Glass Menagerie and LDJN Comparison

Similarities: Autobiographical, Themes, Characters

The similarities between the two plays is that they are both to a large extent autobiographical and discuss familial strife, emphasizing dysfunctional family relationships. There are parallels between Mary and Laura because in plays the main conflict revolves around Mary's addiction and Laura's inability to overcome her shyness and anxiety respectively. Both families also often bring up the past and encounter communication barriers. A common theme between both plays is also the idea of escape and a disjunction between reality and fantasy. This theme of fantasy or a lack of reality can also be interpreted through ghost motifs because they are haunted by the past and unfulfilled dreams.


Differences: Memory Play vs Cyclical Plot, Family relationship, Use of lighting

What makes GM different from LDJN is that GM is a memory play and it often distorts events in the play by over-emphasizing certain parts through lighting, details, and adding sentimentality with the use of music. Tom is the self-aware narrator who explicitly directs the audience through the components of the play and states that the play is "truth in the pleasant disguise of illusion". On the other hand, LDJN has a cyclical plot where the past is brought up and as the play progresses into the night, the characters delve further into the past which shows how disconnected they are from reality. The progression of the play into the night also reifies the Tyrone family's "descent into darkness", thus the presence or the lack of sunlight shows a cyclical nature of bright hope turning into darkness and despair. Lighting in LDJN is also manipulated through turning off and switching on the chandelier lights. When the lights are turned on, there is usually more clarity and the Tyrones are able to better communicate with each other. In GM, lighting is mostly focused on Laura, giving her a saintly and non-human presence. The lighting also focuses on Laura because she can be seen as the emotional force in the play because her presence is the center of the Wingfield family.

Scene 7 Response

The ending of the play was different from what I expected. I didn't expect the play to end abruptly with Tom going down the fire escape for the last time,  demonstrating Tom inevitably following his father's footsteps and Amanda's fear coming true. I was expecting Laura to shatter into pieces in ultimate despair after Jim tells her he's engaged, but they ended on somewhat good terms. I was expecting a greater climax, but then again, this is not a typical play.

 As Tom already told us from the very beginning, it is a "memory play" that focuses on emotions rather than the plot itself. Since Tom wasn't actually present in most of the scene, it certainly questions the reliability of the narrator. What definitely caught my attention was how Laura's last unicorn glass with its horn attached ultimately shattered as she dances with Jim, turning the mythical into an ordinary horse like the rest of its companions. In hindsight, I wonder why previously Tom also broke Laura's glass and the same event repeats but now with Jim as the unicorn glass breaker. Is this supposed to establish a connection between both events? I find it interesting how when Tom breaks the glass, he is speechless and unable to apologize, whereas Jim promptly apologizes once he realizes Laura's beloved glass creature was broken and seemed genuinely apologetic. However, in scene seven it becomes clearer why Laura is wholly devoted to taking care of her glass menagerie. She describes the glass creatures as like her closest companions, almost like living creatures with human emotions. The unicorn glass, defined by it's single horn, represents abnormalities that isolate the unicorn from the rest of the horses on the same shelf, just like how Laura perceived her crippled leg to alienate her from the rest of society. She is both physically and mentally handicapped by her crippled leg, which was clearly revealed in the intimate conversation between Jim and Laura.

 Speaking of Jim, he wasn't as one-dimensional of a character I had expected him to be. He obviously perceives himself as superior and at times the "all-knower" because he thinks he has the answers to everything as he always finishes Laura's sentences for her. But at the same time he's not exactly hypocritical like the upper-class Victorians in IOBE because he is actively aware of his high self-esteem and in some degree of level understands Laura's low self esteem and lack of agency. He also mentioned that he wished Laura was his sister, which is really awkward because he also decides to dance and kiss her, which also shows this manipulative side of him, even if it's for the right intentions.

Last but not least, the stage directions at the very end were put together like a movie set, showing both the present and the future happening at the same time. The audience observes the Amanda comforting Laura as Tom leaves the house which is then followed by Tom speaking to the audience in the future. Well technically the play began from the future, which is actually Tom's present, therefore the events in the play involving the Gentleman Caller can also be perceived as Tom recalling the past. This use of multiple tenses makes the play fragmented, but at the same time the stage directions, screen device, music, and lighting make all of the events in the play flow together with ease, ultimately creating fluidity within the structure of the play. The breaking of the fourth wall is what I think allows for a greater fluidity and deeper connection with Tom as the narrator and his intentions. Near the end of Tom's ending monologue, he says "Oh Laura, Laura, I tried to leave you behind me, but I am more faithful than I intended to be." (97) I think this shows how writing this play was a way for him to express his guilt or leaving his sister and how his past, just like in LDJIN, ultimately haunts him wherever he goes.

The Glass Menagerie: Scene 6 Stage Directions

The arrangement of Laura's hair is changed; it is softer and more becoming. A fragile, unearthly prettiness has come out in Laura: she is like a piece of translucent glass touched by light; given a momentary radiance, not actual, not lasting. (51)

In the beginning of the scene, as Amanda crouches to put on Laura's dress, it is obvious that Laura is uncomfortable with her mother's attempt to over-beautify her for Jim's arrival. This scene emphasizes Laura's fragility that is doll-like and non-human through describing her appearance as "unearthly prettiness". Not only is she unearthly, but she is also "like a piece of translucent glass" which emphasizes her vulnerability because she's like a piece of glass that is about to be shattered. Her beauty is also described as giving off the effect of a "momentary radiance" that is "not actual, not lasting", highlighting the artificiality of Amanda's attempt to beautify her daughter. The imagery of "translucent glass touched by light" gives a sense of purity because "light' usually connotes a pure and untainted entity but since the light only reflects through glass, the appearance of purity is temporary and artificial.

