceship. No one could came closer to it. Kreton finally say them good-bye and leaves for an unknown destination.
Q: How does Kreton prove his extraordinary powers?
Kreton is a superman. He comes in a spaceship which does not have any equipment. It is a pilotless spaceship. Kreton does not let General Powers' men destroy his spaceship. Besides this, Kreton proves that he can foresee future. He also proves that he is much more knowledgable and powerful than General Powers and other earthly creatures.
Q: What is the purpose of the visit of Kreton?
Kreton is fond of travelling. He is visiting the earth to study the behaviour of earthly creatures.
Q: How much advanced is the civilisation of Kreton than that of the earth?
The inhabitants on Kreton's planet are very much advanced in science and technology. They can see future. They have conquered time and space. People on earth, on the other hand, are in the beginning stage of the civilisation. They know very little about life and matter.
Q: Can the people of earth Compete with the people of Kreton?
Unlike the people on Kreton's planet, the people of earth have little knowledge of universe. They cannot see future. They are unable to control the universe. For these reasons the people of earth cannot compete with the people of Kreton.
Q: How much damaging is violence in life?
Violence makes a society unsafe. In such a society might rules the right. People become victims of suspicion and fear. Human relations suffer a lot.
Q: What type of life do you foresee in the year 5000?
In the year 5000 scientific knowledge will be highly advanced. Civilisation on earth would be closer to the civilisation on Kreton's planet.
Q: How much impressive were the morals of Kreton?
Kreton is very courteous to his guests. He answers hostile questions patiently. However, his remarks about people on earth are very rash and aggressive. At this point his behaviour does not look refined.
Q: What is the role of General Powers in the play?
General Powers is the symbol of American pride and arrogance. As a military man he is responsible for wars between nations. He seems to play the role of a villain in this play.
Q: What is the theme of the study of Kreton?
The theme of Kreton's study is to know more about human beings. For this purpose he wants to intoxicate himself with the primitive thoughts of people on earth.
Q: How does Kreton impress General Powers?
Kreton does not let General destroy his spaceship. Kreton also tells the General what he is thinking at that particular moment. All this impresses the General a lot.
Q: Write a note on Kreton.
Kreton, a mystery character from other planet is the central character. He is in forties. He is a mild, pleasant-looking, old-fashioned man. His comments about the earthly civilization are very crucial. He criticizes the people on earth in humorous style. His opening statement is quite ironical. He tells his guests that the place where he has landed is much better than he had expected. Kreton also laughs at the idea of nationalities. kle introduces himself as a citizen of the universe. He is critical of the authoritarian attitude of the rulers. He also does not like the idea of censorship in media. He ridicules the earthly creatures by saying that civilisation is just beginning on earth. Kreton also ridicules men in uniform. He believes that these people are responsible for battles and wars among nations. He also laughs at their intelligence level. Kreton humbles General Powers by saying that Americans are not worthy enemies. To sum up his character we can say that Kreton is a good, sociable, impressive person. He is a superman, but he projects himself in a very humble way. He did not show off his strength until he was forced to do so. His attitude towards his guests is very cordial. His witty remarks add a great attraction to the play.
Q: Write a brief note on General Powers.
General Powers is middle aged. He is a typical product of American National Guard. He is the symbol of American pride and arrogance. He has fixed notions. He loves to see the World through his own perceptions. When he found a new challenging situation, his true self was exposed. The General also suffers from the disease of self projection. Not surprisingly, as a military man he sounds auhtoritarian, at times even rough. General is not an intelligent person. He could never believe that the strange object could be a spaceship. He keeps on insisting that it is just a meteor. Kreton believes that the General is too dull to understand the mathematical notions. As a leader he is not very perceptive. He does not come up with novel ideas in a challenging situation.
Q: Write a note on Roger Spelding.
Roger Spelding is middle aged. He is a broadcaster. He speaks in a smooth, clear tone. His voice is musical. i.ike General Powers, he is also a symbol of American pride. He does not think independently. He views the facts through the rulers' eyes. He believes that the strange object is a meteor because General thinks so. He is very fond of self projection. As a typical American, he worships money power and success. He does not want her daughter to marry John, because he is not an ambitious, successful person. Generally, he is a cool, calm and compromising fellow. He is a proud American, but not arrogant at all.
