Note how the title comes into play at the outset of Part I, Scene 1 (as it will in other scenes) and think about what this reveals with regard to Mary's character and Crick's. Does Crick feel like a house husband to you in Scene 1? Why or why not? Consider his dialogue and actions including what he says about others and how that might reflect upon him. Consider what Mary may say or infer about him.
Crick is the first to connect Red to the Marlboro Man. In the initial description of place, Ruhl describes the Marlboro Man hovering in the distance. Consider Red as hovering int he distance. What could that be saying about Crick and Mary's relationship versus Red in their memories and Red having reappeared in their lives? Is anything an accident or coincidental? Does everything happen for a reason? Could Mary and/or Red consciously or subconsciously have brought bout this seemingly chance encounter? Do yo think Mary or Red initiated the idea of having coffee together? Do you believe Mary's reasoning of why she chose Green Shutters? Why do you think it bothers Crick so much Is Mary lying about what she consumed at Green Shutters? Why do you think she lingered at the restaurant even though it made her late for dinner? Why is Crick pained towards the end of Scene 1? Why, at this point in the play, do you think Mary wants to see her mother? The scene establishes desires for both Mary and Crick. They love each other. He seems to need her more than she needs him. He also needs her financial support. Mary wants to see Red. Mary may be close to her mother. Think about how much you learn about Mary and Crick (as well as about Red) in one short scene.
In Scene 2, Red's reference to a crick means a creek. Consider that with regard to the fact that "crick" is also the name of the lover of the woman with whom Red has had coffee. What do we learn about Red in this scene and what further illumination does it lend to what we heard about her in Scene 1 and on the cast/place pages?
Scene 3 opens with Crick stating the same words that he did at the outset of Scene 1, but posed in an entirely new way and referencing a more critical change in circumstances for Mary and Crick. We learn through actions, through the announcement of a pregnancy, through a proposal of marriage, through the proposal of a name for the coming child, through Crick's wish for a boy, and through Mary's ultimatum that he gets a job. Why do you think that Crick did not have a job before? What impact do you think this may have had on his relationship with Mary? What did you think when they discussed the borrowed $500?
What do you learn about Crick in Scene 4? Note that he was conceived near a creek and therefore named Crick. What does that make you think in relation to the song that Red sang? Crick seems to come from open land, but is he still of the open land? In what ways is he like a creek or not? Do you think he was made fun of when he was little due to his name? How might this have shaped who he is today? Do you think he's smart? Why or why not?
Reflect upon what you learn about the characters in Scene 5 and write about it. Regarding Red, consider who she is with regard to babies, museums, city food, being in the city, men, war, and domestic violence. Regarding Mary, consider the character in terms of war. Who is at war in this play and in what ways? Why does Mary consider Crick as her onion and as someone else's water lily? What might Mary's desire to have her daughter be independent reveal about Mary's character? In what ways doe Red reveal a desire to have Mary more deeply intertwined in her life? How does the song in Scene 6 augment Ruhl's execution of Red's desire?
Reflect upon the painting as discussed in Scene 7 and before. Think about it literally. What does it mean to Crick? What, literally, might it mean to Mary? Now think about it figuratively. What precious thing does Mary "own" and how many times a day does she look at it? And, in her view, what does Crick "own" and how many times a day does he look at it? Does he revere Mary? Why or why not? In what ways is this reflected upon in Scene 8?
In what ways could Scene 9 be discovery for Mary regarding her relationship with Crick? What do you think Crick sees when he looks at her? In what way could the making of soup affect Mary's view of her relationship with Crick and of her pregnancy?
Why and in what ways is Mary thinking about change in Scene 10?
In Scene 11, let's think about what Mary may think about Crick not wanting to go to her mother's, about the fact that he does not say hello to her, and about his reaction to the film.
Mary is not happy in Scene 11 and she talks about the right to happiness in Scene 12. What does that say to you about her character and her desires?
Let's think about desire again. What does Mary want in Scene 14? What does Crick want? What does that tell us about their characters?
In Scene 15, what does Crick's reaction to the baby tell us? Mary's reaction? What other elements of unexpectedness or things that are "between" exist? Are Mary and Crick as a couple such an element? Is Mary such an element?