Laura moves slowly to the long mirror and stares solemnly at herself. A wind blows the white curtains inwards in a slow, graceful motion and with a faint, sorrowful sighing. (53)

When Laura stares at herself "solemnly" in the mirror, the personification of the wind mimics Laura's emotions through the "slow, graceful motion" and "faint, sorrowful sighing". The comparison of Laura to the wind emphasizes Laura's emotional presence rather than physical presence. Like the wind, she is almost invisible and her presence can only be felt through her feeble movements and her passive inner sorrow.

Outside a summer storm is coming on abruptly. The white curtains billow inward at the windows and there is a sorrowful murmur from the deep blue dusk. (65)

Nature continues to play an important role in the scene as Laura attempts to join the dinner table with Jim and her family. The "summer storm" foreshadows an ominous event that will shatter the Wingfields' hopes of finding Laura a suitor. It also leads to Laura physically getting hurt as she "stumbles" with "a faint moan". The faint moan also paralells the "sorrowful murmur" which I interpret to also be the sound of the wind. The wind progressed from "faint, sorrowful sighing" to a "sorrowful murmur" which both reflects Laura's feebleness and overwhelmed feeling by the whole prospect of facing Jim. Afterwards, the stage direction read:

[There is a clap of thunder.]

Hence, the weather is a reification of Laura's emotional state in the scene as she struggles with confronting Jim (or reality in general) to please Amanda.

Glass Menagerie: Scene 4 & 5

In both scenes four and five, the plot primarily revolves around bringing a gentleman caller and then preparing for his arrival. Once again, Amanda is very persuasive and Tom nonchalantly tells her that he has invited once of his warehouse friends to his house. Laura is absent from their conversation and reinforces her lack of agency, yet she is still the center of the play because the main conflict revolves around her. I also noticed that the father is constantly mentioned, usually through his smiling portrait and Amanda's recollection of his behavior. His back-story seems more developed in the play than the other characters and in these two scenes it's obvious that Amanda's relationship with her husband did not end in good terms. She worries every time she notices that Tom is becoming more like his father because of his drunk habits and how he bailed out on their family. Tom obviously has a drinking problem and his mother and sister are dependent on his salary and the only think keep him in the house is his pity for Laura. I also found it interesting how Amanda didn't want the Laura's suitor to be "too handsome" because Amanda regrets falling for her husband's looks which led her to overlook his negative behavior.

I also noticed in scene five that music was a prominent literary device to emphasize a change in atmosphere. When Tom delivers his monologue to the audience about the Dance Hall across the alley, he notes that "the orchestra played a waltz or a tango, something that had a slow and sensuous rhythm". (39) The music gives a dreamlike and enjoyable atmosphere, similar to in Master Harold when Sam and Willie dance to the jukebox music at the end of the play.  Also when Tom announces that he has brought a gentleman caller for Laura, the stage direction states that "the annunciation is celebrated with music", which I imagine is like in the movies where the problem is resolved and the characters celebrate the victory, thus dramatizing the annunciation of the gentleman caller into a grand moment they've all been waiting for. However, when Tom warns his mother that Laura "is very different from other girls" and "a little peculiar to people outside the house", the dance hall music suddenly "changes to a tango that has a minor and somewhat ominous tone", thus giving a darker atmosphere as Tom pulls his mother back into reality. I also found it interesting how at the end of the play, "the sound of violin rises and the stage dims out" because a rise in the violin could indicate a rise in tension as they prepare for the arrival of the gentleman caller.

The Glass Menagerie: Extra-literary elements

Extra-literary elements such a screen device, music, and lighting play a key role in the first three scenes of the play. These tools accentuate the events in the play by emphasizing the sentimentality of the atmosphere and highlighting the emotions rather than factual evidence. Since this is a "memory play", the extra-literary elements help give more fluidity to memory-recall because humans often omit certain details and overemphasize on one particular detail of a memory because you have a stronger emotional connection with it.

Two instances where the screen device was used was when Laura admits that she hasn't been attending her typewriting class but instead wanders off outside and when she confesses to her mom about a guy she fell in love with who called her "Blue Roses".

The screen image of a "winter scene in a park" allows the audience to delve into Laura's mind as she is speaking to her mother. She's not really focusing on her mother because her mind wanders off to that moment where she was walking in the park and enjoying her freedom outside without any feeling of anxiety. It also highlights the sentimentality of her walk in the park as Laura recalls that memory, and it also shows how our mind focuses on an image that often gives nostalgia.

The screen image of blue roses is also important because it begins scene two with "on the dark stage the screen is lighted with the image of blue roses. Gradually Laura's figure becomes apparent and the screen goes out. The music subsides."  The literary device of screen images is interconnected with light and music. The screen image lights up the dark stage with the blue roses, which I think also adds to the sentimentality of the image because it is the focus of the stage. It then gradually fades out with Laura's figure, implying to the audience an association between the blue roses and Laura, essentially connecting Laura and the blue roses as one entity. It foreshadows Laura's lack of romantic experience because instead of the typical red roses, her lack of romantic experience is represented through an unusual blue-colored rose.

