Comedic Juxtaposition In John Beth Henley's Play 'Am I Blue'

Comedic JuxtapositionIn Beth Henleys play, Am I Blue, two main characters are presented. The two characters, Ashbe and John Polk, exert diverse personality traits, which cause comedic situations to arise within the play. It is often the case in comedy that two characters will present characters that obtain various apparent differences. Ashbe has an overtly eccentric personality while that of John Polk is comparatively mild and plain. From the moment the two become acquainted, amusement ensues due to their juxtaposition and the situation in which they find each other. By analyzing both Ashbe and John Polks similarities and differences, the factors that create this comedy are found.

Ashbe, a blatantly outspoken and unconventional sixteen year
John comes from a tight knit family who owns their own soybean farm. His father hopes that John will attend business school and help manage the family farm. However, he wants to do something else with his life. When Ashbe asks him what he would like to become, he states, I dont know. I wanted to be a minister or something good, but I dont even know if I believe in God (1:1:280). John expresses that he wants to be a minister however, his problems in life are breaking his spirit and his belief in God diminishes as he fill his life with immoral acts like meeting up with hookers. John also says, I never used to worry about being a failure. Now, I think about it all the time. Its just I need to do something thats fulfilling (1:1:282). So, it is evident that John does not believe managing the soybean farm is rewarding. Even though he does not want to work on the farm, John feels obligated to please his father. In contrast, Ashbe comes from a impoverish family and lives in a messy dilapidated apartment with her father, who leaves her there alone. She has very little contact with her mother and sister due to the fact that they live in Atlanta. Ashbe expresses her loneliness with creativity she learned from her mother. She also tries to help John explore his own ambitions and not allow others to make his decisions for