I chose "The Crucible" (first time reading it, and I ended up reading the whole play front to back in one go). What stuck out to me most about the work was the idea of Authority vs. Individualism, and how there were a lot of ways in which the lines were blurred between what people in the town considered Justice and Villainy (sin). I ended up going with a lot of religious imagery to reflect this discourse in the thumbnails. No. 1) I went with goats because livestock, but also Baphomet No. 2) I wanted to play around with the idea of how Abigail drinks blood in the woods, but in church don't people also drink red wine (because the point is for it to be a stand-in for blood, right)? Not sure if it was too much to stack on top, but I wanted to do something with the reflection in the liquid, so I put in the poppet instead of a person in the glass. No. 3) Originally, I wanted to express how one of the characters wanted to fly out of the window, but what I actually ended up drawing was a kind of religious imagery where one person is spread out in a cross-shape on top of the judge's podium. Very much enjoyed this assignment!!

100 Years of Solitude While I loved the storytelling and ‘magic’ of this book, I know I’ve just scratched the surface of the symbolism that in contains. One day when I read through again, I will hopefully have a much more developed statement behind these comps. But for now - words and some symbols mainly around trees and pig tails.

The thems that stood out to me were, Acusation vs. Vindication. using the imagery in the Crucible i found the contrast between the acusatory theocracy and freedom that the young women find in the rituals of withchcraft intresting. in my first 2 thumbnails (varions on the same idea) i have the young woman emerging from the hens egg held up by toad like legs. the village in miniture is perched on the back of the fragile egg. she holds a small candle representing a guiding light as she attempts to escape the egg. the second thumbnail is that of a judge holding court mixed with a slowly melting candle, the judge and stand are both made from wax that is slowly melting as primal figures dance in its light.

I chose the theme Reality vs. Escapism/Illusions. The play is set in the 1930s–40s, during the Great Depression and a time of great hardship. I felt that each of the three characters had their own way of escaping from the harsh realities of life: Tom through his poetry and the movies, Laura through her glass collection, and Amanda through memories of her youth as a beautiful young woman. I wanted to explore the contrast between harsh reality and the dreams and illusions they each retreated into. I focused particularly on Tom and was drawn to the theme of reality being represented by factories, chimneys, ladders, rooftops, bricks, and late-night lit windows—while illusions were symbolized by smoke, as a metaphor for lightness, dreaminess, and escape. I didn’t manage to produce three thumbnails that I was completely happy with, but I chose the two strongest ones. I also think that If I took these further I would add more details and icons. I really liked getting going with the words, but I quickly noticed that I deviated from my wordstacks and I also came up with totally different ideas. Is it efficient to work with tangents or ideas that just pop up in ones head? Or will they lose detail and lose connection to a strong theme?

I chose The Crucible. I did quite a bit of research and interpretation, as I felt the need for a strong foundation to properly deliver on such a delicate and topical subject. I assume that much of this work and guidance would typically be provided by an art director. However, being set loose on my own, I just tried to think as loudly as possible. I bent the rules a bit and included the color red instead of just neutral greys in the drafts. The use of red seemed to be a given for multiple reasons (the Red Scare, fascist flags, blood, etc.) and, since it was literally just a single click away in Photoshop, I couldn't resist. Since I worked with themes of oppression, religion, and sexuality, I would like to issue a CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNING.

I chose The Glass Menagerie. There were themes of nostalgia and regret. Feeling trapped and yearning for escape. I tried playing with the Victrola as a symbol for nostalgia and the glass figures as memory. In one of the thumbnails I made Laura the glass figure. The shape of the windows and display case. Themes were nostalgia vs regret. Feeling trapped vs yearning for freedom. This was tough for sure.

Production: "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller Theater Company: Various Page Size: 24 x 36 inches In 1953, Arthur Miller wrote, The Crucible. He wrote it in response to McCarthyism, which ended in 1954. It was a pertinent and brave piece of literature regarding the times he lived in. Reading this play in 2025, 72 years on, I found his message is as relevant now as then. The plight of two women, Abigail Williams and Tituba, interested me, because both were outsiders. Abigail is a young, attractive woman, an orphan, who witnessed her parents being killed. She lives with her embittered uncle, who is the village minister. Abigail remains infatuated with her former employer after having an affair with him. Initially, Abigail tries to control the narrative. Events overtake her, to survive she lies and breaks societal norms. In contrast, Tituba, is a mature woman from Barbados. Tituba is the minister’s slave, removed from her own country, family, and culture; she has Western ideas imposed on her. Yet Tituba still has the resilience to go to the woods to dance, sing and make spells. Tituba, because of her marginalised status, is the first to be accused of witchcraft. Tituba has no choice but to resort to deception to navigate her precarious circumstances. Theme:- Hypocrisy, fear, repression vs candor, rational, authentic

I've chosen "100 years Old Solitude". Not because I enjoy magical realism. It's because it's the last one I've read. I haven't watched the tv show. Too many images, symbols, themes is my head. So Step by step? Ok. Let's start with the words: There are so many. I must remember Hundley's advice: telling us not to complicate too much. But which one(s) to choose?