Music is also playing in the background along with the display of the blue roses, which complements the Laura's emotional connection with the blue roses. It also subsides as Laura's figure becomes more apparent, which effectively transitions the play into "reality" as Laura faces her mother's presence.

The Glass Menagerie: Intro and Production Notes

Similarities between Glass Menageries and texts that we've read that I immediately noticed was the significant role of the past and how it shapes characters in the present. Often people carry baggage from the past or they are imprisoned by past hopes and dreams that have yet to be transformed into reality. Although the plot of The Glass Menagerie seems incredibly similar to Long Day's Journey Into the Night since they both revolve on domestic warfare and familial strife, I think Tenesse Williams focuses more on stylistic tools and aesthetics to structure his play. In his production notes, he states that the use of conventional techniques allow a "closer approach to truth". I find the statement particularly interesting because gaining a 'realistic' portrayal usually means the elimination of fantasy and imagination, thus often making the play somewhat rigid and restricted. Furthermore, he explains that unconventional techniques such as music and lighting serve to accentuate the characters in the play and thus creating more fluidity, rather than a static environment. This is especially significant because the play takes place in a confined space and helps create depth in the emotional inner struggles of the characters in the play.

The introduction of the play explains that the character have their personal demons, thus showing that the conflict in the play is largely internalized and not always directly manifested. However, physical objects can also externally manifest inner struggles seen because Williams uses glass to convey a symbolic meaning. The use of glass sculptures as representation of Laura's fragile vulnerability shows an artistic component while also emphasizing a dark and "broken" aspect of her character. I think it's amazing how Williams carefully construct an artistic play through so many unconventional techniques in order to approach closer to reality, ultimately transcending traditional boundaries and reaching a greater depth of meaning in theater arts.

LDJIN & MHB: Monologues

Monologues or extended speech is a key dramatic convention used by playwrights for different purposes. In both LDJIN and MHB, monologues allow for a deeper level of characterization because characters often reveal unknown details or flashbacks to the audience.

 As Mary's drug addiction began to be more transparent to the audience, Mary started to have extended speeches on her past. Her monologues included confessions of her past dream to become a nun and a pianist and recalling the time she first met James Tyrone and fell in love with him, revealing her once youthful and innocent self. The effect of the monologues allow the audience to be exposed to Mary's inner thoughts, rather than relying on her dialogue with her family which is often unreliable or distorted as implied by stage direction. It demonstrates how Mary's past has undoubtedly left an indelible mark on her reality, thus reinforcing the hauntedness of her past. For example, when she is talking to Cathleen about how she used to be so infatuated by James' charming appeal, she gradually brings up how her father used to spoil her and how her mother disapproved of her father buying whatever she wanted and introducing her to James Tyrone, she even disapproved of their marriage and wanted Mary to become a nun instead. The back-story on how she met James and also her parents spontaneously led to Mary describing her beautiful, ornate wedding gown, indicating that Mary was once happy and pampered unlike her present day marriage with James Tyrone that has drained the beauty out of her.

Likewise, in MHB the kite scene is an important monologue to reveal how much Sam cares for Hally and how he had to step up to replace Hally's father as Hally's father figure. He wanted Hally to feel liberated and that he could achieve anything he wanted to by showing that flying the poorly made kite was not impossible. Yet at the same time the flashback does hold bitter memories for Sam because he was not allowed to fly the kite with Hally since it was a "White-Only" bench. The kite event was also one of the happiest memories shared by Hally and Sam just like how Mary first met James Tyrone and played the piano in her convent days. These flashbacks allow the characters to relive these moments but it also contrasts the present day reality with the past. However, the kite scene monologue was used to instill hope and rekindle their friendship whereas for Mary, recalling her past only seems to reinforce Mary's feeling of regret for having married a man who couldn't provide her the ideal home for her family, thus indicating that things have changed for the worse.

LDJIN: Curtain Lines

Curtain lines play a significant role in plays because they end the scene and usually leaves the audience anticipating what will happen in the next act. In LDJN, curtain lines are especially important because the four-act play takes place in the same setting of the living room, therefore curtain lines determine the transition from one scene to another. Only act two is is separated into two scenes, whereas as the other three acts contain only one scene. I will also analyze how the curtain lines for the first and last act play an important role in the structure of the play.

The first act ends with Mary questioning Edmund "are you afraid to trust me alone?" and Edmund immediately denies that and quickly changes the topic by saying he will go down to help Jamie outside (50). The curtain line is a dramatic shift from the seemingly positive and loving family that was introduced in the beginning of the act. Furthermore, Edmund's obvious avoidance on the topic of Mary's dark past implies that the Tyrones experience deep trust issues. It foreshadows that the play will head to a downward spiral as past issues are gradually brought up.

Act two is interestingly the only act divided into two different scenes. I think the curtain line in between both acts can potentially signify why O'Neil decided to separate these two scene. Act 2.1 ends with Tyrone telling Mary, "[n]ever mind. It's no use now" (72). The curtain line indicates that James has basically given up on hope for Mary's permanent recovery from her morphine addiction. Therefore, it adds another layer of avoiding confrontation in the Tyrone family because to James, no amount of effort will bring back the old Mary to the family.

