The theme of dysfunctional relationships in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” by Edward Albee and “Despicable me” directed by Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud.

 

Albee presents the relationships of George and Martha and Honey and Nick as the central images the play focuses on. George and Martha being the main characters show some real crazy “love” for one another and it would seem to the audience that their love is at most points in the play, no where to be seen! The play begins in what would seem to be a normal household, however as the audience are more familiarly presented to the pair it would seem that there is so much wrong with their relationship its painful to watch. The pair of them live in a dump of a house – which could be seen as Albee showing Martha rejecting the social stereotypes a woman should live up to, and they talk to each other in a foul way.

 

 

Martha tells George that he makes her “puke” and that George is a “simp.” As well as being out of order, Martha clearly has little respect for George and talks to him like he’s a piece of poo on her prestige shoes. Bearing in mind the way Martha speaks to George, you would expect him to fight back and stand his ground as the man in the relationship, however he seems to just listen to Martha and instead of using verbal abuse, he manipulates Martha and winds her up “its pretty remarkable, considering how old you are,” this is just one example of George manipulating Martha in a way that leads to an aggressive response. So far we would think, of they’re in an unhappy relationship and therefore neither of them are enjoying what’s going on. BUT TO SHAKE UP DA SYSTEM, Martha and George seem to find things funny as they “both laugh.” This gives the impression to the audience that maybe the way their relationship is presented is all an act as they seem to have a level of banter between them giving the impression that there’s not much tension between the pair. For me, my initial reactions of the pair was that they needed some form of intervention or counselling or professional help as the way they carry on isn’t healthy at all.

 

 

So just when you think the way Martha and George behave is a shambles, Albee introduces another relationship into the play, and this is the relationship of the “cool kids” Honey and Nick.

 (Honey is such a spice, or should I say she's the bees knees HA)

 

 On the surface, these two seem to have a bit more stability in their relationship as they treat each other with respect unlike Martha and George. However the way in which they speak to one another comes across as quite awkward and raises suspicion in the audiences mind as to why they behave like this as. Despite this it would seem that Honey (the piffy that she is) conforms to the normal expectations society has of women, and unlike Martha, plays the role of housewife within her marriage with Nick. It would seem that Honey and Nick just like George and Martha are unhappy in their relationship as when Honey talks to Nick saying “Dear! You’re being joshed!” Nick replies “coldly.” SUBTEXT seems to be something very important here as there is something fishy going on between these two, as on the surface they seem like they have this functioning and stable relationship in which they both support one another, but under it all there must be something hiding. George on Martha on the other hand is more expressive with their views and is happy to show their guests the extent to their unhealthy and dysfunctional relationship.

 

In Despicable me, it would seem that dysfunctional relationships are the root as to why each character is the way they are. Taking the girls, Agnes, Margo and Edith as an example, all three of them live in a foster home and although the reason as to why they are there is unclear, it is obvious that the past has lead them to develop the hard exterior they display and be a tight unit as they are now.

 

 

In the same way it would seem that Gru’s past has leaded him to be the ‘evil mastermind’ that he thinks he is. Within the first movie we see how Gru has always been an attentive little boy who always wanted to fly to the mood, however his mother didn’t support him and always put him down leading him to become the scheming mastermind that he is at the beginning of the film.

 

Then there’s VETORRRRR, a weedy kid who’s father expects way too much of. Vectors dysfunctional relationship with his father is what leads him to try and live up to his fathers expectations by trying to steal the moon from Gru. It would seem that all of the main characters within the play have a dysfunctional relationship which leads them to behave or act in a certain way.

 

 

 

Martha and George deal with the expectations each of them have of each other and it would seem that George is heavily oppressed and put down by Martha all the time. He’s constantly being called a “flop” and is abused in various ways including the way Martha speaks of their relationship. As the play goes on, and there is more alcohol consumed, Martha becomes more open about their relationship as she explains to the audience that “it snapped, the whole arrangement” and then explains to George that “I tried with you baby, I really tried.” Again, this reinforces the cracks and broken areas in Martha and Georges relationship which leads them to both be unhappy and exert their feelings of anger towards each other on a regular basis.