Q: Write a note on Mrs. Spelding.
Mrs. Spelding is a housewife. She is occupied with her own homely setting. So many strange things are happening, but she does not take much notice of them. She is in fact more worried about her garden. According to her, the only problem with the spaceship is that it is spoiling her garden. Mrs. Spelding is a Courteous lady. She is first to welcome Kreton. She greets him in a very cordial way. She is not suspicious about him at all. Mr. Kreton acknowledges her friendly gestures. In domestic setting she behaves in an impartial way. She tries to passify Roger when he has an argument with his daughter. She pleads her daughter's case rather Well.
Q: Describe the scene of the arrival of the flying saucer.
Americans see a strange object flying mysteriously. There are a lot of speculations about this object. Some people think it is a meteor. Some others believe that it is a weather balloon. Some consider it as an optical illusion, and very few are of the opinior that it is a spaceship. These speculations end as the spaceship lands in Spelding's garden and as Kreton emerges from it. This is a strange spaceship. It is without a pilot and specific equipment. It is a Small, shiny object. As the Aide describes, it is elliptical with a fourteen feet diameter. It is made of an unknown metal which shines. Inside it is empty. When this spaceship lands in the rose garden, there is a great excitement. Only John dares to go near. The tension decreases after the safe landing of the spaceship.
Q: How does the playwright expose the inferiority of the present race to that of the future? OR How does the writer compare the people of the two planets?
Gore Vidal exposes the limitation of the modern civilisation in an effective way. He believes that the modern civilisation is not civilised enough. In fact the civilisation is just beginning on the earth. Modern man knows too little. His knowledge of science and humanities is superficial. Modern man is carried away by superstitions. He is also addicted to self glorification. This has resulted in arrcgance and disrespect for others. Consequently, nations are engaged in never ending wars. The writer is also of the view that modern man has not yet learnt to conquer time and space. Men in future civilisation would be quite different. They might live in other planets. According to the writer they will live for ever by conquering time and space. They will be much more knowledgeable. They will not be the victims of hatred. They will live peacefully. Civilisation will be in its full bloom. The inhabitants of all the planets will be united. Thus, the future men would be the members of a universal civilisation.
Q: What type of play 'A Visit To A Small Planet' is?
A Visit To A Small Planet is a thought-provoking and entertaining play. The play develops in American setting. However, it has universal significance because it exposes the limitations of modern civilisation in general.
Q: What do you know about the author of the play?
Gore Vidal is the author of the play 'A Visit To A Small Planet'. He was born 4 1925 in New York. He is renowned both as a playwright and a novelist.
Q: Briefly describe the theme of the play.
The play is a satire on modern civilisation. The writer believes that the people of 20th century are just in the beginning stages of civilisation.
Q: In which setting does the play develop?
The entire action in the play takes place in the house of Spelding in an American town, Maryland. At night a flying saucer lands in the rose garden of Spelding's house.
Q: How many different characters are there in the play?
The central character of the play is the visitor. His name is Kreton. General Powers and Mr. Spelding, are also vital characters. Mrs. Spelding, her daughter Ellen Spelding, and Ellen's boyfriend John Randolph also contribute to some extent. General Power's Aide appears off and on. Briefly describe the visitor, Kreton. Kreton is a visitor from another planet. He is in his forties. He is a gentle, pleasant-looking man. He is dressed in the fashion of 1860.
Q: Briefly describe General Powers.
General Powers represents the American National Guard. He is a vigorous fellow. Like typical Generals he talks in an authoritative way. He is not a very imaginative person, and conducts affairs in a routine, traditional way.
Q: Briefly describe Mr. Spelding.
Mr. Spelding is a TV broadcaster. He is middle-aged. His broad- casting profession is his main interest in life. He is very conscious of his self-projection.
Q: Describe the speculations about the flying object.
Many Americans came to know that a flying object was coming down. Some . believed that it was a secret weapon for defence purposes. Some believed that it was a spaceship. On the other hand, General Powers observed that it was a meteor passing through the earth's orbit.