The last act of the play ends with Mary's line: "Yes, I remember. I fell in love with James Tyrone and was so happy for a time. " (179) The stage directions described Mary staring off into a dream-like state, demonstrating that she is completely detached from reality and is lost in her past. She's in this strange dream of trying to recall her past while her family are observing right in front her. The way she says that she "was" happy shows that in reality she is no longer happy or in love with James. There was truth in James' hopelessness for bringing her back, but in a way he is also responsible for her detachment because Mary no longer feels loved by James. I also found it interesting how the play ends with Mary recalling how much she loved James and that it began with Mary and James completely in love and affectionate with each other. The curtain line of the last act can indicate the cyclical nature of the Tyrones' love-hate relationship with each other as they struggle to face their bitter past while also defending their love for each other.

Long Day's Journey into Night: Act IV Stage Directions/Props

Stage directions played a key role in both Master Harold...and the boys and The Importance in Being Earnest in the development of characters in the play. In LDJN, the amount of stage directions far outweigh the dialogue in the play, thus indicating the importance of stage directions in shaping the dialogue of characters in the play. Stage directions in LDJN also reveal underlying character traits and how one reacts with body language as opposed to how one responds with verbal dialogue.  Two instances in Act 4 where stage directions played a prominent role in the interaction between character were when James switches off three light bulbs and when Jamie pushes the bottle of whiskey to his father and Edmund and they all pour a glass for themselves.

Then as if this phrase automatically aroused an habitual association in his mind, he glances up at the chandelier disapprovingly.

He clicks out one bulb.
(dialogue)
He clicks out another bulb.
(dialogue)
He turns out the third bulb, so only the reading lamp is on, and sits down again heavily. Edmund suddenly cannot hold back a burst of strained ironical laughter. Tyrone is hurt.
(154)

In the beginning of act four, Edmund approaches James in the living room in the dark where only one reading lamp is turned on. Edmund complains when James insists that he turns the light bulb off once he comes into the living room, calling him out on the absurdity of his miserly cheap-skate ways. After several petty arguments were made on his thrifty behavior, James decides to dramatically switch on all of the lights in the living room. This greatly amuses Edmund. After a while, James returns to the whole "you don't know the value of a dollar" talk and this "automatically" causes him to glance disapprovingly up the chandelier. This automatic reaction is also described as a "habitual association", reinforcing James' stubborn character that is resistant to change. The way he glances up at the chandelier is also hilarious because he was the one who decided to switch on the lights to prove Edmund wrong.

I also liked how James switch off the light bulbs one by one, which I interpreted as James gradually returning to his thrifty habits, suggesting that will never fully embrace change. However, I do think that James does deserve credit for at least trying to give into change, even though his attempts were inevitably unsuccessful. The fact that Tyrone was hurt by Edmund's laughter due to the absurdity of his actions, I think suggests that Tyrone genuinely tried to change for the better, but he is incapable of change because the poverty he experienced when he was younger has permanently shaped who he is in the present.

Jamie pushes the bottle toward him. He pours a drink without disarranging the wedding gown he holds carefully over his other arm and on his lap, and shoves the bottle back. Jamie pours his and passes the bottle Edmund, who, in turn, pours one. Tyrone lifts his glass and his sons follow suit mechanically, but before they can drink Mary speaks and they slowly lower their drinks to the table, forgetting them.
(178)

This passage of stage directions indicate the hopelessness for Mary's recovery shared by all three male Tyrones as they pour whiskey into their glasses. I think that since Jamie leads this drinking ritual, he is the one who feels most let down by his mother's continuing delusional behavior. James' act of not letting go of Mary's wedding gown as he pours a drink suggests that he still clings to the remains of their marriage, despite how he's given up for the "real" and loving Mary to return back to the family. Edmund also pours a drink, despite his consumption, further reinforcing his lack of hope and his transition to deeper pessimism. Tyrone leads the ritual of lifting the glass as his sons follow suit, which can refer to how Tyrone is the one who first exposed and passed onto his sons his drinking habits. The mechanical way in which they both follow their father can also reveal how Jamie and Edmund are inevitably influenced by their father, perhaps in his stubbornness.  However, despite the close homosocial bonds demonstrated through the pre-drinking ritual, Mary holds power over their actions because they immediately lower their drinks and instead direct their attention to Mary. Perhaps they haven't completely given their hopes up yet, but are still desperate for a miracle to happen...but at the end of the play Mary does not break out of her "dream" and she remains lost and detached from her family.

Long Day's Journey Into Night: Haunted by the Foghorn

The third act of LDJN finally gave me a bit of clarity after two long acts of one unknown after the other. There's definitely a pattern in the events of the play as bad memories from the past are gradually raked up, causing cycles of tension, confession, guilt, forgiveness, and many other feelings. I want to specifically discuss O'Neill's description of the characters as "the four haunted Tyrones" along with the motif of the foghorn in the play. I think both of these ideas are interrelated because they revolve around the characters' repression of the past and unwillingness to confront past issues. They are all essentially haunted by the past due to unresolved issues that occurred in the past. I noticed that Mary frequently talks about her convent days where she was youthful with vitality and beauty. Whenever she talks about the past, her eyes light up and she suddenly transforms to her former youthful self. However, not everything in the past was beautiful and dreamy. Mary constantly reminds James of how she's never had a real home and that they had one-night stands, stayed in dirty hotel rooms, which she claims is not a fit environment for her Jamie and Edmund to be raised in. A particular haunting memory she brings up is how sickly she was when carrying Edmund and that she regrets having another baby after the death of her previous son. These memories don't only haunt Mary, they are family issues that involve everyone else, especially Edmund because he feels as if he's responsible for his mother's current state of insanity and loneliness.