In the same way, Gru’s unstable relationship with his mother never being proud of him leads him to want revenge and to seek revenge against her; however he takes this to the extreme with a “liggghhhtttt bulb” moment, and decides to steal the moon!

The role of other characters within both Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, and Despicable Me, in a way emphasise the extent to the broken down relationships within each text. In Albee’s play, the presence of Honey and Nick is able to show to the audience that regardless of other people being around them, Martha and George will always be the way they are and that even though there is a continuing battle between appearance and reality here, it doesn’t matter because in reality, around other people, their relationship will never change.

However a main difference between both texts is the way it ends. Albee presents an ambiguous ending in which George and Martha never really resolve the conflict between them and don’t repair the bridges between them that have been broken. The ending of the play is most shocking in the way that its self with a cliffhanger so the audience are left to work out exactly what they make of the situation with George and Martha’s son. We sense an element of compassion to end the play however as “George puts his hand gently on her shoulder.” The lasting image the audience are left with leaves them with the impression that under all of the arguing, bickering and conflict, now that George has completely broken Martha down, she is ready to depend on him once again.

The same could be seen in Despicable Me in a way, as the characters effectively unite around the idea that they can build new relationships to counteract their dysfunctional ones. Agnes, Edith and Margo are able to build a strong beneficial relationship with Gru and Gru becomes a loving father counteracting the unstable relationship him and his mother had. Vector however has more in common with George and Martha in the way that he effectively ends up worse than he started. BUT, there cant always be happy endings in life, we need to remember that although George and Martha are going through the struggle there is still something that is keeping them together. Whereas with Gru and the girls, they overcome the barriers previous dysfunctional relationships have presented to them, and find happiness and a father, two things which they have never experienced properly before! Just remember LEDIAC… to live every day as it comes, don’t let dysfunctional relationships get the better of you…and that is the lesson to learn.

 

Thanks for reading,

Despicable Lea

Explore the theme of secrecy in Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1962)

Explore the theme of secrecy in Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1962)

In Edward Albee’s play Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf, the theme of secrecy is presented and explored in detail through deception and lack of communication in relationships. He portrays the way in which the scheming tendencies of a certain character are effective in contributing to their ability to keep secrets, or their desire to share them. Furthermore, through the isolation of statements and the lack of elaboration of them, Albee denies the audience a full or clear picture of the characters’ lives, creating a mysterious and ambiguous feel throughout the play. The theme of secrecy is effective and important in shaping this play, as it is responsible for sparking both curiosity and rage in the characters, affecting the plot as a whole. Moreover, the sense of secrecy lingers on even after the conclusion of the play, due to the unspecific and arguably confusing (though touching) ending, which causes the audience to reflect and think about their own interpretations of the play as much of it is left to the imagination.

The way that much of the plot is left to the imagination, creating an overwhelming feeling of secrecy, is mostly due to Albee’s choice of language. Instead of revealing important or factual information, he focuses largely on the way that the characters speak to each other. He also leaves isolated phrases unexplained, such as when George says to Martha “just don’t start in on the bit about the kid”. For the rest of the play, the audience are left wondering what is meant of this is, and whether this statement may have stemmed from a past conversation known only to the characters in the play. This cryptic way of writing is continued further when George refuses to give Nick a direct answer as to whether he has children. “That’s for me to know and you to find out”. It also portrays the feelings of jealousy that George has towards the younger, more handsome Nick, as he is not concerned with satisfying him with clear yes or no answers, but rather desires to intimidate and confuse him.

In Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf? Albee also develops the idea of secrecy and betrayal to show how it plays an inevitable part in the lives of married couples in the 60s. Nick spills an intimate secret to George that he has held from his wife Honey, saying “I only married her because she was pregnant”. Here, Albee creates a window of opportunity to portray Nick’s deeper feelings of regret for marrying her, and his lack of respect towards her by stripping away her dignity in front of a relatively unknown person. This could suggest that Albee is criticising the conventions of marriage through demonstrating the way in which people want to get married out of “traditional” values rather than out of love. Albee also shows how unfaithfulness is often sparked by secretive habits. Martha relies on the safety of her secrets as protection when she says to Nick “well nobody is going to know”.

