Anna Shaw

THTR 2130
Dr. John Fletcher
January 27, 2017
I. Physical World of the play

1) Mirrored
2) Theatricalized naturalism

a. Explanation

1) I think this play mirrors in a lot of different ways. First of

all, this is very obvious in the costumes that the
playwright has chosen for each character. The inner
voices costumes directly mimic the costumes of the
outer voices. I also think that Gerstenberg has done a fabulous job
of mirroring real life and the filter that we try to set in
place every day. The language accurately mirrors
modern language.

2) I use the words theatricalized naturalism because I think

that outside of the characters Maggie and Hetty
appearing as a physical apparatus of an inner voice,
this play is very naturalistic. I think that this is the only
aspect of the show that makes it theatricalized.
Otherwise, the language, setting, and individual scenarios are all
very realistic and natural to the world that we live in in
real life.
b. Justify
1) The stage directions before the first line explicitly say,
Harriets gown is a light jealous green. Her counterpart,
Hetty, wears a gown of the same design but in a darker shade.
The same goes for the description of Margaret and
Maggies costumes. The show mirrors real life in that
we all have our own inner voices although they are not
physicalized. We, as humans, think one thing and, for the most
part, process it into something that is acceptable in
society before we voice it. Similarly, the inner voices
are the embodiment of the original thought, while
Margaret and Harriet are the filters that most people put in
place. We see this especially when Hetty says, tell her were
rich and Harriet ignores this thought and says, wont you
sit down? Those lines are also very naturalistic in the
language. I know of many many people in modern
society that would speak in that exact way.
2) I do think that this play exudes theatricalism in that
Hetty and Maggie are physical manifestos of the inner
voice, but I also believe that there are a lot of
 Anna Shaw
THTR 2130
Dr. John Fletcher
January 27, 2017
naturalistic qualities to it. The language is not
theatricalized in the way that say, Shakespeare would be. In the
way that Juliet would say, Romeo, Romeo, where for art
thou Romeo Gerstenberg would have written
something like Where is Romeo? In todays society,
Gerstenbergs way of using language is more relatable
and realistic. The setting is in a fashionable living-room. I know
plenty of people in real life who have fashionable
living rooms. I also think that Harriet and Hettys scenario of
being poor and hungry is something that is not only
seen in the US, but also all over the world.

II. Social World of the play

1) Repressed
2) Petty

a. Explanation

1) I noticed throughout the script, Harriet and Margaret

repress the meaning of what they are saying to each other
in order to normalize the meaning behind what they are
saying. They also spend a majority of the script repressing
their own inner voices, Hetty and Maggie. Harriet and
Margaret as women are very reliant on their men defining them
in society, and I think that that is yet another form of repression.

2) The characters spend a lot of times making low blows at

one another for their own satisfaction. Most of the time it
is not to further reach their individual goals, but instead
to make the other woman feel more insecure about herself
and her intentions. Their comments usually make
only themselves more confident and cause a rise toward the
goal that they as individuals are trying to reach.

b. Justify

1) There are several moments when the characters are

stifling what they actually mean in order to keep their
opposite on their good sides. One instance is when the women
meet for the first time in the play. Harriet says, Oh,
Margaret, Im so glad to see you! and Hetty
immediately responds, Thats a lie. In another moment, Maggie
admits that Louis Le Grange is doing splendid
 Anna Shaw
THTR 2130
Dr. John Fletcher
January 27, 2017
work, but Margaret cuts her off and disagrees in order
to make her husbands business look more appealing to
wealthy Harriet.

2) Margaret and Harriet want something from one another,

and they are willing to do whatever it takes to get it. This
causes them to act very bittersweet throughout the
script, particularly when Harriet tells Margaret that she
sat in her automobile for fifteen minutes waiting for
her chauffer to get the cake, and then repeats for a second time
that she has a chauffer. Margaret also lies and tells
Harriet that her husband cannot begin to fill his orders.
In the end, it is evident that they have been fighting with
their inner voices while still making cutting
comments to one another when Maggie and Hetty charge at
each other, then the stage is suddenly left with just
Margaret and Harriet holding hands while making
comments about the delightful afternoon and the joy
it was to see each other.

