Allen Woody The Kugelmass Episode (rozbor poviedky)

Woody Allen, with his own name Allen Stewart Konigsberg, was born in New Yourk in 1935. He grew up there and tired to study. He was expeled out of the University of New Yourk and also the NY’s City College. At the age of 15 he began to write his first quips for newspaper columists, using the name Woody Allen. Then he wrote for radio and television performers, worked as a night club comedian and in 1964 started his very succesful film carier. He first directed his own film, What’s New Pussycat?, in 1966. Until now, he has made at least 20 movies, three theatre plays and published three collectins of humorous works. I’m not able to write here about all his films, but some like Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid o Ask), Crimes and Misdemeanors, Mighty Aphrodide or Manhatan Murder Mystery are really great. He received four Academy Awards for Annie Hall. From his book I just love and Side Effects. In his life, the only think Allen regrets in that he is not someone else. Not very surprisingly, this little anecdote is out of the great Side Effects. It has all peculiar Allen’s characteristic. It feateures typical confused underachievier in Allen’s beloved New Yourk. I like this story very much, because of Allen’s great humor, funny dialogues, perfectly use slang and very very crazy plot. The name Woody Allen is like a trade mark. It always means something intelligent, funny and absolutely unexpected. 1. PLOT AND STRUCTURE

EXPOSITION

PERSKY Mr. KUGELMASS DAPHNE KUGELMASS



EMMA BOVARY

This story takes place in New York, where professor Kugelmass lives. Kugelmass is a professor of humanities at City College and is unhappily married for second time. He finds his wife Daphne boring and he wants new women, but he doesn’t want a divorce. - Kugelmass, a professor of humanities at City College, was unhappily married
for the second time. Daphne Kugelmass was an oaf. He also had two dull sons by his first wife, Flo, and was up to his neck in alimony and child
support. –
(Pg. 370)



CONFLICT
One night, strange man called Persky called Kugelmss. The Great Persky was a magician and he promised to help Kugelmass. He had invited Kugelmass to his house and showed him a strange Chinese cabinet. Persky told Kugelmass that he could take him to every novel play or poem he wants. Kugelmass chosed Emma Bovary. In next few months Kugelmass visited Persky many times.

He became a lover of Emma Bovary and he decided to take her to New York. They spent a beautiful weekend together at the Plaza Hotel. After two perfect days they went back to Persky.
Kugelmass:”I need to meet a new woman. I need to have an affair.”
(Pg. 370)
Kugelmass:”I can’t afford a second divorce. Daphne would really sock it to
me.”
(Pg. 370)
Kugelmass:”Hello.”
Persky:”Kugelmass, this is Persky.”
Kugelmass:”Who?”
Persky:”Persky. Or should I say The Great Persky?”
(Pg. 371)
-Persky reppeared, pushing before him a large object on a sqeaky roller-skate wheels. He removed some old silk handkerchief that were lying on its top and blew away a bit of dust. It was a cheap-looking Chinese cabinet, badly lacquered. –
(Pg. 371)
Persky:”If I throw any novel into this cabinet with you, shut the doors, and
tap it three times, you will find yourself projected into that book.”
(Pg. 371)
Kugelmass:”French. I want to have an affair with a French lover.”
(Pg. 371)
Kugelmass:”What about Emma Bovary? That sound to me perfect.”
(Pg. 371)
-As the month passed, Kugelmass saw Persky many times and developed a close and passionate relationship with Emma Bovary. –
(Pg. 373)
-That night safely returned to Persky’s flat, Kugelmass brought up the idea of having Emma visit him in the big city. –
(Pg. 374)
-At Persky’s Emma climbed into the cabinet, arranged her boxes of clothes neatly around her, and kissed Kugelmass fondly. –
(Pg. 375)

CLIMAX
Emma was siting in cabinet, but nothing happened. Something went wrong.
-Persky rapped three times on the cabinet. Nothing happened. –
(Pg. 375)

DÉNOUMENT
Kugelmass took Emma back to the Plaza. She spent there another week, but it was nothing like the first weekend. She wanted Kugelmass to marry her or to send her back. When Persky had reparied the cabinet, they send her back and for few weeks was Kugelmass calm. Than, after three weeks, he again went to see Persky.
Emma:”Get me back into the novel or marry me.”
(Pg. 375)
-Again the lovers hurried into the magician’s apartment, and Emma Bovary climbed into the cabinet with her boxes. This time there was no kiss. Persky shut the doors, took a deep breath, and tapped three times. There was the reassuring popping noise, and when Persky peerd inside, the box was empty. Madame Bovary was back in her novel. –
(Pg. 376)
Kugelmass:”It’s over. I learned my lesson.”
(Pg.

376)
-Three weeks later, at the end of a beautiful spring afternoon, Persky answered his doorbell. It was Kugelmass, wiet a sheepish expresion on his face.”
(Pg. 376)

RESOLUTION
Kugelmass wanted to be sent to a “Portnoy’s Complaint”. But something went wrong, cabinet exploted, Persky died and Kugelmass had been projected into an old Spanish textbook.
-Persky tossed in a copy of “Portnoy’s Complaint” and rapped three times on the box. This time, instead of popping noise there was a dull explosion, followed by a series of crackling noises and shower of sparks. Persky leaped back, was seized by a heart attack, and droped dead. The cabinet burst into flames, and eventually the entire house burned down. Kugelmass, unware of his catastrophe, had his own problems. He had not been thurt into “Portnoy’s Complaint” or into any other novel, for that matter. He had been projected into an old textbook, “Remedial Spanish”, and was running for his life over a barren, rocky terrain as the word ”tener” (“to have”) – a large and hairy irregular verb raced after him on its spindly legs. –
(Pg. 377)
2. DESCRIPTION
Kugelmass is a professor of humanities at City College. He is unhappily married for second time and has two sons with his first wife. He is bald and hairy. He is bored with his life and he needs affair, but he doesn’t want a divorce. At first, he loves Emma Bovary, but after one week with her in New York, he doesn’t want to see her again. He hasn’t taught himself a lesson with Emma, so he ended in an old textbook.

3. SETTING
This story takes place in New York in the 70s’ and also in France (Yonville), in time of Emma Bovary.

4. POINT OF VIEW OR NARRATOR
This story is written in 3rd person and author is observer. 5. LANGUAGE AND STYLE
Language in this book is not very difficult to understand. Allen uses a slang language and special words used in New York in the 70s’.
“How you doing, cupcake?”
(Pg. 373)

6. SYMBOLS AND IRONY
Symbol in this story is the dream and this story is whole an ironic vision of USA, New York, in 70s’.