Secrecy is a very important theme in the play, as it sparks many of the events that occur through the build up of jealousy and underlying feelings. Albee creates the meek character of Honey to grow increasingly uncontrolled and drunk during the course of the play, perhaps as a way of protecting herself against the harsh reality of the situation that she is in, with her husband Nick, and Martha growing increasingly close. Through secretive flirting between the latter two characters, Honey devastatingly realises for herself the event that is taking place behind her back. Through the events that follow, Albee is suggesting that dishonesty is a bigger crime than the affair itself, leaving Honey feeling as if she is not worth any honesty. Another vital part of the plot that stemmed through this secretive event and the provocative conversations leading up to it, is the last scene where George “kills” his and Martha’s son. Albee is presenting the way in which heartbreak and pain causes one to desire the same over others. In this case, George is targeting Martha’s weakness by killing her dream of having a son. However, the ending is still ambiguous, adding to the overall sense of secrecy.

The way that secrecy is presented in Albee’s play Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf? is comparable to that of George Orwell’s novel 1984 as it is important in affecting the series of events that follow. In Orwell’s novel, the theme of paranoia sparks the acts of secrecy, which are similar to the acts of secrecy in Albee’s play- the main character Winston falls in love, which in the dystopian society in which it is set, is strictly forbidden. He is caught, locked up, and cruelly punished. Dissimilarly to Albee, Orwell is not criticising the acts of secrecy, but the way in which society is becoming increasingly controlling, presenting the main characters in a refreshing and liberal light in comparison to the rest of the characters in the novel. Albee, however, is showing the flaws of human nature, and presenting the inevitable effects of secrecy in relationships.

Isabella Fleming

How does Albee present the theme of ‘marriage’ in ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf’?

During a welcoming after-party drink, the two couples, George and Martha, and Nick and Honey, before long are neck at neck with each other, revealing deep flaws in their marriages. Albee portrays how feeble and questionable, the line between love and hate can be. Both hatred and love for one another in the relationship of George and Martha is intertwined, making it more or less impossible to differentiate between the two. However, the audience can see, at the end of the play, their marriage seems more hopeful than Nick ad Honey’s, as the events of the evening have seemingly strengthened their relationship.

In his portrayal of the marriage of George and Martha, Albee asserts love and hate are entwined components of a single entity. Their spiteful banter gives the impression there are feelings of major resentment, towards one another, perhaps too much, contrasting a ‘typical’ marriage. However, these displays of hatred could cover up their intense love for one another, instead. In fact, George even goes as far as saying he’ll “battle (her) to the death”. This can be seen as typical to one of the arguments the both have, for show, however some of their arguments are for the challenge of arguing, and some may be intended to hurt each other. In this, Albee, arguably, presents an unrealistic portrayal of marriage by revealing the extent they’d go in their arguments, some unworthy of perhaps being an ‘argument’, however this too can be seen as realistic as some couples may enjoy a relationship like this. Contradicting this hatred nevertheless, the audience can see there are various moments of compassion. Martha declares George is the only one capable to “satisfy” her, suggestive of a positive characteristic to their marriage. Albee highlights as much as they may fight, they are clearly in need of each other, even if that means to just sustain the illusions that they appear to benefit from.

