For my History of Creativity Class, we always have a creative portion with each test where we have to include some sort of creative element mixed with the historical figures we learned about in that section. It can be kind of tedious but this was the most recent creative portion we had to do.
Go to Blackboard under Course Documents and Music and listen to the Beethoven Fifth Symphony two themes piece. Identify a historical character from the class subjects who you associate with each of the themes. Then, write a short story that describes the way in which these two characters interact and come to a resolution.
So here is my short story. Hope you like!
Strange Happenings in the Park
You know that place? Everyone knows that place. The place where all the old guys who have nothing to do go to the park and sit around waiting for someone to join them in a game of chess? Have you ever stopped to watch these old men? They aren’t ordinary old men. If you pay enough attention, which no one actually does, you’ll learn a few things. I recall one time at one of these places, passing by two men who looked to be about 50 or so. What initially caught my eye was their clothing. They were dressed in old European style jackets and pants. One was more subdued in his appearance, as if trying to appear less wealthy. He wore the new black styled suit from the 1790s but lost a bit of the grandeur of the cut and trim to appear more homely to the eye. The other wore the typical three-piece suit from the 1700s that included the coat, waistcoat and breeches. His were an ivory green with gold lining that blended in with the green field behind him. I had never seen such a thing before so I decided I would be a creep and people-watch for a few minutes. I sat down about 5 yards away, held up the day’s newspaper and listened to their conversation. Both spoke with very foreign accents; one French, the other clearly English. But it was what they spoke of that had me so intrigued.
“Shall we play a game of chess Maximilien? The weather is nice out and it would be good of us to enjoy the sun while we’re still somewhat young” said the first.
“Alright, John, if you insist. Although, be prepared, for my strategy always wins” said the second, whom I assumed to be Maximilien.
They sat there for about 10 minutes and I was about to leave when things finally started to happen. I sat back down and listened to the end of their game.
“I’m bored. I don’t want to play this game any more,” Maximilien decreed.
“That’s just because you are losing. Maybe if you try a different strategy, you would do better,” replied John.
“Oh my goodness, what is that over yonder?” Maximilien points behind John. As John turns around Maximilien takes one of John’s pieces off the board and puts it with the others he has already removed. John turns back around and seems to have noticed nothing for he then plays his next move. I catch a glance at the board to see where they are in the game and notice a couple of strange things. First off, Maximilien has left his king wide open, with no source of protection against any possible attack from John. Second, it appears that Maximilien is only using pawns as his means of removing John’s pieces. What kind of strategy is that? John seems to notice because he soon speaks up.
“Is there a particular reason you are using your weakest players to attack rather than working together with your combined forces in an attempt to get my king?” asks John.
“Any institution which does not suppose the people good, and the magistrate corruptible, is evil. Only these common pieces are good enough to be of any use to me. The noble, more privileged pieces do not deserve to have more and therefore are of no use to me,” replied Maximilien in a rather-of-fact kind of tone.
“Well then would you like me to go easier on you so there is a more fair game?”
“Of course not! How dare you John Locke! Pity is treason!” shouted Maximilien, his words echoing across the park.
“Well what is the point of playing chess if you won’t take advantage of each players’ unique characteristics and have them work together to get across the board?”
“The king must die so the country may live. I am willing to sacrifice my king in order for my pawns to have their glory and reward. Are you?”
“No, that would defeat the purpose of the game, since the whole point is to take the other’s king. You can’t rewrite the rules to suit your own needs. Why don’t you use groups of each piece to surround and take advantage of the opponent?” asked John.
At that point, another man, dressed in similar attire as Maximilien, but with a older American accent passed by. “Worked for us!” this extra man said.
“Thanks for the input Thomas,” John said with a sigh.
John was obviously getting tired of these back and forth games so he took advantage of his strategy and beat Maximilien.
“Not fair, want to play again?”
“Only if you will let me teach you my strategy which means including all of the players and having each participate in coordination with the other, no one piece singled out as better than the rest, in order to get my king” John replied.
“Alright, but this better work”
After about five minutes Maximilien stood up and shouted, “I won! Ha ha! I beat you John Locke! Too bad you couldn’t have taught me your techniques back in 1792. They may have been really useful to my life back then.”
“My teachings were out there, Maximilien Robespierre. You just didn’t take the time to understand them. But late is better than never.”
And with that, the two men got up and left the park reminiscing of old times until they faded in the distance.
Had I really just witnessed this? Was that who I think it was?
Nah, couldn’t have been.
But maybe…..
Characters:
1. Maximilien Robespierre
2. John Locke
3. Brief interruption by Thomas Jefferson
4. Narrator
Setting:
1. Modern-day park
Conflict:
1. Robespierre is relentless in his current strategy
2. Locke is willing to use all the pieces
3. Locke shows Robespierre that his way is better
4. Robespierre “sees the light”
5. They walk off together happy to have finally agreed on a common principle
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