Not only is she haunted by the past, Mary's mention of the foghorn shows her unwillingness to live in the present: "It's the foghorn I hate, it won't let you alone. It keeps reminding you, and warning you, and calling you back." (101) Since the foghorn is a reminder of her current state and essentially a wake-up call, the fog can be seen as her drugged state when under the influence of morphine--which is described as being detached from reality. I think act three serves to show Mary's perspective of her struggle with the past and the struggle to recover from her morphine addiction. She claims that the fog protects her from facing reality because  "[it] hides you from the world and the world from you. You feel that everything has changed, and nothing is what it seemed to be. No one can find or touch you anymore." (100).  Mary's desire to escape from reality worries her family and they're all sad to lose the "real" Mary. However, they are also to blame for not giving Mary proper treatment, especially James who didn't take her morphine addiction seriously enough and insisted to give her a second-rate treatment.

Long Day's Journey Into Night Act I-II

After finishing the second act of the play, it's clear that the Tyrones are a dysfunctional and an inarticulate family. They seem to all have their own unique problems, especially Mary and Edmund. Mary and Edmund share the same frailty and habits of nervousness, whereas Tyrone and Jamie are stronger built with broad shoulders. Although Tyrone and Jamie are unmistakably similar to each other, they have the most arguments which is due to how Jamie doesn't fulfill his father's hopes of aspiring to be like his father--ultimately being a disappointment. I also think it's interesting how Tyrone and Jamie are actors because the Tryone family constantly try to conceal their feelings and avoid confronting their true feelings.

Stage business plays a critical role in the play because it reveals the characters' evasiveness in order to avoid confronting their family issues. In the beginning of the play, they seem to all get along with each other with the exception of a few arguments, but as family issues were revealed to the audience, they slowly avoided direct eye contact with each other and proceeded to change subjects. Characters would also often look out the window to escape the conversation or avoid a particular issue that was brought up from the past. Personally, I found it extremely frustrating how vague the dialogue was and how certain issues were brought up multiple times because they were not resolved the first time. However, it shows how the past leaves an indelible mark on their lives and I don't think Mary is to blame for dwelling on the past because the past inevitably becomes a part of your identity.

I also noticed that the beginning of the play had a more hopeful and optimistic tone but it gradually transitioned to a bleak and gloomy atmosphere where all hope seemed to disappear. Edmund's health is confirmed to be deteriorating due to tuberculosis and Mary seems to experience a relapse and became "detached", "aloof" and most of the time in "blank denial". I  do think that Mary's manic state of nervousness is justified because she's experienced awful things in her life and her loneliness is devouring her. Before reading act two I didn't really like Mary, but I started sympathizing with Mary after learning more about her past because her past has greatly affected who she is in the present.

Master Harold VS The Importance of Being Earnest: Costuming

Costuming is a key dramatic convention in both "Master Harold"...and the boys and The Importance of Being Earnest (IOBE) because it builds up characterization and reveals subtle details of a character in relation to other characters and the setting.  In "Master Harold"...and the boys, Sam and Willie are described as wearing white waiter coats, indicating their occupation as waiters in the tea room. Their job is to serve customers, but since there are no customers in the tea room, they have to obey the orders given by Hally and his mother. Although  both Sam and Willie are wearing waiter coats, Willie has his sleeves rolled up as he is kneeling and cleaning the floor, indicating that he is doing most of the labor work while Sam is reading comics.  Through costuming, Fugard is subtly showing different levels of power among the black waiters. Hally's costume of a neglected and untidy school uniform shows that as a white person, he has the white privilege of access to education whereas Sam and Willie do not. However, Hally costume description of "neglected" and "untidy" demonstrates underlying references to his loneliness due to the abandonment of parental figures, especially a father-figure. These significance of costuming in the play is that their appearances reveal subtle characteristics that can be viewed in hind-sight.

In IOBE, costuming reveals the superficiality of the upper class Victorian society because they prioritize one's appearances over one's character.  This emphasis of appearances over character helps reinforce the Wilde's satirical portrayal of the characters in the play.  In the play, Algernon is described as dressing flamboyantly, reflecting the elaborate dress of the upper class Victorian society and thus showing that he is complying with Victorian standards of fashion. Lady Bracknell's costume is also in flamboyant dress, which is not surprising because she is Algernon's aunt and they both share the same social status. In contrast to Algernon and Lady Bracknell, Cecily is not of the upper class Victorian society because she lives in the country and is described as wearing a "simple dress". The simplicity of her dress indicates that she is different from the upper class and Lady Bracknell notably scans over her dress and insists that she should dress more extravagantly and change her hairstyle. Therefore, costuming in IOBE emphasizes the superficiality of the characters who are ultimately concerned over appearances rather than character.

The One Act Play

Stepping a step back from the complex power dynamics under the Apartheid system, I will take a closer look at the technical conventions of the play, specifically the one act structure. Usually a conventional play would have a three act structure; the exposition and rising action in the first act, additional conflicts in the second act, and the third act where the climax is peaked at the beginning of act three.  But why did Fugard decide to write a one act play? I think the answer lies in the purpose of the play, to display the complex power dynamics under the Apartheid system and revealing the glaring discrepancy between reality/Apartheid and dreams/intellectual assumptions.