Albee sheds light on the concept of private and public images portrayed in the couples’ marriages. Albee implies the capability of married couples to portray a false image of themselves in uncovered public situations, and that this is a chosen route instead of exposing the truth of their problems, publically. This is a realistic depiction of marriage; however in Albee showing that these couples are capable of creating peculiar illusions for their other half as well as to their friends, can be accounted for as a bit bizarre. In this statement by George, “I'll hold your hand when it's dark and you're afraid of the bogey man […] but I will not light your cigarette.”, the audience may conclude Georges care and sincerity towards Martha comes through when he mentions he’ll “hold (your) hand”, nevertheless it also reveals a weakness of Martha’s to the guests. This fantasy, made by George, alludes to the love within their marriage that’s apparent through unconscious efforts, as seen in this statement, which act to relieve the pains they have had to experience in their lives. As well, in this interaction, the audience sees the complexity of love binding George and Martha together: “Martha: Well…you're going bald. George: So are you. (Pause…they both laugh) Hello, honey. Martha: Hello. C'mon over here and give your mommy a big sloppy kiss”.  They both seem to enjoy the kick out of each other’s insulting, as seen in the cheery, lighthearted tone, suggested in “they both laugh”. Albee presents a marriage whereby the partnership centers upon a degree of teasing and wit.

The breakdown of a marriage is emphasized in a difficulty Martha and George experience in their marriage, which is George’s lack of achievement at his job. Through George’s mocking resentment of the younger, strong-minded Nick, Albee demonstrates how this longing for success can demolish one's confidence and individuality, and ultimately a marriage. Martha states “I swear…if you existed I'd divorce you […] I haven't been able to see you for years […] you're a blank, a cipher”. Here, the harshness of Martha’s words renders an insight into how she continually cites George’s lack of vitality and drive, as an important cause of the cracks in their marriage. Furthermore, Martha’s frustration in George’s failed profession could account for the idea of women taking more of an interest in a successful career, and so this anticipation of her husband’s success, can be seen as an attempt for her to thrive, through him. During the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, many women desperately wanted a career and success, outside of the housewife role, but their options were restricted. However, more options became obtainable, and Albee represents how the breakdown of a marriage can occur due to the breakthrough of independence women undertake, away from passivity.

Generally, what are seen as an element of the ideal of marital success, are children. Albee explores the relationship between children and parents, focusing on how they affect each other, interestingly however, by depicting neither couple as bearing a child. The marriage of George and Martha is similar to Nick and Honey’s is similar in this way, although Honey and Nick do not communicate upon the fact they have no child, however for Martha and George, it is evident, their lack of a child is an additional failure to them.  Albee puts forward the thought that perhaps neither of the couples is ready to have a child because, to some extent, they live their lives resembling children, partly due to the fact that Martha and Honey’s fathers heavily influence the couples, independently.

In comparison, the marriage explored in ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf’ of George and Martha, has some similarities to the marriage of Emma and Charles, in Madame Bovary.  Flaubert suggests what actually differentiates a typically bad marriage from a really awful one is the length to which those concerned are eager to go, in their discontent. The dislike caused by familiarity is expressed by Emma, of who has become sick of Charles, that she's infuriated just to see his back as he sleeps: "even his back, his tranquil back, was irritating to behold, and in the very look ... she found all the banality of the man." Flaubert exceeds in portraying the qualities that Emma detests, similar Albee’s depiction of Martha’s of George’s. A technique used by both writers is the capability to correspond mood through language, for example when both Emma and Martha experience sensual delight, the script moves thrillingly and swiftly. Similar to Martha, Emma’s male associations hold the control to alter her life for better or worse; something she is short of herself. Like in George and Martha’s marriage, Charles adds to Emma’s hopelessness. His idleness and lack of ability stops him from pursuing a career as a doctor, increasing his social superiority, which may gratify Emma’s desires.

M Chacko

Write a comparison of the way strong emotions are presented in the two texts (Phaedra’s Love & Wuthering Heights)

Strong emotions differ in both ‘Phaedra’s Love’ and ‘Wuthering Heights’, for example through the way central relationships are displayed. Even though the periods the texts were written span across 100 years, strong emotions cleverly present characters thoughts and feelings. In both texts, the strong emotions revolving around the central relationships, vital to the plots, show the indifference in how their feelings vary from one another. For example, Catherine's conventional emotions toward the superficial Edgar Linton contrast with the profound love she has for Heathcliff, of whom she wishes “never to be parted” from. This suggests a deep attachment she has to him, which she never wishes to lose. On the other hand, Phaedra proposes “There’s a thing between us, an awesome fucking thing, can you feel it? It burns.” However, Kane illustrates the fact that Hippolytus does not “feel it”; he is physically and emotionally unchanged, specified in “feel”. As well as creating a sense of shock in the audience, Kane represents unrequited emotions. As well, the fast-paced language becomes more graphic as the play endures, as seen in “Die, scum”, highlighting how the language of the play acts a vehicle in representing strong emotions of the characters well, even if it is in the form of a play whereby language is usually minimal and to the point.

