The Night of the Iguana by Tennessee Williams, ACT ONE- Group Discussion Joy Dela Cruz, Derick Silva, Kurtis Vickers, Obsaa Mohammed

DISCUSSION ONE:

Joy Dela Cruz Let's discuss the setting first. The play takes place in a hotel in Mexico called Costa Verde Hotel in the 1940's.
Derick Silva For me, the film has a better start to it then the novel. The movie explains how Shannon was a priest, a minister of the gospel, but then so some reason he stopped and the novel doesn't say anything. It starts off pretty slow with not a lot of action going on. The setting is in the Costa Verde hotel, again nothing really going on, but Shannon finds out that his long time friend Fred dies and his wife is making a move on him. We'll see how this progresses throughout the play.
Joy Dela Cruz Adding on and enlightening the character of Shannon, as he is one of our main character focus he is an ex-reverend. The book does not proceed to elaborate why he is no longer in the ministry in Act One, but it is revealed in the movie that he had what they called a “nervous breakdown” and preached to the congregation wrongly. In turn, Shannon now works for some tour company (Blake Tours) down South of America. One of the first scenes in the play is Shannon driving the bus with Miss Fellowes breathing down his neck, threatening to get him fired because he had slept with one of the under aged passenger. Also, there is a part in the play where Shannon instructs Hank to stop driving the bus to look at the children and women whom are by a river under a bridge. He states that they have stopped to look at a "moment of beauty in the lost world of the innocence". From what I understand from here, he is actually talking about his broken self.
Obsaa Mohammed This is where Charlotte Goodall, the seventeen year old girl is introduced. She slept with Shannon, whom is obviously an older man and from here we can depict that Charlotte in the play may be one of those careless, foolish lovers who end up with a broken heart.
Kurtis Vickers I would have to agree with Obsaa on this one with Charlotte’s possible future. Shannon however, has a past that is haunting his life and this endeavor he is about to partake with a bus- load of middle aged church women to a hotel may be just what he needs.
Joy Dela Cruz Any comments on the theme so far? I say sex and sexual desires
Kurtis Vickers I would say lust. All the characters mostly reveal a lustful relationship towards one another. Women like Maxine for example cheated a bunch of times even before
Derick Silva Ye I would say that and maybe growing up as well. Charlotte is only 17, but feels more mature cause she's "in love" with Shannon an older fellow.
Obsaa Mohammed Well, I was going to say even though Shannon took them to the hotel to keep his job he seems kind of trapped like an iguana, because of the things he did with that under aged girl named Charlotte.
Joy Dela Cruz For one, a priest turned into sexual deviations and lashed out during one of his sermons accusing God's image to be a "senile delinquent". Also, Maxine Faulk, who's recently been widowed by Frank, seems like she wants to start something with the priest, Shannon. Charlotte Goodall too is very provoking. But during the first few pages, I sense some kind of odd tension.
Derick Silva You'll read later on in the book that this girl Hannah who arrives at the Costa Verde Hotel is also interested in him. Not in the sense of seducing him, but she's waiting for an opportunity.  
Obsaa Mohhamed Oh I guess a theme could be loneliness, the widow attempts to do good for Shannon because she misses Fred. Charlotte’s also acts like a “runaround-sue” because she's lonely making Miss Fellows jealous because she needs the D.
Derick Silva Needs the D ? Ye I guess you can say that. A lot of sexual tension early on in the book
Kurtis Vickers Yes, you can tell how much Maxine already dislikes Hannah for all the attention he gives to Shannon
Kurtis Vickers ok I think that judging from the first act Hannah and Maxine are going to have a huge conflict (rather than Charlotte vs one of the girls) and that the theme of loved will be explored in multiple ways
Kurtis Vickers such as physical and emotional love. Hannah represents a physical lust, as she is also someone who gets around and Shannon's relationship is mostly physical with her
Kurtis Vickers And Hannah I think represents strong emotional attachment, and although Shannon is captured by her physical appearance, his willingness to help Charlotte and Nonno out shows his emotional interest and commitment
Joy Dela Cruz Why do you guys think Charlotte behaves the way she does in such a young age?  
Derick Silva I think somewhere in the book it says that her father was holding her back not to date and stuff and when that happens it cause a lot of times the girl to just be wild.
Joy Dela Cruz What do you think of the book so far?
Obsaa Mohammed I have to agree with Derick with how the play, whilst reading was a little bit slow and dry for my liking.
Joy Dela Cruz Yea, hopefully it turns up. I want to see the relation of the title to the plot of the play. 
Kurtis Vickers The book so far is okay, I guess. It has a slow beginning which made it hard to get into, but having the play on film makes it easier to engage with and proceed with the play.
Derick Silva Like I said in the beginning, it felt slow but when we read along with the film, it was easier to follow along with and had a much better job of occupying and attracting my attention.