The
Greek chorus produces an effect of isolationism on the two main
characters. Essentially, we are
looking at a world that is inhabited by only two “vivid” characters—Li’l Bit
and Uncle Peck—and the ensemble of family members and various extras that live
in their world. This forces us to
think about the entire play in regards to Li’l Bit’s and Peck’s relationship,
as opposed to the other characters, who are only tangentially relevant. This story could be retold with Aunt
Mary as a major character, and it is almost offensive that her story is only
told in one monologue. It is
interesting that the three chorus members play highly individualized roles,
however; if this play were produced in Athens 2500 years ago, the many bodies
of the chorus would represent the masses in general, and we would probably only
see the one public opinion from it—“Eww.
Gross. Stop it.”
I
don’t really understand why the whole show is presented as a driver’s ed
course. Yes, the play is tangentially
about how Li’l Bit learned how to drive, and the play is titled How I Learned to Drive, but that does
not seem like enough to warrant that specific presentational choice. I think it takes away from the
seriousness of the situation, which I suppose may be the point. Really, though, which is more
offensive—portraying child rape as a horrid, graphic, despicably violent act,
or to downplay it and make it palatable to the audience? Obviously, I would
much rather see How I Learned to Drive staged
than The Conduct of Life because I
would love to live in a world where child rape isn’t horribly violent and
terrifying or, preferably, just doesn’t exist. Still, doesn’t it seem immoral to portray Uncle Peck as a
good man and Li’l Bit’s childhood as a gimmicky “well, this is what my
childhood was like, just like everyone else”? I think so. I
think it is immoral to portray violence in any way that isn’t horrifying (except
for comedic purposes, of course; don’t you dare tell me that this play is
treating child rape comically).
I think the act of learning to drive is used as a metaphor on how to live your life the way you'd like, in a sense. Li'l Bit never came across as happy or confident with the way her life was going. By the end, I feel she took control of her life by taking the wheel, so to speak, and doing what she wanted to do. I don't believe that Peck raped Li'l Bit, but he did touch her in an inappropriate way starting at a young age. He tried to make it seem that he took her feelings of his actions into account by supposedly letting her "draw the line". At the end of the day, Peck was wrong because he tried to make her believe that him feeling on her in that manner was appropriate. I agree that he should not have been portrayed as angelic, or as a good man.
ReplyDeleteIn the next blog post about motifs is actually where I found the "answer" to this (for there is no one Capital A Answer) conundrum about driving. While it is convenient as a frame device, it also serves as metaphor. Drivers have to navigate dangerous roads and perilous situations. Losing control for just a second can mean you die. Literally. You have to keep tabs on half a million things at once, and somehow we just train ourselves to do it. Most of us at our age can drive like it is nothing, and think its natural. The same metaphor can be applied to the text.
ReplyDeleteLil Bit and Uncle Peck are constantly flirting with the line that is too much, or too graphic, or too sexual. This is true both in their world of the play, and as audience members. Like you said, you were glad it wasn't too graphic. The author had to worry about that. While writing this believable story about these people who are worried about being teacher and student and uncle and niece, and lovers in some weird way, they had to train themselves to handle all those pressures at once, until it became, like Lil Bit says, kind of natural. At the end of the day, SHE saw what happened as neither inherently good nor bad, as long as they remained in control of themselves. Just like driving.
BOO YAH!