Strong emotions are presented in ‘Phaedra’s Love’; the most interesting being the contrast of Phaedras’s strong emotions that are adoration and desire for Hippolytus, and his indifference and dislike towards her. This can be seen in: Phaedra: ‘I love you’; Hippolytus: ‘No’; Phaedra: ‘So much’; Hippolytus: ‘Don’t even know me’. This contact between them reveals a strong desire Phaedra has for Hippolytus, as suggested in the word “love” which is not reciprocated. Kane presents the chilling nature of despaired, obsessive love. During Chapter 9 of ‘Wuthering Heights’, Catherine talks with Ellen and reveals that she has accepted an offer of marriage from Edgar; saying that she couldn't marry Heathcliff because he is too poor, but in actuality; her heart belongs to him. “It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff” exemplifies Bronte’s portrayal of strong emotions based on her self-interest, rather than sincerity, which is suggested in Bronte using the word “degrade” particularly, implying a sense of shame and humiliation which is ironic as it is irrational and harsh when referring to someone you love deeply.

Another way strong emotions are presented in ‘Phaedra’s Love’ is through Hippolytus being described as a “heartless bastard” several times. Audiences are repulsed by his savage response to everything, but desire to understand him, highlighting a way in how Kane reinforces a reaction from the audience through the strong emotion characterizing him as so “heartless”. He states, “If there is a God, I’d like to look him in the face knowing I’d died as I’ve lived in conscious sin”. Here, Kane portrays him as an openly immoral character with a shocking attitude. “Sin” draws attention to what Kane, perhaps, is remarking on; that is how strong emotions are influenced by dishonour and shame of our culture. In comparison, readers can see how the relation between Catherine and Heathcliff goes beyond a strong emotion that is desire, and becomes one of unity suggested in “I am Heathcliff!” This statement is an epitome of strong emotion, describing the destructiveness of a love that refutes dissimilarity. Also, her irrationality and confliction in her emotions disappear in this forceful statement; Bronte portrays her as more assure of herself,  even when strong emotions cause her to think and say illogical things. In a parallel way, a comparable strong emotion of a mutual love is presented in ‘The Anniversary’. John Donne claims the only thing not subject to “decay” is the love that he and the object of his affections share, suggesting love surpasses nature. The presentation of love reinforces their passion has “no tomorrow hath, nor yesterday” and is therefore timeless, beyond the reach of mortality. These strong emotions reinforce how they can take over us, uncontrollably.

Within ‘Wuthering Heights’, Bronte vividly represents of an array of strong emotions, such as romanticism, a key concept explored in the Romantic Era of the late eighteenth century, when this novel was written. Perhaps Bronte wanted to idealize the lovers, Cathy and Heathcliff as romantic heroes, whose love exceeds social norms, further indicating the strong emotion that is passion is central to the novel. Romanticism in the novel is shown through Cathy’s discomfort in happiness with Heathcliff. She admits to Nelly that she knows she does not belong with Linton, yet she was willing to marry him for his class and money.  Moreover, strong emotions based on the enduring love between Gatsby and Daisy in ‘The Great Gatsby’ are evident as Gatsby devotes Daisy with an unrealistic perfection that she cannot possibly attain in reality and pursues her with a passion that blinds him. This is evident from Fitzgerald describing how he is “consumed with wonder at her presence”. However, his dream of her crumbles, revealing the corruption that wealth can cause, due to overpowering, strong emotion similar to the way Fitzgerald sees the American dream collapsing during the 1920s.

M Chacko