III. Changes in the play: Three parts:

a. First image, last image, and striking image near the center of
the play:
The first image is of Harriets Living room. The audience sees
only Harriet and Hetty and the lavish life that they live. The last
image is Harriet and Margaret holding hands and telling each other
that they had a great time together and exuding the falseness that
they have been for the entirety of the show. I think the central image
is of the two women having tea together and comparing their lives,
while their inner voices begin to find the dislike they have for
each other.

b. Why was it essential to pass through the gate of the central

image to get from the first to the last?
The central image that I have chosen sets up the desire and
urgency and reinforces tone of the entire show. This moment is
when we really start to see what Margaret and Maggie are trying to
obtain from Harriet and Hetty. Maggies lines in this moment
reveal the extant to which Margaret needs the money, especially
when she is talking about being hungry. This is also a moment
when we see Harriet begin to ignore her filter, and Hettys words start
to creep out. I think that is moment is also when the women make their
most cutting remarks.
 Anna Shaw
THTR 2130
Dr. John Fletcher
January 27, 2017
c. Identify and discuss something else that changes over the
course of the play, supporting your discussion with specific
reference to the play text.
The relationship that is developing between Hetty and Maggie
become more and more severe as the play moves along. The tone
at the beginning, while still snippy, is tame compared the their actions
right at the beginning. As the play goes on, we can see that the
inner voices are become more and more agitated with the falsities
that one another delivers. Namely, when Hetty says, I dont believe
you were ever in Turkey to which Maggie responds, I wasnt, but
it is none of your business. By the end of the play, it is very
evident that Hetty and Maggie have had it with one another
when they charge at each other and yell about the things that they
are determined to take from the other.

IV. Which character (or characters) do you think the script generates
sympathy for?

a. I think there are moments where the script wants us to root for
all the characters for different reasons. Hetty is heartbroken.
Maggie is hungry. Margaret is poor. Harriet is financially stable,
but still unhappy. Hetty states in the very beginning that she
doesnt love Charles and that she is in fact the one who suffers.
This causes us as the audience to want Hetty to find that love, even if
she has to take it from Margaret. Maggie has an entire bit where she
begs for cake because she is so hungry, which makes us want her
to have enough money to eat. The same goes for Margaret as
she practically begs Harriet for money. Harriet is also clearly not
happy as she states that it isnt her business to love anybody in
order to repress the feelings that she has for John.

V. Theatrical mirrors: Does this script obviously reflect, reference,

and/or modify any well-known stories, images, tropes, or patterns? If
so, where and how? (up to 100 words. Note that not every play does
this. It is fine to conclude that this play does not in fact contain any
theatrical mirrors.)
I think that there is a very clear image of the devil on your shoulder.
These characters are, for the most part, being driven by the influence
of their inner voices, which play the devils advocate.

VI. Pattern of this play: Searching for satisfaction (200 words)

a. This script is constantly searching for satisfaction. Hattie is

not happy because she loves John and wishes that Harriet had
 Anna Shaw
THTR 2130
Dr. John Fletcher
January 27, 2017
married him. She is searching for love to satisfy herself.. Harriet is
searching for affirmation in not marrying John by embarrassing
Margaret due to her financial situation. Margaret is poor and is
searching for the money that she can get from Harriet to support
herself and John. Maggie also wants the monetary support from
Harriet, but without the trouble of establishing a friendship, so
she is searching for easy money. I think that Maggie is also very
prideful and feels like Margaret is practically begging for money
by the end of the show, so I think that one could also say she is
searching for money the noble way. All of the individual things
that they are searching for result in their individual happiness or
satisfaction. I think these characters also get satisfaction from their
successes in making cutting comments at each other. This is evident to
me in that every time either Margaret or Harriet makes a cold
comment toward the other, their inner voices respond in a way that
has a sense of triumph.

b. Take any one character and discuss how the character

fits/reflects/lives out the plays pattern.
Hetty makes her wants and intentions very clear from the start of
the play. She tells Harriet how much that she wishes they had
married John instead of Charles. She even goes as far as to say,
I want to advise you about what to say to her this afternoon implying
that she knows exactly what to do to get her way. To gain satisfaction,
Hetty needs to obtain the love of John. She is constantly searching
for way to steal him away from Margaret. She even says, nonoI
shall win him backaway from youaway from you. In the end of the
show, Hetty outright tells Maggie her intention to take him away.