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Intensifying the Literary Experience through Role PlayingAuthor(s): Paul T. McCalibReviewed work(s):Source: The English Journal, Vol. 57, No. 1 (Jan., 1968), pp. 41-46Published by: National Council of Teachers of EnglishStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/812522 .

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Intensifying the Literary ExperienceThrough Role PlayingPaulT. McCalibDepartmentof EnglishSt. CloudState CollegeSt. Cloud, Minnesota

[OR more than a quarter of a century,there has been available a teachingtechnique highly productive of insightsinto character. Sporadically it has at-tracted notice and has been used invarious teaching fields. Very rarely hasthe teaching of literature been amongthose fields. Whatever the reasons forneglect of such a viable tool, this tech-nique is not at all difficult. And it seemsparticularly relevant now, in light ofMarshall McLuhan's widely publicizedview that today's learner wants and needsto respond to and to interact with histotal environment. In The Medium Isthe Massage, McLuhan says, "Growingup-that is our new work, and it is total.Mere instruction is not enough." Surelyinsights into character developed fromthe study of literature comprise a legiti-mate and desirable part of that growing"up.For the technique that lends itself sowell to this concept of total response,"role playing" is the most forthrightdesignation. It has gone by numerousother names. Each indicates a slight vari-ation in design, but the fundamentalsremain the same. Creative dramatics,

dramatic improvisation,' informal dra-matics, psychodrama, sociodrama-theseare a few of the designations. Apparently"role playing" was the first, as a tech-nique developed among psychologists,with "psychodrama" following closely.Role playing is as natural as childhood.Who has not come upon children inplay, portraying their own parents?Thereby they are gaining insights intoparental behavior, insights which willbe put into practice years later. Thoughsubconscious, their purposes for suchmeaningful play are viable and valid.Why not harness such a highly pro-ductive technique to the teaching ofliterature?If you need further rationale, the his-tory of this technique is long and varied.Controlled scientific experimentationwith it is sparse. Nevertheless, its clinicaland informal use has been extensive.2

1See Marianne P. and Sidney B. Simon,"Dramatic Improvisation: Path to Discovery,"English Journal 54 (April 1965) 323-27."2J.L. Moreno, Psychodrama, 3rd ed., Vol. I(New York: Beacon, 1964) first published dur-ing World War II, details the early use ofpsychodrama in psychology. Moreno practised

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42 ENGLISH JOURNALPerhaps its best rationale is contained inthe words of one of the first researchersto make a full-fledged study of the tech-nique as applied

to education. She iswriting here about the dynamic natureof role playing. In both "actors" andaudience, mental and emotional aware-ness are heightened.

Psychologicallythis heightenedaware-ness is a significantstate of mind. Whenone approachesa new situation,one hasto sharpenone's perception. ... Whilefamiliarways of reactingare . . . to somedegree reinforced under tension, anotherelement comes into play. One is sen-sitized to more things in the environ-ment than before, because one is notsure with which things ... one will haveto deal, or which ones will be of helpin handling he new problem.3

Such a state of mind should be highlyevocative in the study of literature. Itinvolves emotions. Somewhere JosephWood Krutch has observed that emotionis the essential ingredient in literaturethat makes it different in kind fromscientific writing. Now traditional lec-ture and discussion methods, honest lit-erature teachers will admit, seldom pro-duce such a state of mind. Emotion andreason are seldom effectively broughtinto play simultaneously.

F the literature teacher can bring aboutthe student's response to his total en-vironment-specifically including and in-tensifying the literary experience-wouldn't one such experience be worthhundreds of hours of lecture and dis-

cussion? Role playing seems to offer suchan opportunity. Its dynamic, henceevocative nature and consequences arevouched for by those who have used it.At this point, it is time to ask just what isthis so promising method.In its simplest form, the technique canbe described as follows: The "actors"(students) are presented with a criticalsituation, in which they must behave andmake decisions spontaneously, withoutlengthy discussion beforehand. Theironly cues to action are provided by theirknowledge of the situation and of theother roles and by the behavior duringthe actual role playing of the situation.One provocative variation may benoted here: key persons in the "cast"are given information about their at-titudes or background not shared byother role players or audience.Literature, of course, offers an inex-haustible source of critical situations.After all, a short story is only a criticalsituation modified by the behavior ofthe characters, particularly the protag-onist, whose decisions along the way de-termine the outcome. A novel is in onesense a chain of such critical situations.Each has an outcome which determinesthe final denouement. In using role play-ing, the literature teacher presents hisrole players with such a situation. They"act" it out, producing their own be-havior and outcome. Whether these areidentical or even similar to those in theliterature under study is not the point.The similarity or dissimilarity providesmaterial for analysis of character andmotivation. Such analysis-done eitherin composition or discussion-elicitsfruitful, accurate character insights. Myown experience is that these insights areas often new and revealing to the teacheras to the students.In literature study using this tech-nique, there is one drawback, thoughprobably not as crucial as it may seem:Oddly enough, more than two charactersare rarely involved in the actual out-

in Vienna and was strongly influenced by Freudand Jung.3Jean D. Grambs, "Dynamics of Psychodramain the Teaching Situation," Sociometry (March1948), a journal now defunct. Also her "APsychodramatic Approach to the Teaching ofPersonnel Relations in a Course on Supervision,"unpublished doctoral dissertation (Palo Alto:Stanford University, 1948).