Since this play is not dependent on rising action, conflicts, climax, and resolution which is integrated into the classical three act structure, Fugard uses distinct stage directions and monologues to carry the momentum of the play. One thing particular that I noticed with a one act play structure is that there's no definitive climax or highlighted event that anchors the purpose of the play. I would argue that the kite episode could act as the "climax" but the following rising tensions surrounding the kite episode, especially between Sam and Hally, could be viewed as more significant.

Moving back to the stage directions, it's certainly imperative that the stage directions have to be precise and leave little room for interpretation because it is the only concrete indication of their character. For example Willie is scrubbing the floors (signifying his submissiveness), Sam is often quiet and contemplative (signifying his cautiousness since he is inferior to Hally), and Hally's sudden fits of anger and rage (signifying White privilege and the power to lash out whenever he wishes without taking any responsibility for it).

Mel Gussow: "It operates on two levels...."

On the front of the play's cover: 

"It operates on two levels: as the story of a loving but lacerating relationship between a black man and a white boy; and… as a powerful political statement about apartheid." - Mel Gussow from The New Yorker

Image Source

Mel Gussow's review, located on the very top of the play's cover, has more or less communicated the powerful message behind the seemingly simple interplay of men from different races, social status, and age. All of the aforementioned three factors are heavily tied under the branch of the apartheid system, with the Dutch whites on top and the black Afrikaans subverted beneath them. Gussow clearly illustrates this power dynamic through the phrase "two levels" because the black men are introduced as "leaning" and "on his knees" as opposed to Hally who enters the scene most likely on his two legs and with his back standing upright. I also noticed how Gussow refers to the play as a "story" demonstrates casual and ordinary atmosphere where the men are arguing about reality while at the same time using ballroom dancing as an escape into "a world without collisions". Stating that this playwright is a "story", in my opinion, undermines the "powerful political statement about apartheid". However, I always find myself oscillating between whether Fugard intended to emphasize the damaging internalized racism in the apartheid system or if he wished to develop a play with apartheid lingering in the background but the spotlight is on romanticized ballroom dancing and escaping reality. Both viewpoints seem equally plausible, but after experiencing the heavy underlying tones within the somewhat delusional play, I think Fugard is leaning more towards emphasizing the ramifications of apartheid on both the the ones who dominate and the ones being blatantly oppressed.

Another interesting view is how Gussow chooses to describe the men's relationship as a "loving but lacerating relationship". Once again, I am torn between to what extent their relationship is "loving" or to what extent it is instead more "lacerating". According to Merriam Webster, lacerating is to cut or tear deeply or roughly or to cause sharp or mental pain. When looking up the definition of Gussow's choice of word to contrast the loving aspect of their friend, I realize that apartheid may also be what brings them closer together even though it's not necessary "love". Sam found the need to become the father-figure for Hally since his biological father was an alcoholic and a cripple and failed to raise his son into a man, Willie refers to him as "Master Harold" to maintain the master-servant relationship, both Sam and Willie are conscientious of the race issues in apartheid but at the same time has the need to protect Hally. In a way, the lacerating dilemmas due to social apartheid paves the road for this unique bond between Hally, 17-year old "Master Harold" and Sam and Willie, Hally's loyal servants.

Master Harold...and the boys: Why Romanticize Ballroom Dancing?

How does the ballroom dancing motif function in the play? What is its significance? What does it reveal about the characters?

We, as the audience, are introduced to ballroom dancing in the first few pages of the play, where Sam is guiding Willie in the art of ballroom dancing. Sam says, "Your shoulders, Willie..your shoulders! Don't look down! Look happy, Willie! Relax, Willie!" (4). Although on the surface it may seem that Sam emphasizing the technical components of ballroom dancing and maintaining a professional face, Sam is actually idealizing the art of ballroom dancing as a way to momentarily repress the internalized racism and unfair treatment received black Afrikaans in an apartheid system.  Sam and Willie are waiters in a deserted St. George's Park Tea Room on a wet and windy Port Elizabeth afternoon, reading white comic books and scrubbing floors--so ballroom dancing is a perfect escape.

Now, what makes ballroom dancing a perfect expressive art for idealistic visions? Historically speaking, ballroom dancing is enjoyed by the white upper class society and is a manifestation of elegance and propriety. Ballroom dancing thus essentially represents the highest tier of society and greatest form of upper class tastes, vanity, beauty, and leisure. These ideas surrounding ballroom dancing are mostly in contradiction with the waiters' lives; they are suppressed by the apartheid system and are required to obey all white people no matter their status, age, or gender. Furthermore, according to the Bantu Education Act of 1953, Africans in the European community do not belong to any level above certain forms of labor and are undeserving of human cultural absorption into the European community. Once again, ballroom dancing is ultimately representative of the European community and its ideals, so this motif of ballroom dancing in the play definitely seeks to highlight the need for an escape from the oppressive apartheid system.

However, when looking at ballroom dancing form the perspective of Hally (a 17 year old white boy who is friendly with the waiters since childhood), ballroom dancing is viewed as a miracle because of the lack of "collisions" and the dancers idealistically will never encounter accidents (essentially colliding and disrupting the whole magical beauty of ballroom dancing).

