'Gulp and Gasp' is a drama written by John Townsend. This drama takes the setting at a railway station in Rural England. The drama describes that the setting is in the early part of industrial revolution where the place is foggy and cold. During this era, the poor are always oppressed by the rich people. 
Now, lets have a glance of what 'Gulp and Gasp' is all about. The drama starts with the introduction of two antagonists; Lord Septic and Crouch. Lord Septic is a rich man who is willing to do anything to make him richer and more powerful. He does not feel guilty to take advantage of other's richness or manipulates those who are in trouble. This can be seen when he mentions that he marries his wife for the arm factory. Later, Rose, a blind damsel comes in to sell her flowers. Lord Septic orders Crouch to make Rose leave. It turns out Crouch bullies Rose and makes her falls. The poor young woman then is approached by Percy, an orphan who passes by. They then exchanges stories of their lives and both seem to be attracted to each other.
The story goes as Percy argues with Crouch and it turns out to be a panic situation. Percy becomes unconscious when he is bitten by Lord Septic from behind. Meanwhile, Rose is tied to the rail as the train approaches.
Finally, with the Percy's ingenuity and bravery, he manages to fight Lord Septic and Crouch. Rose tells Percy that he is actually Gatsby's son and the key that he has for this while is the key that will lead him to the Gatsby Gold. Percy then proposes Rose and the police finally arrives.
What is plot?
Plot is the arrangement of events or actions that happen in a story. Do you have any idea of the plot of 'Gulp and Gasp'? Below is the plot of the drama that i have drafted for you. Read the plot carefully and try to remember the storyline that you have read.
There are several names highlighted in the previous synopsis. 'Percy', 'Rose', 'Lord Septic' and 'Crouch' are the main characters in the drama 'Gulp and Gasp'. As you read the drama, you will fine the personality or the behavior of the characters. That is what we call 'Characteristic' of the characters.
- Another character is Percy. In the drama, Percy is portrayed as a handsome and brave hero. He stands for the truths and fights the evil characters. He is also a kind and generous young man.
- An antagonist for the drama is Lord Septic. He is a rich man who is willing to do anything to achieve his dream of becoming a powerful person. He is not just greedy and cruel, but he also an opportunist who takes advantage on everyone for his own benefits.
- Crouch is another antagonist who works as a servant for Lord Septic. He is a loyal servant and does anything as ordered by his master. Like Lord Septic, Crouch does not have a kind hard that he bullies Rose who is someone weaker than him.
Now that you have known the storyline, setting, plot, characters and characteristics from the drama 'Gulp and Gasp', we shall move to the last part which is the themes of the drama.
There are three major themes of the drama of 'Gulp and Gasp' which are:
- Greed and materialism
The theme of greed and materialism is portrayed by the character of Lord Septic. His greediness can be seen when he seems not satisfied of what he has and he yearns for more prosperity. We can see from the dialog below when Lord Septic explains to Crouch;
(Page 64) Lord Septic: No, Crouch. I always get what I want. At last, I own this station. Soon I will own all the stations from here to King’s Cross.
(Page 68) Lord Septic: I only marry her for her arms.
- Unconditional love
Besides, the drama carries a theme of unconditional love. This is shown through the relationship of Percy and Rose. Even though Percy knows that Rose is blind, he still loves her sincerely and willing to cure the woman he loves.
(Page 91) Rose: Percy, I’ll come with you. After all, from now on I will always love you through thick or thin!
- Justice prevails / good always triumphs over evil.
The drama shows that justice prevails when Percy and Rose's fate changes at the end and the villains finally have to pay for what they have done.
(page 90) Percy: Then it’s time to hand you over. Come with me now, Rose. Let me take you away from here. Let’s leave these villains to their fate.
The settings of this story take place at:
- Lucy’s house which she shares with her mother and her Uncle Bert, and
- the office of Ross and Bannister’s where Lucy works as a secretary
This short story introduces several characters. The characters and the descriptions are stated below.
Possible themes that can be found in the short story are determination, possessiveness, loyalty, loneliness, and commitment.
DETERMINATION:
Besides the incidents of supernatural conjured by Ms. Broome to demoralize Lucy, she shows no sign to give up her demand; to stop Lucy from taking her place as a secretary. The ghost tries her hard to take back her position from Lucy.
POSSESIVENESS:
Nothing can stop Ms. Broome from having her position in the office even death.She thinks that she has the right to have her position back. So, the ghost keeps haunting those who take her job through her electronic typewriter.
LOYALTY:
As with her possesiveness towards her job, Ms. Broome was also extremely loyal towards Mr. Bannister. Even after she passed on, her spirit continued in its endeavour to serve her employer.
LONELINESS:
Loneliness can be a strong influence in a person’s life. Ms. Broome had no life outside of her office. That made her more possesive of her position in the company; a possesiveness that went beyond the grave.
COMMITMENT:
Both Lucy and Ms. Broome are extremely committed to their profession.
