Yoavi's Friends - Game Script Exploring "Breaking the Pig" by Etgar Keret


Background

Yoavi is faced with a difficult decision: His father wants him to break his piggy bank, but he doesn't want to do that. Yoavi ends up "setting him free" in the fields. In literary terms, this is referred to as an "open ending".  Now, Yoavi is contemplating whether or not he should tell his father the truth. Not knowing what to do, Yoavi has invited five of his closest friends to consult with him on the issue. Should he tell the truth or not?

As one of his closest friends, you will be responsible for convincing him to do one thing or the other.

Good Luck!

Characters

Obbie

Obie is a good friend of Yoavi. 

Obie is an "A" student, and always excels at everything he does. He loves rules, and has no problem obeying them. Some other students find him annoying because he is a goody-two shoes.


Your Task

Dear Obbie, you need to convince the panel Yoavi should tell the truth. Use the resources given to you in order to back up your argument. 


Resources

Scene - 01

Molly

Molly has always been known to be "ahead of her time". She is the person to go to for mature advice. She is smart, curious, and independent. She is very knowledgeable in many subjects and always stands up for what she believes in, even in confrontations with her elders, like her parents. She has two younger siblings, and feels that she is responsible for them. She believes in always telling the truth, even if it may hurt sometimes.


Your Task

Dear Molly, you need to convince the panel that Yoavi should tell the truth. Use your resources to back up your argument.


Resources

Scene - 01

Rev

Rev is a rebel. He is confident about his beliefs, and doesn't believe in his changing behavior to please others. He thinks that Yoavi is a fool because he does everything that his parents tell him to do.


Your Task

Dear Rev, you need to convince the others that it is totally fine to tell a white lie. The truth is not something that has to be told all of the time. Use your resources to back up your argument.


Resources

Scene - 01

Lulu

Lulu loves bubble gum, especially when they're super sticky so that she can place them under her chair. She hates rules and doesn't understand why she has to follow them. She's wild, and often disturbs the classroom. She doesn't mind listening to adults, but as soon as she doesn't agree, she fades away.


Your Task

Dear Lulu, you need to convince the others that it is totally fine to tell a white lie. The truth is not something that has to be told all of the time. Use your resources to back up your argument.


Resources

Scene - 01

Miles

Miles loves skateboarding. His parents often take it away from him because they catch him without a helmet. He hates rules and thinks that older people are lame. He doesn't see any reason to listen to them. He resents people who follow rules in general.


Your Task

Dear Miles, you need to convince the others that it is totally fine to tell a white lie. The truth is not something that has to be told all of the time. Use your resources to back up your argument.


Resources

Scene - 01

Scene 1: Yoavi's Friends


1.

Public Message

Thanks for coming over on such short notice. Yoavi seriously need your help. You know his story right? His father asked him to break his piggy bank, but Yoavi didn't want to, so he released him. Now, his father wants to know where it is! Luckily, Yoavi's mother asked him to help her with dinner, so Yoavi has some time to think about what to do.

Help him decide if he should tell the truth or not

Good luck everyone!

Yoavi


2.

Private (Shortly After previous message)

Obbie :

Hey Obbie, you're a responsible kid. Use your resource to explain to Yoavi and the others why he should tell the truth.

Molly:

Hey Molly, you're a responsible kid. You know that telling the truth is always the best choice, even when the consequences are rough. Use your resources to tell the others why its better to tell the truth.

Rev:

Rev, you like telling the truth, but you know that its not necessary to ALWAYS tell the truth. There are plenty of situations where a little white lie is more appropriate, especially in this kind of situation, where a strict father is involved. Use your resources to convince the others.

Lulu:

Lulu, you don't understand why telling the truth is so important. In general, you feel that telling the truth is over-rated, especially when it comes to adults, who don't understand kids from the get go. Use your resources to convince the others that a white lie is the best way to deal with this situation (especially when it comes to Yoavi's father).

Miles:

Miles, you think telling the truth is for nerds. You don't see any reason why Yoavi should tell the truth in this particular situation, especially when it comes to strict fathers like Yoavi's. Use your resources to convince the others.


3.

Private (a while after previous message)

Obbie :

According to the story, Yoavi doesn't understand that good intentions are behind his father's method of discipline. Read about the "stick and carrot" method and tell the others about its benefits.

Molly:

Molly, you believe that telling the truth, regardless of its consequences is the right thing to do, because it is a sign of growing up. For you, growing up is taking responsibility for your actions. There is one part of the story where Yoavi actually takes responsibility. Find it and show Yoavi and the others how telling the truth is directly related to growing up, and how Yoavi has the ability to do that.

Rev:

Rev, you notice that in the text of the story Yoavi is defensive. He often repeats his father's words to justify his actions. Show the others examples of this in the story, and tell Yoavi that he should follow his own words and not hide behind his father's.

Lulu:

In the story, Yoavi refers to the warmth of the pig, his smile, his love, etc.. These traits are in direct contrast to his rigid father. Point this out to Yoavi with excerpts from the story, and tell him that he needs to follow his heart, and be confident in the softer traits that he can relate to. 

Miles:

"Dad wouldn't buy me a Bart Simpson doll. Mom actually said yes, but Dad said I was spoiled." From the very beginning of the story, you notice that the balance of authority in the household is off. Yoav's mother is nearly invisible in the household.

Find more examples like the one above, and present it to the team and Yoavi. Argue that this lack of balance in the household is something to be questioned, and a source for questioning his father's authority.


4.

Public Message (a while after previous message)

During the story, Yoavi goes through a process of growing up, this is also reflected in his language. Find at least one example where this happens.


5.

Private (Shortly After previous message)

Obbie :

Obbie, find something faulty in Rev's argument and confront him.

Molly:

Molly, I'm sure that you find Lulu's arguments ridiculous, tell her why.

Rev:

Rev, you seriously resent Molly's arguments, tell her why.

Lulu:

Lulu, you don't agree with Obbie's argument, tell him why.

Miles:

Miles, you don't agree with Molly's argument, tell her why.


6.

Public Message (Shortly After previous message)

Yoavi's father just told him to come to dinner; he'd like to know what happened to the pig. This is your last chance to convince Yoavi whether or not he should tell the truth.


Vote

[username], you've heard all of the arguments. What do you think Yoavi should tell his father?



Option 1
The truth
Option 2
A white lie

Ending message for when most people voted for option



Option 1

From Yoavi: Thanks Everyone! Most of you advised me to tell my father the truth. It was really difficult, and I had a tough few days afterwards, but I feel more confident now, and grown up. See you in class!


Option 2

From Yoavi: Thanks Everyone! Most of you advised me to tell my father a white lie. It helped me for a few days, but then, when my dog walked in with the pig, I had to tell the truth... See you in class!



Discussion Points

  1. Discuss the voting results and interesting posts by students
  2. Do you think Yoavi is a hero? 
  3. Discuss how this story is about growing up (telling the truth, taking responsibility for your actions)
  4. Explain what an 'open ending' is, and how it effects the reader's experience.
  5.  What does this story say about gender roles in the family?   In society?
  6. What in the story is specific to Israel, if anything (the pig, and the name "pesachzon")?
  7. The following is an animation of the story, is this how you guys imagined it to be? 

 

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