Why do you think Mary married Crick?
Mary believes in Blue's future even though she can't see it:
"MARY: Things aren't going to be weird. Things are going to be -- fine."
Crick believes in the future of the painting even though he also can't see it. Mary is making an investment in Blue's future (as is Crick). Crick also believes he made an investment in all of their futures by buying a painting for $500.00. What do these choices and opinions tell us about their respective characters?
What does Mary want in Part 2, Scene 1 that she expresses simply in the desire for her savings? And then there is his fist at his side... why does Mary react the way she does to this?
In Scene 2, Mary learns to be a cowboy and calls herself a "flight animal." What does this tell you about who she is?
What do we learn about Crick in Part 2, Scene 3? Why is he concerned about whether or not Mary went out, and about whether or not she is wearing eye make-up?
On one other occasion before Scene 5, Mary notes Crick's idiocy and immediately apologizes. Now she does it again. How might this indicate changes in Mary and what kinds of changes might they be? Here are some notions that consume her psychologically: Crick without a job... borrowing savings... a painting she doesn't see as an investment, quitting her job, Crick getting fired... What conflicts are at play that alter relationships in this play?
What does Mary learn in Scene 6 and how does it change her?
Regarding Scene 7, how would you feel if someone read your diary or journal? How would you feel if your partner lied to you about his or her whereabouts? Apply this to what you learn about Mary's character.
Why does Mary come back in Scene 8? What do you think of Crick's insistence that Mary no longer see "that cowboy"?
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I think that Mary married Crick out of a sense of safety. She allowed Crick to make all the decisions in her life for her. Crick was satisfied with this because he likes control. He fell in love with her in second grade and decided to settle his life there. She did not have the will to refuse and accepted his vision for their combined life.
ReplyDeleteMary likes open results in life. She did not want confined definitions for Blue's life, as she did not want Blue's gender defined. Crick feels that his personal likes and decisions are best for his family, therefore he feels that a painting he enjoys will lead them to success. There does not seem to be a solid foundation for his beliefs other than his desires.
I believe that Mary wants her savings because they were something that she could own independently, something that she had control of separate from Crick. He could not control them if they belonged to her. Although Crick never actually abused Mary physically, she was always afraid that we would. Maybe she was more afraid of the power he had over her life, a power that she felt was enforced by his physical presence.
Mary being a flight animal suggest that she does not have her own sense of stability. She is tamed by whoever controls her. Yet, she also wishes to have her own control. This statement compares her to the horses, a theme discussed towards the end of the play when Crick refers to her as a horse.
Crick is concerned about Mary going out because he wished her to be a stable element in his life. He wants to keep her at home, exactly where he knows she will be. He is afraid that she will leave him, and he will not be able to cope with the unfamiliar.
Mary is able to see that Crick is not a stable element himself, rather he is highly unreliable. Her feelings lead her to call Crick an idiot, but she apologizes based on her familiar loyalty to Crick. She is struggling with her love for him, and is beginning to realize that her life with Crick is not as solid as she would hope.
Mary learns about horses, especially how they are broken. Mary seems to make a connection between the horses and herself. Red states that the broken horses will always return to those who chased them off out of love. Mary realizes this pattern may be similar to her relationship with Crick.
In both cases I would feel hurt and offended. It is understandable that she would feel the same about Crick, and that Crick would be hurt by her lie as well. Also, Mary had experienced prior trauma from others reading her diary. This would be a severe blow to Mary's sense of security with Crick.
She comes back because she is unable to make the transition to independence. She still relies on Crick and Blue for love and security. Crick requests that she no longer sees Red because he feels that Red is a threat to his own sense of security. Crick feels that there can be no life other than with Mary, so if Red convinced Mary to leave then he will have nothing.
On the surface, the relationship between Mary and Crick is so tender and sweet - they share a birthday, they fell in love in second grade... it's nice. But as the play went on, their relationship made me more and more uncomfortable. Mary didn't appear to love or like him all that much. Like Chris said, she only seemed to stay because it was comfortable, safe, familiar. They never agreed or understood what the other was saying. Their respective outlooks didn't mesh at all. As she pulled away, he became more unpleasantly suspicious, possessive, and controlling (causing her to be even MORE resistant). He didn't understand a word that came out of her mouth.
ReplyDeleteMary as a person seemed like a fragment of a personality. She was underdeveloped and emotionally/psychologically confused and immature. She was growing, and trying to figure out the world. Crick had no intention of progressing or learning. He couldn't help her examine the world.
Red was easily the catalyst for Mary pulling away from her life with Crick. Red didn't seem to have any objectives or intentions with anyone. She was merely present, providing Mary with an escape from married life. She introduced Mary to things unusual and exotic that appealed more to Mary's sense of independence, creativity, and exploration.
The ending of the play was underwhelming. I thought there would be a more meaningful payoff to Mary's journey... or a more interesting one. Instead of experiencing growth she just descended into disconnecting from the world and her life. Is it weird that she'd leave Crick? Well, she should have left him a long time ago - or at least, they shouldn't have rushed into marriage and a child. Both of them were prone to making irresponsible, rash decisions. Ultimately, it's not shocking that after years of doubt and confusion, Mary would leave him.
I think the most interesting part of this question is the assumption inherent in the way it's asked. The question isn't "why did they get married?" or " why did he marry her?", the question is very specifically "why did Mary choose to marry Crick?" Obviously, we are asked this because while Crick's love for Mary is clear, her feelings toward him tend to be a little more ambiguous. Do I honestly believe that she doesn't love him or didn't love him at some point in their relationship? I don't know. I like to believe that she loved/loves him in some way, because I think it would be difficult to spend so much time with someone who loves you completely and not return the love on some level. That being said, I doubt that she ever cared for him as much as he cares for her, but that could also simply be a function of their differing personalities. He loves obsessively and she, arguably, seems to love passively, if you believe she loves at all. I also think that there are slight hints at potential issues in Mary's sexuality which also contribute to the perceived differences in their level of affection.
ReplyDeleteOddly, I think this difference in personalities and amounts of love actually makes me like Crick more. I like that he loves his wife. He is enough in tune with his emotions that he knows what he loves and he pursues it. That's more than I can say for Mary. I don't think she knows what she loves and I think even if she did know, as she might or might not have known about her feeling toward Red, she isn't confident enough to pursue it. Though I might not always agree with what or how someone goes about getting what they want, I respect a person who is self-aware enough to identify their desire. I guess this is the reason, I "like" (I put the word in quotes because I don't actually care for him) Crick more than Mary.
The other thing I like about Crick is his love for his daughter. There are a lot of more traditional men who would be outraged/disgusted at having a daughter like Blue. I like that he still loves her and calls her his. He doesn't disown her or feel ashamed when he looks at her. Again, I feel like this speaks highly of his character. He is obviously a man with a great capacity to love and one who is invested in giving that love to his wife and child.
I also agree with Seana that the ending was underwhelming. I sort of find this to be a play where nothing really happens. There are moments where something sort of occurs or you feel like something might almost happen, but there is no ultimate payoff. Did Mary really learn something about herself if she decided to stay with Crick in the end?