Sam: There's no collisions out there Hally. Nobody trips or stumbles or bumps into anybody else.That's what that moment is all about. To be one of those finalists on that dance floor is like...like being in a dream about a world in which accidents don't happen." (45)

 Hally comes from a socially disruptive family where his dad is a "cripple" and his mom is struggling with his dad's alcoholism, ultimately portraying an unhealthy and abusive family. Despite coming from a different background and being of a perceived superior race through the arbitrary system of apartheid, Hally also views ballroom dancing as an escape from his belief that  "[j]ust when you're enjoying yourself, someone or something will along and wreck everything" (47).

I think the use of ballroom dancing as a motif in this play ultimately ties the contrasting lives of the waiters and Hally together all into a dream which they escape from a world of collisions and accidents of various forms. The very nature of ballroom dancing exudes "primitive emotions" and allows for the characters to personally and emotionally engage in this dream where miracles do come true. It shows that despite how egregiously different their social backgrounds may be, this tendency to romanticize is certainly inherent in human nature. 

"Master Harold"...and the boys: Set Design

The first thing that I learned about the set of the play was that is was a wet and windy afternoon in Port Elizabeth. Port Elizabeth is a place where the Afrikaans were all forcibly pushed into, thus causing Port Elizabeth to be overcrowded and allowing diseases to transmit freely. Well before I go into why Port Elizabeth is significant, according to the background historical context, apartheid is THE root of all social problems in South Africa. Apartheid is why the Afrikaans are forcibly segregated from the Dutch, even though technically the Afrikaans are the ones who rightly belong to South Africa. Thus, it is evident that there is a twisted power dynamic through the intent of perpetuating institutionalized racism.

Now, putting all of the deep and evil propaganda aside, Fugard makes straightforward references to the furniture. There are tables and chairs, that have literally been cleared and are stacked on one side. However this seemingly simple and objective view suddenly makes an exception. There is one table that stands apart with a single chair. Now why is there a table that stands apart with a single chair when there are tables that have literally been cleared and are stacked on one side? Fugard doesn't give us the satisfaction of knowing why. It just is the way it is. I think Fugard is aware that some of us are questioning why there is a table and chair standing apart and perhaps he's trying to tell the audience that, as previously mentioned, it  just is the way it is. After the tables and chairs have been settled, utensils are then described in like a grocery list, in anticipation of a simple meal.

All of a sudden the serving counter comes into the picture.There are a few stale cakes under glass and not a very impressive display of sweets, cigarettes, and cool drinks, etc. How do I feel about this? Well Fugard is no longer being straightforward. The clarity was short-lived. My impression of the stale cakes which there are only a few of under glass....why are the cakes stale? Perhaps more attention needs to be given to the cake in order for the cakes to longer be stale. The "not-very-impressive-display-of-sweets" honestly does make me question why the sweets are not very impressive. Then there's basically lots of commercialized food and the prices of Tea, Coffee, Scones, Milkshakes--all flavors. So I'm guessing that this place is a cafe where people come for tea, coffee, scones, and milkshakes of all flavors. 

There are a few sad ferns in pots; a telephone; and old-style jukebox. These objects have nothing in common with each other. One is a plant, one is a calling machine, and the last one is musical instrument. The old-style-jukebox is probably mentioned last because it is the most important object. The jukebox will represent the profound artistic and cultural message in the play.

Even though the set design may seem unnecessary to look into, I am confident that there is a reason why Fugard chose the set design to be placed in this manner. However, the purpose or intent will most likely be unclear.

The Importance of Being Earnest: Wrapping it all up!

COMEDY OF MANNERS: taking a particular part of society and uses humor to parody or satirize the behavior and mannerisms of its members.

The most significant dramatic convention in the play is the use of humor to satirize Victorian society.  From the choices of food and the manner of eating food--whether it's cucumber sandwiches, butter and bread, or muffins; these upper class treats represent the shallowness of society.  It seems absurd to have arguments over food, such as how one should consume or refrain from food,  and whether bread and butter is more fashionable than cake, but to the characters, these are very serious issues. They all share the common character of hypocrisy, and as Lady Bracknell puts forth, it is the age of surfaces. It doesn't matter if you are "Ernest" or not earnest, as long as you appear to be socially fashionable and you convincingly tell lies, there is absolutely nothing wrong with not telling the truth.

"In matters of grave importance, style, not sincerity, is the vital thing." 

This emphasis of style over sincerity shows that sincerity does not exist in the upper class society which arguably is due to the  reinforcement of shallow ideals. It's preconceived in their minds that there are always hidden intentions and people never say what they mean because they never mean what they say.  It is respectable to pursue marriage, but they satirize marriage as a loveless relationship and that it is absurd to give up pleasure for marriage. When they claim to uphold Victorian morals as an upper class individual, they speak immorally of other people and perceive educated people as inferior because they are a threat to the "natural ignorance" of the upper class.

Their mentality is for the most part logically flawed, but at the same time this complete disjunction between appearance and reality clearly explains their surface-oriented society. The part that I enjoy most about the play is that this social critique is masked behind seemingly lighthearted upper class drama, when Wilde is clearly mocking such prevalent hypocrisy.

