Cosi hsc practice essay Essay

Discuss how Nowras perspective on personal relationships is conveyed in Cosi. The duck soup Cosi by Louis Nowra is an emotional portrayal of personal relationships in a Melbourne mental institution ostracised by society. throughout the play Nowras perspective on personal relationships develops and changes through character relationships and development, especially the development of the chief(prenominal) protagonist Lewis. Nowra conveys his perspective on personal relationships through themes such as the importance of neck and fidelity, the potency of women and learning and self-development. Techniques such as symbolism, intertextuality and contrast are also used to further highlight Nowras perspective.Nowras perspective on personal relationships is primarily shown through the character Lewis and his personal relationships with other characters in the play, especially in his relationship with his girlfriend Lucy. Act Two, Scene Two which features a confrontation amongst Lewis an d Lucy on their relationship is significant in showing this. In this scene, Lucy comes to pick Lewis up to take him to the moratorium brush and Lewis must decide between staying for the play and going with Lucy. Nowras belief on the importance of the existence of love and fidelity in a relationship is shown when Lewis says to Lucy Its about important things like love and fidelity. Intertextuality is used here through Lewis character development and change of values that is evident in this line. This change occurred through his participation in the production of Cosi Fan Tutte with the patients and his exposure to the themes in the play.The women in twain Cosi Fan Tutte and Cosi are often compared with the Arabian Phoenix which acts a symbol for a womans constancy or fidelity. A womans constancy is like the Arabian Phoenix. Everyone swears it exists, only if no one has seen it. This is quoted by Lewis to Lucy to further convey Nowras belief in the importance of love and fidelity in a relationship. As Cosi was written in a time where a huge neighborly change was occurring and women were beginning to have more sexual freedom with the invention he birth rig pill, a lot of aspects of the play focus on the empowerment of women and the double standards that exist between and women in society especially when it comes to fidelity.This is shown in Nowras contrast of Act Two, Scene One and Act Two, Scene, Two. In Scene One, Lewis is unfaithful as he kisses Julie but in Act Two he reprimands Lucy for quiescence with Nick failing to mention his own infidelities. Intertextuality is used in this scene when Lewis claims that a womans constancy is like the Arabian Phoenix, revealing his hypocrisy.Through Lewis condemnation, Nowra demonstrates that, although modern society has become more sexually lenient, there are still double standards that occur which condone mens fidelity but condemn womens fidelity. It is revealed that Nowra believes that men and women should be eq ual not only in relationships but in society too. Julie articulates the message at the beginning of the play when she says that men want women to deceive them because it will levy their worst thoughts about women which in contrast is confirmed by Lewis attitude towards Lucys infidelities.