woman in mind by simply alan ayckbourn essay
How can Ayckbourn present the compare between Susan’s fantasy family and her true family in ‘Woman in Mind’. Check out the importance with this contrast to the play’s central theme.
In ‘Woman in Mind’ Ayckbourn uses Susan’s creation of the idealistic imagination family and moreover the compare of this ‘perfection’ with her reality to assist portray Susan’s emotional break down to the audience. The role of the fantasy family in this play is usually to emphasise the unhappiness and emotional hardship in Susan real world as they generally look at a spot where Susan is in an especially distressing scenario with her real family members.
A great way in which Ayckbourn presents the contrast between your two people is with the use of the differing performances. For example if the audience meets the imagination family the first time they are presented as “(tall, good ” looking, athletic), and Lucy’s clothing is “(fresh, summery, rather timeless). This is certainly a complete comparison to the method by which the real is presented “(an unattractive photo, entirely missing the lightness and easy her earlier family).
Immediately Ayckbourn has shown the fantasy relatives to be better and suited to Susan which in turn hints that Susan can be not comfortable in reality, although there has not much regarding the causes of Susan’s breakdown.
The setting of ‘Woman in Mind’ is likewise essential inside the presentation in the contrasting households although it is important for the audience to remember which the play is seen from an entirely subjective standpoint and that although two settings are intended only one is really the reality. Ayckbourn uses the lighting and sound effects to accenuate the contrast between two realms.
For example the stage direction at the outset of the perform suggests the setting to become “(small, clean, surburban garden) but when associates of her fantasy family appear the application of lighting “( The garden increases inperceptibly larger and lighter) accompanies all of the changes which Leslie herself implies “herb garden, “lake and “tennis courts. The environment is vital since it shows the fantasy friends and family to be more upper class and possibly this helps Susan to experience more worthy in her life.
The application of simpler contrasts such as drink and food also helps Ayckbourn to display the contrast between two family members and he achieves this kind of with the use of props. For example , Leslie is offered wine and fabulous meals by simply her imagination family although, in reality she is given the less complex sherry and must deal with Muriel’s awful “Earl off white omelette. The actions of Susan display how much more she wants her dream family, which can be shown by stage guidelines, for example “(leaving her sherry glass within the card table¦she comes across her glass of champagne and drinks it).
The distinction between the two families is likewise presented through the use of language. Among the this is the way when the fantasy relatives use nicknames for each different, for example “Big Sis, “Susie which helps to show the cheerful, friendly romantic relationship they have. The tone of voice is totally different in her actuality situations. One example is when Gerald defends Muriel in saying Susan must be more sympathetic towards her because of her “present and past sufferings Susan is quite sarcastic “Sorry, sorry, sorry.
The dream family is likewise presented since having very different attitudes toward Susan and Ayckbourn is using this together with the other techniques to emphasise her emotional hardship. For example her fantasy friends and family are extremely happy for her and appreciate her “We’re most going to use extra special proper care of you “We’re just all so happy with you.
The contrast between the two family members is important in showing the insecurities Susan has in her life and her fantasy is a manifestation of her dreams which in turn for Leslie become confused with reality. You should know for Susan’s emotional malfunction is her feeling of if she is not loved which can be mainly a consequence of her isolated unloving relationship with Gerald. Gerald and Susan possess conflicting viewpoints even about small trivial things for example , they have several opinions in the bush within their garden. Gerald calls that a “dead bush although Susan promises: “It’s not dead I actually planted that yesterday.
Gerald is also very unsympathetic toward Susan’s turmoil, for example the moment Susan says she is not too happy, Gerald’s unhelpful perspective is “well who is? Today. Very few. Gerald appears too thinking about the publication he is writing which is key point in Susan’s breakdown. Deficiency of a physical area in their relationship leads Leslie into the forearms of her imaginary enthusiast Andy, although in reality this lady has burnt Gerald’s history of the parish “All sixty internet pages blazing away. More importantly Gerald seems very unaware of the change in his relationship with Susan. Such as when Leslie tells Gerald she will not love him anymore, Gerald’s response is “I’m unaware my feelings towards you possess altered that much which gives a clear insight into the lack of closeness in their relationship to the audience.
Susan’s emotional breakdown is usually caused by her relationship with Rick which usually Ayckbourn gives as one with no usual mother-son communication. Although Susan seems to be quite light-hearted and sarcastic over the fact that their child does not speak with them “All of us miming to each other in the table she actually is however , extremely aware and upset with the lack of closeness between them. For instance , when Gerald explains with her that Ron wants most of his home furniture to be distributed Susan response “We’ll include nothing remaining of him at all. This display of sudden distress to the audience emphasises strongly the emotional anxiety Susan is experiencing.
Another type of side to Susan is viewed when Ron tells her of his marriage to Tess and explains that he would not want the family to satisfy her, and Susan is convinced it is because of Gerald “Why? Because of the father? . This displays the distance in her marriage with Ron and Susan becomes distraught when she discovers that Rick has always regarded her to be an unsuitable mother “I don’t want to hurt you anymore, Mum, nevertheless God support any girl who had you as a mother. This is an entire contrast in Susan’s imagination life however , because the girl does infact have a very close relationship with her dream daughter Lucy. An example of the between her two children is that whereas Ron was very reluctant to share Susan regarding his marital life, Lucy is extremely eager “¦there’s something We desperately desire to tell you.
Ayckbourn in addition has used the role of an interfering sister-in-law to enhance the worthlessness Leslie is feeling. Muriel frequently insists upon providing dishes and drinks and criticises Susan usually where Gerald can notice. An example of this is when Muriel sets Earl Grey tea in an omelette and says to Susan “I do desire you’d label things, Leslie. It’s a very inconvenient home to work in, it really is¦.
All of these factors in Susan’s reality lead her to using low self-pride and the asking yourself of her role. One of this is when Susan claims the fact that thrill of being a housewife has gone “I used to certainly be a wife. I did previously be a mom. And I cherished it¦The enjoyment has gone which is a complete contrast to her fantasy universe which demonstrates that she obviously wants to have the ability to employ personnel “(Muriel¦dressed in very formal maid’s black bombazine).
The fantasy relatives are summoned to help her cope and the words will be Susan’s actual thoughts which usually become forced into reality and help Susan to say what she is seriously feeling. For instance , when Expenses comes outdoors to persuade Susan to have lunch with them Tony adamowicz and Lucy tell him to “drop dead, these are Susan’s thoughts articulated by the personas and business lead Susan very little to say a similar “Oh, Expenses, do drop dead. Susan does have, in which stage have some control of her existence as she’s able to remove her dream family whenever she wishes.
The complete contrast in families is extremely important in showing Susan’s emotional breakdown because the imagination family continues to be perfected to every previous detail in Susan’s mind and reveals the ideal life Susan would love to lead. On the other hand because of the idealism the dream family supplies Susan becomes less and less able to control her very own creation.
This really is shown in act two where her fantasy life and reality become combined and this lady has entered a new of craziness created simply by herself “(What we see happen to be images kept in mind by her from films she has found, books this lady has read, TELEVISION SET she has watched). By this stage in her breakdown Gerald seems to know the fantasy family and talks to all of them in the light-hearted language that they used with Susan earlier “Tony, you outdated rascal¦. While it was just in reality that Susan sensed ignored which forced her into a great imaginary globe where your woman was adored and cherished, now it seems that neither of her households are taking detect of her: “LOOK FOR ME AT ONCE, DO YOU HEAR? ALL OF YOU!! . This is the final point in Susan’s breakdown.
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