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LITERARY EXPERIENCE THROUGH ROLE PLAYING 43come of a critical situation. Yet, in roleplaying the more players involved, thegreater benefit to the class. (Five orsix seem to be optimum in my experi-ence.) On the other hand, for greatestrelevance to the study of literature, itmay be that the role-playing situationshould be drawn directly from literatureitself. Stephen Crane's "The Open Boat"provides one such source. The only prac-tical solution to this drawback seems tobe to invent situations similar to andinvolving the same kinds of clues to be-havior as those in the fiction under study.This has been my usual practice. Later,I will cite an example.

N using the role-playing technique,spontaneity of response is essential. Inactual life, the participant is rarely pre-pared by long contemplation for situa-tions which arise. Knowledge of the pastas to other participants, values, or mo-tives is fragmentary and emotionally-tinged. It follows that the role-playingparticipants in a situation from literaturedefinitely should not be aware before-hand of the actual outcome. Such knowl-edge would compromise spontaneity andpre-condition insights.To insure spontaneity, then, studentsshould read a story only to a pointimmediately preceding the incident tobe dramatized. Thus, their behavior canbe determined only by their knowledgeof and response to the author's char-acters as carefully developed to thatpoint. A teacher cannot, of course, elimi-nate influences outside the story. But theattitudes and preconditioning a studentbrings to a story are vital to his inter-pretation. They will often be revealed, toeverybody's advantage, during role play-ing. Knowing attitudes and precondi-tioning should certainly enhance litera-ture teaching.4

In a rather extensive though informal

study of the effects of role playing onstudent insights into character, I onceused Faulkner's short story "Barn Burn-ing." I used two invented incidents notin the story itself. These were designedto bring out insights I believed to bedesirable for students to gain. I consultedwith several other teachers and with aprofessional writer on what these in-sights should be. With their cooperation,I formulated three "opinionnaires" in-tended to determine which insights hadbeen gained. The first was given to stu-dents just before the role playing; thesecond, just afterward; and the third, amuch longer one, after they had com-pleted the story. (Sample questions fromthe three appear at the end of the article.)Other measures were also used. Im-mediately after role playing, the studentswere asked to write for fifteen minutes,telling why they thought the main char-acter acted, spoke, thought, and felt ashe did. In addition, in five-minute in-terviews, I asked selected students,"What do you think about Sarty (themain character)?"The role-playing incident itself maybe recast with different students andacted out two or three times. Betweenenactments, brief discussions of char-acter and motives may be encouraged. Inthese, the teacher should play a minimalpart.All this paraphernaliais not necessaryto the productive use of the role-playingexperience. It is merely suggestive ofvarious approaches to determine whetherstudents are gaining insights. Any com-bination of one, two, or three of theseinstruments can be successful.The role-playing incidents I used arerather more completely structured thanis necessary. (One such situation, withinstructions, also appears at the end ofthis article.) I gave individual clues torole players, not shared by other par-ticipants or the audience. This variationincreases the ambiguity, hence the life-like quality, of the situation. But the

4See Paul T. McCalib,"Try an Attitude Sur-vey," English Journal, 55 (December 1966)1175 ff.


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44 ENGLISH JOURNALsituation alone is enough. Refinementscan be developed in later use.Time-consuming this technique is. Butits productivity compensates for that.High school students will need orienta-tion to the technique. They are moreself-conscious than younger children,who take to it so naturally. It is desirableto have at least two situations at hand.The first is for orientation. After somelevity, students will accept the proce-dures as serious. Each role-playing ses-sion that follows will prove more"natural."

In this instance, and in many to fol-low over several years, I became con-vinced that students do indeed gainvaluable insights into fictional characterfrom role playing. Furthermore, thoseinsights are more profound and lastingthan those gained from conventionalmethods. That is because they are "felt."The dynamic interplay of emotions andreasoning, so characteristic of role play-ing, gets through to the participants-and the audience.For example, here are two responsesof students during interviews; they arerepresentative of many collected afterrole playing with "Barn Burning." Froma girl, a twelfth-grade, "average"student:Well, Sarty seemed to be torn be-tween two conflicts, and one of them, I

think, was his father image. He lovedhis father and he felt the need to respecthis father because after all that was thepersonhe'd turn to, being as how he wasa man. He had . . . he also seemed towant to follow his own sense of justice.He probably got that from his mother,but he felt like he had to follow hisfather . . . in order to remain loyal tohis image. [Teacher: Can you say some-thing about his comment at the end,"My fatherwas brave"?]Oh yes, he wasstill trying to be true to his father image.He needed something to cling to, eventhough ... well, he knew his fatherwas

bad, but he tried to rationalizehis be-havior, and he still had something tocling to by saying his father was brave,and to the Civil War [in which thefather hadparticipated reditably].And from a boy, a twelfth-grade, some-what better than "average"student:

Right after the trial, the child wasprimarily confused . . . uh, bitter andconfused. It was really, uh ... mirroredthe fact that he hadn't faced up to thereality that his father wasn't the perfectfather he thought he was. The rug-cleaning incident increasedhis bitterness. . . uh, his will to rebel. Faulknerpointed out that he wanted to rebel,but he wasn't physically or emotionallyor financially independent-so hecouldn't. However, when he saw hisfather ready to go off to burn the barn,this was absolutely the last straw-Hewanted at the last to stop the-his fatherfrom burningthe barn,because he knewthat was wrong. But this was where hisvalues conflicted so heavily. But he justcould not justify his father burning thebarn.Therefore, he rebelled. But [at theend] he still had to-respect his father'simage. He realized that his father hadgood qualities-that he was brave andindependent. And yet he did have badfaults and these the boy just couldn'tadjust. And at the end, the boy was,whether he liked it or not, more or lessindependent-just beginning,but not likehis father.

I compared these responses with those ofstudents in other classes who had read thestory but had not had the role playing.The results supported what I have con-cluded, too, from experiences with roleplaying since: Role playing evokesdeeper, more lasting understanding.

To come back to my opening remarks,I am convinced that here is an extremelyviable instrument with which to elicitthe total learner response to and inter-


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LITERARY EXPERIENCE THROUGH ROLE PLAYING 45action with environment that McLuhancalls for in realistic education today.Harnessed to literature study, the tech-nique can appreciably aid developmentof life-long appreciation. If literature isindeed experience, what more can theteacher ask of a method?

SAMPLE QUESTIONS FROM AN"OPINIONNAIRE"Directions: In each set of three ques-tions, choose the one that tells mostabout what Sarty is like. Mark this state-ment with a plus sign (+). Then, in thesame set of three, choose the statementthat tells least about what Sarty is like.Mark that statement with a zero (0).There are no right or wrong answers.Your best judgment is what counts.

1. Sarty is inwardly sure that hisfather will at last change hisways.Sarty is deeply impressed by thecircus posters in town.Sarty always tries to be loyalboth to his own sense of justiceand truth and to his father.

2. Inwardly, Sarty sincerely believeshis father had the rug washedthe best way he knew how.Sarty was an industrious boywho didn't need supervision towork.Sarty has an inner need to be-lieve his father is right and just.

3. Sarty has an inner desire for alife of respectability, dignity, andsecurity.Sarty always recognizes hismother's sense of despair andhates his father for it.Sarty is deeply impressed by theglittering lights and fine carpetsin Major De Spain's mansion.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IN THESITUATION?

Directions: Please stop reading the shortstory, "Barn Burning," at the point

where the boy Sarty feels the peace anddignity of the mansion of Major DeSpain, and thinks of his father, "Maybehe will feel it too. Maybe it will evenchange him now from what maybe hecouldn't help but be."Your teacher will now read to youaloud the following situation, whichmight have happened in the story. Tryto think about what you would do ifyou were one of the story characters.The teacher will ask for your comments.(Note to teacher: These directions

may be given orally after the firstone or two role-playing situations.)

The SituationCharacters: Sarty, the Father, theMother, the Brother, the Sisters, andMajor De Spain, the landlord.

Sarty and his father have just returnedto the shack from the visit to the newlandlord's house. The mother meets themon the porch, telling them that she hassome coffee and skittles ready, sincethey haven't eaten lunch. She seems ap-prehensive and wants to know if thefather completed his business with thelandlord satisfactorily. The older brotherarrives from the barn. He is vocallycurious about the landlord. The sistersare lounging around on the porch. Afterthe family has talked for a few minutes,the new landlord (Major De Spain)arrives.

How does the conversation proceedand how do they react to Major DeSpain?Instructions to Individual Characters(To the Teacher: These may be givento the players individually, either infront of the audience or alone. But noother role player should share his in-structions with the rest of the "cast".)To Sarty: You can't forget what hap-

pened at the big house, how yourfather acted. You want to tell yourmother about the beautiful house andits mistress. You are thinking about


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46 ENGLISH JOURNALthe contrast with how your motherhas always had to live.To the Father: You are thinking thatthe new landlord, like others, got hiswealth and mansion through the sweatand labor of Negroes and of whitetenant farmers like yourself. His wifewas stupid and soft like others of herclass, not like your old lady. Peoplelike the major and his wife don'tdeserve what they've got; they don'twork.

To the Mother: You wonder how yourman talked to the new landlord? Washe too angry-like, too proud for hisown good? What is the landlord like-is he kindly and just, not blamingpeople for a mite too much pride?How can you ask your man questionslike these without making him mad?

(Instructions follow for the othercharacters in this situation.)

ThoughtsAfter the Accidental Death of a Young GirlWhen I heard, the grief was notThere. She wasNot a good nor even, really, an average student, andI felt no pain, no shock, no innocent disbelief,Only the dull knowledge thatThe very last words I must haveSaid to her were "Please turn around" or"Kindly stop talking" or something elseTeacherish.For teachers are expected to be profound, say great things,Yet her best subject was life.Try to teach life some day andSee where your profundities get you.

David BurmesterSacramento,California

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