The Importance of Being Earnest: Act 3

Wow, I honestly didn't expect the twist at the very end of the play, but it was no surprise that both couples lived happily ever after. The dramatic revelation of Jack being Algernon's long lost brother and that he was "naturally" named after his father, Ernest, adds the finishing touches to the whole absurdity of the play. The ending exhibits situational irony because Jack had been hiding under the identity of "Ernest" and was determined to christen himself in order prove that he is worthy of being "Ernest" to Gwendolen....when he was actually telling the truth because his name was Ernest!

"On the contrary, Aunt Augusta, I've now realized for the first time in my life the vital Importance of Being Earnest" (180). 

I think the witty word play between "earnest" as in one who is sincere and being named "Ernest" is what drives the plot of the entire play. The duplicity in meanings allows for interchangeable dialogue that show both humor and a somewhat harsh critique on Victorian morals. From the very beginning, Jack's lies backfired on him with the cigarette case given by Cecily. It told the audience that he had a habit of telling lies and hiding behind fake identities for their own pleasure. After Gwendolen claimed that the name "Ernest" is what made her fall in love with him, Jack did seem to turn more "earnest". At first he wanted to completely get rid of his fake brother "Ernest" and  then once he found out that he needed to be named "Ernest", he decides to christen himself all for the sake of being "Ernest' for Gwendolen. 

The revelation of his name actually turning out to be "Ernest" at the very end sort of left me feeling like maybe he wasn't that bad of a liar after all...and perhaps he's more earnest than I thought he was at the beginning.  

The Importance in Being Earnest: Act 2

As we enter the second act of the play, new characters living in the countryside are introduced: Cecily Cardew (Jack's ward), Miss Prism (Cecily's governess), Mr. Chausable (the reverend), and Jack's servants. What I found interesting was that the characters in the countryside were really no different than the people in the city. They all share this pompous attitude of being in the upper class and are also blatantly xenophobic. They feed off on compliments and excessive praise especially for their physical appearances, most of which are exaggerated and perhaps not as sincere.  What is even more absurd is when Cecily meets Algernon (who makes an unexpected entrance under the identity of Ernest, Jack's "brother"), they both instantly fall in love with each other and Cecily, like Gwendolyen, loves him because of the name that "inspires absolute confidence". Cecily and Gwendolen obviously share this absurd notion of falling in love with a person based on this name and this demonstrates the one-dimensional character of the people in the play. They both keep diaries and record minute details of their "sensational" life such as the exact time that 'Ernest' proposed to them.However this one-dimensional character is not only limited to the women in the play, Algernon and Jack both engage in Bunburying and they both instantly seek marriage. They both decide to go christen themselves and to change their name to "Ernest" in order to please their "lovers".

Looking into the specific events in the play, I think the part where Gwendolen meets Cecily and they both claim to be engaged Ernest which then makes them despise each other is particularly interesting. Gwendolen's first impression of Cecily was that she had a sweet name and that they both would get along very well, and she adds that her first impressions are never wrong. However after all the drama surrounding Ernest, Gwendolen remarks the complete opposite, "From the moment I saw you I distrusted you. I felt that you were false and deceitful. I am never deceived in such matters" and adds that "my first impressions of people are invariably right" (158).
Another memorable line from the play is when Cecily loses patience and decides to put aside her shallow mask of manners: "This is no time for wearing the shallow mask of manners. When I see a spade I call it a spade" (156).

The Importance of Being Earnest: Act 1

After reading the first act of the play, I can already tell that it will only get better as we get to know the characters even more. The frequent use of clever word play was pleasurable and at time I couldn't stop myself from laughing (on the inside). This whole idea of Jack pretending to go under the name of Ernest in order to escape from the country seems to me ridiculous but at the same time fun to play along with. Algernon who also engages in the same behavior and labels it as being a "Bunburyist" finds it delightful that Jack does the same thing. However, soon enough Jack's double identity causes trouble when Gwendolyn, the woman whom he wants to marry, confesses to him that she loves him mostly because of his fake name, Ernest. I found it hilarious how Gwendolyn attributed his whole character to the name "Ernest" and that she knew she would marry him one day because of his "divine name" that has a "music of its own" and "produces vibrations" (122). There was definitely dramatic irony because the audience knew that Ernest was not Jack's real name, therefore it questions whether Gwedonlyn really loved Jack. To me, it showed the shallow mindset which pretty much all of the characters seem to have due to their hypocritical behavior.

A line that stood out to me was when Lady Bracknell (Gwendolyn's mother) interrogates Jack after she finds out he wishes to marry her daughter. She asked him whether he knew everything or knew nothing and Jack answers the latter. What surprised me was Lady Bracknell's response: "I am pleased to hear it. I do not approve of anything that tampers with natural ignorance. Ignorance is like a delicate exotic fruit; touch it and the bloom is gone." (125)
Instead of feeling offended at his "knowing nothing", she approves of his ignorance because nothing has tampered his "natural ignorance". Since she belongs to the upper class, she perceived knowledge as a threat because once people become educated, they become "radicalized" and rebel against the upper class who is in power. It also highlights how the upper class society depend on this "natural ignorance" to maintain their power and they themselves enjoy the ignorance.

I also found that the characters often emphasized behavior and how other people will think of their behavior such as in the lines: "I hope you are behaving very well"---"I'm feeling very well". Lady Bracknell responds: "That's not quite the same thing. In fact the two things rarely go together." (118). This shows that in order to behave according to societal conduct, one must put their emotions aside and act according to how people expect them to behave rather than how they feel.