APPENDIX 1
The Synopsis of Arms and the Man
Arms and the Man tells about a story whose setting is the SerboBulgarian war. The characters are Major Paul Petkoff who is the richest
man in Bulgaria; Catherine Petkoff, Paul Petkoff’s wife; Raina Petkoff, Paul
and Catherine’s daughter who possesses great ideals of romantic hero;
Captain Bluntschli, a wealthy Swiss soldier who joins Serbian army instead
of the Bulgarian because Serbia came first on the road from Switzerland;
Major Sergius Saranoff who possesses great ideals of war and Raina’s
affienced husband; Louka, Raina’s prideful maid who is so defiant that her
servility is almost insolent; and Nicola, a servant who is engaged to Louka
and the one who values himself on his rank in servitude
During the war, a wealthy Swiss that joins Serbian army, Captain
Bluntschli, escapes and decides to hide in a bedchamber of the richest and
noblest Bulgarian man’s daughter, Raina Petkoff in the middle of the night.
The fugitive has an interesting conversation with her. He tells that the
professional soldiers actually carry out chocolate instead of revolver during
a war. This makes Raina call him a chocolate cream soldier. The fugitive
also tells Raina that the man she has been betrothed to, Sergius Saranoff,
who is also considered as the hero in the war, is actually a false hero as he
leads the cavalry charge cowardly and unprofessionally since the Serbian
army has brought the wrong ammunitions. Despite his humiliating her
affianced husband, Raina decides to hide him in her room and send his
home disguised with the cloak of her father’s, Paul Petkoff. However,
Louka knows that Raina has been hiding the fugitive in her bedroom.
Four months later is the end of the war. In the garden of Major
Petkoff’s house the middle-aged servant Nicola is lecturing Louka on the
importance of having proper respect for the upper class, but Louka has too
independent a soul to ever be a "proper" servant. She has higher plans for
herself than to marry someone like Nicola, who, she insists, has the "soul of
a servant." On the other hand, the fugitive comes to Raina’s house in order
to return the cloak she had lent him as well as to meet the heroine of the
night, Raina. However, his coming to Petkoffs’ house is known by Paul and
Sergius. They invite him over to discuss the peace treaty and make up
orders.
On the other hand, Sergius, in fact, is not loyal as he appears to be.
Sergius is actually sick of pretending as the lover of Raina. He then flirts
with Louka. However, the hypocrite and cynical maid, Louka, reveals that
Raina is cheating with the Swiss behind Sergius’ back and she intends to
marry him. This makes Sergius angry since he is being foolishly deceived.
He then challenges Bluntschli on a horseback duel to prove who the real
man that is worth Raina. Captain Bluntschli, highly experienced about life,
reveals that Raina has saved him at that night, and their relationship was
only as the fugitive and the hostage. Sergius is ashamed when he finds out
the fact. He then confesses that his relationship with Raina has shattered.
Bluntschli, with his wisdom, successfully reconciles the both sides and lead
them to a happy ending. At the end of the play, Sergius proposes Louka in
front of Petkoffs and Bluntschli. On the other side, Captain Bluntschli
humbly proposes Raina to be his wife and to accept him not as a wealthy
Swiss, but as the humble and attractive chocolate cream soldier.
APPENDIX 2