The Fire Within Me From Little Women, And Back To Before From Ragtime

The topic of strong female characters, who also typically are the leading ladies in musicals, has always been interesting . They are women who strive to achieve their goals while still staying true to who they are. These characters vary in types of strength, and what about their personality or background makes them a strong leading lady. However, these characters all have one thing in common - they are typically seen as driven and stubborn when it comes to the way they live their lives (How to write). The three songs that I want to discuss in my thesis paper are First Date/Last Night from Dogfight, The Fire Within Me from Little Women, and Back to Before from Ragtime. All three of these shows are contemporary (meaning released from the 21st

Some important characteristics include: “She has a story goal that defines the narrative, She is flawed, She captures our attention, She changes over the course of the story, She does not exist as a support for another character, She has the ability to stand up to the antagonist” (The Six). Each of these characteristics make up who she is, and why she is seen as strong. Here is a little more detail on each of those six attributes. Her Goal: She must achieve something, or get relief from something. Her Flaws: she is not perfect, and her flaws could change the course of the story. She has to make choices, and she has to deal with the consequences of her choices. Her persona: She has that special ‘something’ that captivates an audience. A strong character has a personality trait that catches the attention of an audience. Readers want to believe they could be that character if they were put in that situation. She could be brave, loyal, self-confident, intelligent, focused, charming, or compassionate. Her arc, or “turning pointe”: She discovers her strengths and weaknesses. She surprises herself and she surprises us as she grows and learns. There should not be a sudden realization at the end of the show. Her change should be gradual and believable. Her self dependance: Other characters exist to support her. The supporting characters are there to help her achieve her goal and complete the narrative arc of her story. The antagonist is there

Dogfight begins with the main character Eddie Birdlace, who has just returned from his term fighting in Vietnam. He is on a bus heading towards San Francisco, and he reminisces on the night he spent there four years ago with a girl named Rose. Suddenly the audience is transported back to 1963 where there is a bus full of young Marines. They are eager to spend their last night in town partying, and the audience is introduced to the “Three Bees” (Birdlace Boland, and Bernstein). The boys are participating in a Dogfight, each man puts in $50 and whoever can bring the ugliest girl to the party wins the money. The boys scavenge the city for dates and eventually Eddie comes across a diner where he meets the young waitress named Rose. It is apparent that she is quiet, and sort of socially uncomfortable. After Eddie flirts with Rose he invites her to the party, and she is hesitant to accept his invitation. Eventually she decides to go, not realizing what the true intentions of the night are. But none the less she is very excited to go on her first date. Meanwhile Boland has broken the rules of the night and invited Marcy, a sarcastic prostitute, to the dogfight. She agrees to come, and look her worst, as long as she gets half of the money. As Rose and Eddie head to the party he begins to question whether it was a good choice to bring her to the Dogfight. He tries his hardest to keep