A Dramatistic Analysis of Robert Fox's Short Story 'A Fable' Using Kenneth Burke's Pentad
Overview
This paper applies Kenneth Burke's dramatistic pentad framework to analyze Robert Fox's short story 'A Fable,' examining the act, scene, agent, agency, and purpose of the narrative. The analysis focuses on a young man's impulsive proposal to a stranger on a subway, exploring each element of dramatism to understand the story's structure and meaning. The paper also includes instructional content on creating dioramas as an artistic medium.
What this essay covers
- Introduction to the dramatistic pentad and Kenneth Burke's rhetorical framework
- Application of the five pentadic elements (act, scene, agent, agency, purpose) to the subway proposal narrative
- Overview of diorama creation process with detailed steps from research through construction
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A Fable
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A Fable
The dramatistic pentad consists of five problem-solving probes that help one understand the act, scene, agent, agency, and purpose. These aspects entail what was done (act), when and where the action was done (scene), the person who carried out the act (agent), how the action was done (agency), and the reason for the action (purpose). Kenneth Burke, an American rhetorician, adopted the dramatistic pentad as a structural pattern and an invention strategy to define the five critical features of dramatism. This paper will employ the dramatistic pentad to analyze Robert Fox' short story "A Fable". The story's events take place on a subway line to Manhattan where a young man on his first day to work notices a beautiful girl he immediately wants to marry. He decides to propose to the girl and convince her mother that he can be a good provider.
The act is the first step of the dramatistic pentad and, in this short story, constitutes the young man's proposal to the girl. The scene in the story is inside the subway car where the main characters of the story and other passengers travel to Manhattan. The agent in the story is the young man travelling to his first regular job, but in the subway car, he notices a beautiful girl.