“Being Saved by the Bell Makes a Sure Thing”

344 Words2 Pages
“A Modern Comedy” by David Ives is a writing that can be very difficult to follow by the reader. If the reader can stick it out, they will be rewarded with an interesting look into modern society’s dating scene. The writer does incorporate a twist that at times can be funny and at other times confusing. The twist is presented in the form of a bell. “[A bell rings softly.]” (Ives 454) Just imagine what life would be like to be saved by the bell and given a “do over” every time a bell rings. Ives uses this play to show how shallow and superficial people can be when they first meet. It is boldly stated by Betty to Bill when she says, “Are you really interested, or do you just want to pick me up?” (Ives 456) She recognizes that most guys are usually only interested in one thing and just calls him out on it. On the other side of the coin, Ives shows how usually women are more concerned with status symbols; things such as where you went to college, what grades you made, and where you’re from. Through the use of the bell, Betty and Bill are moved beyond the surface and pushed into a deeper more meaningful conversation. In this writing by Ives, he touches on timing and openness to relationships as being a factor. “Amazing how you can live right next door to somebody in this town and never even know it.” (Ives 457) However the strongest argument for deeper relationships is better communication. Throughout the play, every time a bell sounded a new phrase was given or a scenario was introduced in a different way. We see Betty going from quickly dismissing Bill to going to the movies with him. All of the “do-over’s” allowed Bill’s encounter to be saved by the bell and turned into a sure thing. Work Cited Ives, David. “Sure Thing”. Literature for Composition. Ed. Sylvan Barnett, William Burto, and William E. Cain. 10th ed. New York, Person, 2014.
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