Symbolism In 'Debra And Mona'

DEBRA AND MONA is a tender and dramatic character driven story of self-discovery, healing, and recovery. The plot easily engages and is driven by two strong and compelling female characters, aptly, “Debra and Mona.”

The plot is driven more by the inner goals of the characters rather than by an external goal. The tone is dramatic, but tender. There are solid themes about surviving and second chances.

The story is skillfully told with subtext. The broken wings and shattered photo glass is symbolic of Mona’s life. The “mending” of the wings symbolizes healing. The leaving behind of the photo symbolizes the beginning of recovery.

There’s a lot to really admire about this script and it merits consideration.

There’s no doubt that the showcase
She’s rebellious and she acts out because of her need for family and attention, any attention. She wants to be an angel with wings. At the end, Mona has a solid character arc. She finally realizes that her father isn’t the “hero” she might have thought him to be. In fact, it would be nice to have Mona verbalize in the first act that her father was a war hero. She idolizes him and in the third act, her idolizing of her father is shattered when she realizes what he really is. The leaving of the photo behind is symbolic. The audience fully engages with Mona, even though she does things that are exasperating. She’s forgiven for her flaws and embraced as a character. One roots for her to be
He’s selfish and self-centered. He gambles and drinks. One wants to believe he has changed, but knows he hasn’t. It might be nice to give him one vulnerable moment to show a hint of what he could be or once was.

Ian is another complex character. He’s sad and lonely. He’s driven by his inner guilt that he could not protect his wife or be there for his daughter. He uses Mona and Debra as a replacement. It might benefit the script to verbalize this, creating a stronger relationship arc between Debra and Ian.

The other supporting characters feel believable, such as Gus, Derek, and Freddie. If there’s a need to cut or eliminate any scenes it could be between Angela and Sarge.

The dialogue is strong and compelling. It reflects the inner pain and conflict of each character. However, there’s a little bit of repetitive dialogue. As mentioned, Mona tells Freddy twice she’s going to find her father. When Sarge shows up, Debra tends to repeat herself about him stealing the money, etc.

The script is professionally presented. Unless directing, there’s no need to include camera shots. Avoid explaining feelings or features of a character vs. showing (the introductory description of