The Use Of Wine In Drew Hayden Taylor's 'Alternatives'

In today’s society, people are surrounded by controversy and issues. Mostly people ignore these issues unless they related to them specifically. Even so, those who face these issues usually do not face them in a constructive manner. In alterNatives, playwright Drew Hayden Taylor uses humor to address societal issues without blaming or guilting others. Taylor achieves this through the use of the most important symbol - wine. At first glance, wine is used as an icebreaker and a comedic outlet. Later on, wine and its effects develop Michelle and reveal her true personality. By the end, wine transforms alterNatives, from a well put together play to an infuriating story full of controversy and humor. In the play, Taylor does an effective job of
While straying from convention, Taylor often uses humor to highlight important societal problems while still entertaining the audience. For instance, when Dale and Michelle bring wine and says, “More wine. Geez and they call us alcoholics.” Dale replies with, “You’ll find it quite exquisite” (Taylor 25). This humorous exchange underlines the issue of aboriginal peoples are stereotyped as alcoholics while still having a light hearted tone. Taylor does this throughout the play to bring to light touchy subjects without harping on the problem. In turn, the audience does not feel guilty for these issues but can still think about them and even have fun with it. In addition, the wine’s effects move the plot with Michelle’s humous drunk rhymes and the aggression that comes along with alcohol. Before the night is over, there are multiple fights that intensify after more drinking is done. Furthermore, wine symbolizes alcoholism and a way to suppress or hide from issue. In turn this develops characters like Michelle who embodies these traits. Lastly, since wine is a popular and common gift for a dinner party, the audience is led to believe this will be a normal night. However, the irony is the dinner party is anything but ordinary. As a result, wine adds to the play’s eventful night, to the audience's laughter and to the overall
Through the use of the symbol wine, taylor establishes a character for the audience to oppose. With purpose, Taylor constructs a character with arrogance, bossiness and passive aggression. This stirs the audience and creates controversy. Having other characters oppose Michelle forces the audience pick a side. As fuel to a fire, wine heats up the disagreements until no one can handle the heat. As the fighting intensifies, the entertainment value goes up. The same way pro boxers draw a crowd. In contrast, wine is used as a humorous plot device in the first act. The humor underlines important issues which later are brought up in the second act. This transition from humor to seriousness in congruent with Michelle’s wine consumption and the shift between a normal night and an all out jousting match. In brief, the audience is along for this aggravating ride. Just like reality TV shows, the more drama the more the audience is