Euthanasia In Brian Clarke's Play 'Whose Life Is It Anyway'
How Does Brian Clarke Use Ken’s Situation To Provoke Both Sympathy And Humour In ‘Whose Life Is It Anyway?’
The book has been written by Brian Clarke not only to entertain readers, but to also make a statement about euthanasia. Euthanasia is defined as an ‘easy death’, however after reading the play ‘Whose Life Is It Anyway’, readers start to get an idea of what a struggle it is, not only to have the courage to end your own life, but to persuade others around you that it is the right decision, especially someone in Ken’s situation. He is paralysed from the neck which means he cannot kill himself and must be aided to do so.
Euthanasia is at present illegal in the United Kingdom where the play is set. In addition, the Christian religion views suicide as a sin, no matter what the situation. However in recent years, an increasing number of people have argued their own cases to end their lives. Few have been allowed. This is play is about one such person, Ken, who argues his case before the Judge and does so successfully which sets a precedent and sends a powerful message to the reader.
In the first few pages of the script the reader is not directly informed of Ken’s ‘situation’, however there is a …show more content…
Ken start going though procedure which if they go right will end in his death. Although the script focuses mainly on Ken and how his life no longer exists, all around him the audience views life amongst the doctors and nurses. This creates another contrast, the audience is seeing someone who no longer has anything to live for, but people he spends every day with are living on their lives, they have a future and he does not. It makes the audience question how its fair that there is a man, just as good as anybody else wanting to die because he has nothing to live for and no one cares enough to think about him outside the
The book has been written by Brian Clarke not only to entertain readers, but to also make a statement about euthanasia. Euthanasia is defined as an ‘easy death’, however after reading the play ‘Whose Life Is It Anyway’, readers start to get an idea of what a struggle it is, not only to have the courage to end your own life, but to persuade others around you that it is the right decision, especially someone in Ken’s situation. He is paralysed from the neck which means he cannot kill himself and must be aided to do so.
Euthanasia is at present illegal in the United Kingdom where the play is set. In addition, the Christian religion views suicide as a sin, no matter what the situation. However in recent years, an increasing number of people have argued their own cases to end their lives. Few have been allowed. This is play is about one such person, Ken, who argues his case before the Judge and does so successfully which sets a precedent and sends a powerful message to the reader.
In the first few pages of the script the reader is not directly informed of Ken’s ‘situation’, however there is a …show more content…
Ken start going though procedure which if they go right will end in his death. Although the script focuses mainly on Ken and how his life no longer exists, all around him the audience views life amongst the doctors and nurses. This creates another contrast, the audience is seeing someone who no longer has anything to live for, but people he spends every day with are living on their lives, they have a future and he does not. It makes the audience question how its fair that there is a man, just as good as anybody else wanting to die because he has nothing to live for and no one cares enough to think about him outside the