Re-read Scene 10 and examine Miller’s Presentation of attitudes to marriage in this scene and at least one other point in the play.
Re-read Scene 10 and examine Miller’s Presentation of attitudes to marriage in this scene and at least one other point in the play.
This is the first and only time in the play that Sylvia, Harriet and Margaret are all present, the women discuss matters of marriage, in which they all possess very opposing views.
The opening stage directions place ‘Margaret and Harriet… on either side of (Sylvia)”. These directions could impose that they have similar views, perhaps on opinions of marriage, however we realise this is not correct. We have already seen in Scene Three that Harriet has a very stereotypical 1930s view on marriage as she tells Hyman that “the marriage is a marriage”, she sees it as a mandatory task and perceives no reason for its deterioration. She is the orthodox housewife of this period, displaying an assured acceptance to her supposed role as wife, which the 1994 audience will not necessarily agree with. This is exemplified in Scene Ten when she avoids the emotions involved and tries to diverge the conversation by asking “I’m making a gorgeous pot-roast, can I bring some over?”. Tense topics of marriage make her ‘distressed’. She has a pessimistic view on marriage as she cries “How can people start saying what they know? - There wouldn’t be two marriages left in Brooklyn!” This is the most animated we see Harriet, but she still remains as naïve as ever.
On the other hand Margaret is comforting when it comes to times of anguish, as she offers cocoa, which coincides to when she attempts giving a cup to Gellburg at the beginning of the play. She tells Sylvia it “soothes the nerves” which is significant because Sylvia’s nerves in her legs are shattered. This is a more confident yet feeble attempt at pacifying the conversation of marriage. It could also suggest her paranoia surrounding her own marriage, as it indicates that she drinks it a lot to calm her own nerves. This is shown in Scene Six when she accuses Hyman of a sexual relationship between him
This is the first and only time in the play that Sylvia, Harriet and Margaret are all present, the women discuss matters of marriage, in which they all possess very opposing views.
The opening stage directions place ‘Margaret and Harriet… on either side of (Sylvia)”. These directions could impose that they have similar views, perhaps on opinions of marriage, however we realise this is not correct. We have already seen in Scene Three that Harriet has a very stereotypical 1930s view on marriage as she tells Hyman that “the marriage is a marriage”, she sees it as a mandatory task and perceives no reason for its deterioration. She is the orthodox housewife of this period, displaying an assured acceptance to her supposed role as wife, which the 1994 audience will not necessarily agree with. This is exemplified in Scene Ten when she avoids the emotions involved and tries to diverge the conversation by asking “I’m making a gorgeous pot-roast, can I bring some over?”. Tense topics of marriage make her ‘distressed’. She has a pessimistic view on marriage as she cries “How can people start saying what they know? - There wouldn’t be two marriages left in Brooklyn!” This is the most animated we see Harriet, but she still remains as naïve as ever.
On the other hand Margaret is comforting when it comes to times of anguish, as she offers cocoa, which coincides to when she attempts giving a cup to Gellburg at the beginning of the play. She tells Sylvia it “soothes the nerves” which is significant because Sylvia’s nerves in her legs are shattered. This is a more confident yet feeble attempt at pacifying the conversation of marriage. It could also suggest her paranoia surrounding her own marriage, as it indicates that she drinks it a lot to calm her own nerves. This is shown in Scene Six when she accuses Hyman of a sexual relationship between him