When you think nobody is left to cradle you, someone will be there, Scene 16 seems to suggest. Someone in the world can be responsibly reliable, perhaps from the point of view of emotion and emotional intelligence. How does Scene 16 strike you and what do you learn from it?
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Based on Crick's first appearance, he does seem to be a house husband. He seems to cook for Mary while she works. But, his personality still seems to be dominant to Mary.
ReplyDeleteRed represents a familiar page from Mary's past. Yet, Red is unfamiliar to Crick. Crick seems to feel that Red is a threat to his relationship with Mary, while Mary sees Red as something different. She seems to see Red as exciting and able to offer her a new perspective on life. Crick is offended that Mary would stay out late and go to their personal restaurant with Red because he feels that Mary may be replacing him with Red in their relationship. This further reflects on Crick's instability and Mary's desire for independence.
For Red, a crick is not something to be taken seriously. It is just an obstacle to be overcome. She doesn't seem to think of Crick often, nor does his presence seem to bother her.
Crick not having a job would seem to indicate that he is less that trustworthy. I felt the same when he asked for the $500. In most stories where these incident occur, the man is usually a deadbeat husband. As seen later in the play, this premonition was not false.
Crick seems to have many insecurities from his childhood. He is paranoid about giving his child a name that will be ridiculed. Also, is is afraid of open spaces and thought, things he can neither see nor control. He seems to expect to follow the rules of society as they are given, especially in regard to holidays. There is no evidence to indicate whether or not he is intelligent, rather what becomes apparent is that he has very poor judgment and many fears.
It seems that Red's desires for Mary are romantic. She genuinely does seem to want Mary to follow her into the open, into a new life where she feels Mary could be happier. Mary too shows a desire for independence, especially from Crick. The reference to the onion tells me that although Mary has no taste for Crick, it does not mean that he is necessarily a bad person. At first I wondered if he and Red would express some interest in each other, but this was not the case. Red does not care about the affairs of life in the city, her only care seems to be living an independent life. Mary too seems to desire that lifestyle.
The paining means many different things for Crick and Mary. Crick feel that the painting is beautiful, that is gives definition to his feelings. Mary only sees the painting as an abstraction, something that she cannot understand. This is a fundamental difference in their thinking. They are unable to see the world from each others' point of view. Crick enjoys being able to give definition to everything in his life. In this way he is able to control the various elements in his life in order to avoid hurt. Mary, on the other hand, seeks independence. She wants to be able to control her own life. Yet, she is unable to do this. She reflects upon this when she thinks of her right to chase happiness. She feels that she does not necessarily have a right to obtain happiness, rather she feels that it will always elude her. These conflicts continue to shape their interactions through the rest of the play until its conclusion.
I think Chris' point about Mary and Crick being unable to see the world from each others' point of view is a good one. It seems at the core of their organic incompatibility.
ReplyDeleteCrick is immature. It's like he doesn't know what communication is. He's in his own world, imagining that he's in control and knows what's best, even if it's at the expense of Mary. I felt that Crick was basically sucking out the life of Mary. Mary was the parent of two, her husband and their child. When he grabs her neck, it shows how hard he's trying to comprehend that he's not in control anymore and that she's leaving him. It's like emotional overload, because that's all he knew, just her, and he's never encountered this before. Then Mary rides off with her child into the sunset with Red. But Mary was not most mature character either. I felt Mary didn't know what she wanted or expected out of Crick. They both grew up together since they were kids, so it appears that the tight bond of their relationship caused them both to not grow outside of themselves. Blue is the product of their bound desires and expectations of each other. Both try to identity their child or project different names or genders in order to expect it to grow in what they think it should be. But it never is. Just like their relationship. It's not what it is. Red gives really the life saving push and perspective that Mary needs to realize what she wants in the end. Red is both man and woman just like Blue. Red is the ultimate cowboy of dual genders. The difference is that Red is not the product of a relationship but of herself. She is the positive energy, the one not dependent on names or treatments, just on herself. That is whey she stands as the most mature character and I would be very interested knowing how Red came to be.”
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