I think a common point between the monologues is that several people and places recur in one of the other monologues. For example, Ed Carpolotti’s funeral was mentioned in Emil’s monologue once he found that Tessie was seeing Bill The third monologue is all about Ed’s life through his wife’s eyes. Emil also mentionned the Green Mill in his monologue, which we, the audience, find out is where Virginia met Ed in the third monologue. In Mac’s monologue Margaret Mary-Walsh was involved in the funeral. Also in Emil’s monologue, she is in attendance of the funeral.
A deeper thematic point in Three Viewings is that all three characters experience the loss of someone they love, and are left with something to comfort them, in the end. Emil is in love with a real estate agent, and, after she dies, is left with the pacemaker that was in her heart. This brings him comfort, although he never go to tell her how he truly felt. Mac lost her family by accident, but gained something else to comfort her. Her grandma died, and, at first, all she wanted was the tear-shaped ring. After realizing that all she truly wanted was closure, she gained it by relinquishing her grandmother’s ring to its rightful place, in her grandmother’s grave. Virginia lost her husband, Ed. After he dies, she is overwhelmed by all of the loans he had taken out to sustain their life. In the end, she is left with a list from her husband that not only provides closure and comfort for her, but also erases the enormous debt Ed owed.
The Green Mill was also the place got drunk and met Duane. So it's mentioned in all three monologues. But what I liked is how to mentioned that each person was left something to remind them of the person they lost. Although the ring was something Mac wanted I think she was given something more metaphorical rather than physical, like you said she was looking for closure which I think it probably better than a ring. I took the pacemaker as something left for Emil, but in a way it almost keeps Tessie/Terri alive in his mind mentally since it's still ticking. The same for Virginia and the list. Although Ed may be gone she still has that reminder of him that he has always loved her, and that his plan was going to work.
ReplyDeleteI linked all of the monologues together because they all lost the love of their lives, and none of them got to say goodbye the way they would have wanted to. I liked that you pointed out the little tokens of closure and comfort each one left behind. Thats really interesting and is something I hadn't noticed. Well done.
ReplyDeleteYeah I've gotta agree here. I like what you said about loss and it got me thinking. Maybe this play is more about the stages of coping with loss than it looks on the surface, or possibly its a commentary on what refusing to deal with loss can do to a person. What stands out to me here is Mac especially. She just wanders through life committing felony theft on a weekly basis to survive.
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