This play was absolutely intriguing to me. I think it is such a great example to start
off with to use Fuch’s methods of exploring a play as if it’s a different
world. The rules in this world truly are
completely different from what seems “normal” to us.
There definitely were times that Hetty and Maggie said
things to each other, which meant that they were aware of one another. But it was difficult to understand why they
didn’t seem to hear or notice each other at other times. It’s quite clear that Hetty and Maggie are
Harriet and Margaret’s “other selves.”
Hetty actually says it in the very first line. I think that knowing the context of social
norms when the play was written and first performed makes it even more interesting. When I watch movies or read books written
about this time period, I’m very amused by the way that people interact with
one another. People would usually say
things with the utmost politeness.
However, it would be very evident to the person they were speaking to
(as well as an audience or reader) that they are meaning a completely different
thing. I think that this is where the
Hetty/Maggie idea comes in to play.
Hetty is the part of Harriet that can pick up on the subtle things going
on in the Maggie part of Margaret. The
person Harriet is not completely unaware of what’s going on with Margaret (and
vice versa), but in this case it’s shown through the more tangible character,
Hetty (or Maggie.) Also, Maggie is never
deceived when Harriet says something that was definitely Hetty’s idea and
responds directly to Hetty. I like that
we get to see the unspoken dialogue between the two, like “Hetty: I don’t
believe you ever were in Turkey. Maggie:
I wasn’t, but it’s none of your business.”
But when Hetty and Maggie are talking to Harriet and Margaret, it seems
like they don’t notice or hear one another as much. Perhaps that is where we see the rules of the
play? Hetty and Maggie can communicate
with one another, but completely do not notice when the other is talking to
Harriet or Margaret.
I found the play on the historical social norms interesting also. It is interesting to think about it as if it were so long ago but when you think about it our society it still similar in the way that we have to hold back our real motives in order to seem polite. Even though the world of the play is set in a specific time setting, I think that there has always been and will always be a bit of truth in the dynamics of our inner selves that Gerstenberg theatricalized in this play.
ReplyDelete