CHAPTER V SYMBOLS AND TECHNIQUES

Although the main focus of discussion in the present study remains on the themes, the striking parallels are also found with respect to other aspects of drama, such as, symbols and techniques. Therefore it would be legitimate to discuss these aspects in the purview of the study. The aspect of use of symbols will be discussed first. The second half of this chapter will deal with the techniques used by all the four playwrights as well as the parallels between them.

Tennessee Williams' plays are fiill of symbols. He makes use of a variety of symbols from mythology, religion, physical and biological sciences. He also alludes to current affairs. Most of the times, the titles of the plays, names of places and characters are highly symbolic. Coming to the names of places, the entrance of Tom's apartment is through a fire escape, the name of the club behind their building is Paradise Dance Hall. He terms all the Americans blind by refemng to their use of Braille alphabet. The devastation in Spain has been symbolized through 'Guernica'. Blue Mountain symbolizes Amanda's glorious past and youth.

Apart from these names the title and a unicorn symbolize Laura's life-style and her character respectively. The glass animals stand for her companions in her world of illusion, the unicorn stands for Laura which is unusual like Laura. The glass menagerie also symbolizes transparency, frailty, and dependence on outside source of light to shine brightly. The unicorn stands for something unusual and abnormal. When the horn gets broken accidentally while dancing with Jim, she comments that it has turned normal like other animals. 'Blue Roses', the name used by Jim for her since their school-days also represent something unusual, rare and unique. Mr. Wingfield's photograph where he looks very handsome and is smiling gallantly suggests his carefree and 'happy go lucky' nature. It suggests that this man is far away from worries and anxieties and can go on smiling forever.

507- Amanda's saying grace at the dining table and her insistence on table manners symbolize her Victorian culture and puritan upbringing. There are some more indications of the religious overtones in the play. Jim, the gentleman caller for Laura, visits the Wingfields on a Friday evening which naturally reminds of Good Friday. His very name is close to that of Jesus. He functions like a savior for her. He brings her out of the darkness of her inferiority complex. She shades her shyness and nervousness in his company. However, immediately after this, it is Laura who has to undergo the pain and the agony of sacrificing her hopes, the crucifixion after Jim's revelation of his being already engaged.

Amanda's mantra of 'rise and shine' indicates her faith in the myth of the 'American Dream'. She is highly pleased with Jim's way of thinking as he too believes in it. It is clear from his taking the classes in public speaking and radio engineering.

Apart from the title of the play , there are many other names of the places and persons which are also symbolic. The name of the other public transport bus is 'Cemeteries'. The locality where Stella stays is not a posh locality. But its name is Elysian Fields. It may be true for Stella where she finds the heavenly pleasure with her husband, Stanley. The names of the major characters are also suggestive of their persons. Stella is a 'star' for Stanley, as well as, Blanche, her elder sister. Blanche means a white moth whose life is very transitory. A moth gets attracted towards a flame and gets singed. Moths look bright only with the help of outside source of light. All these features fit appropriately to Blanche.

Stanley is associated with the Stone-Age. Stanley's character is rock-like in many senses. He has provide4d a firm support to Stella. He is rough and solid built. He is stone- hearted when his attitude and treatment to Blanche is concerned. He doesn't betray any signs of tenderness to her. He is a 'down-to-earth' personality. His animal like character is seen in his passionate responses to Stella and others. His throwing a packet of raw-

-508 meat towards Stella or his act of the radio-set in a fit of anger indicates the traits of a wild animal.

Just like Amanda's repeated allusion to 'seventeen gentleman callers on one Sunday evening', to emphasise her popularity, a parallel is found in Blanche's frequent reference to a millionaire, Shep Huntleigh. He is the hero of her world of fantasy. Her resentment for bright light, obsession for paper lanterns, her frequent baths to soothe her nerves are also symbolic of her character. She is afraid to face the stark realities in clear light especially related to her ageing. Moon Lake, moon light and paper moon, sliver slipper of the moon are the recurring symbols observed in most of the Williams' plays. When Blanche's falsity is exposed to Mitch whom she was going to marry, he plainly refuses to marry her. She is utterly distressed to find her last hope fading away. On this background, the hollering by a Mexican blind woman outside, is heard, ''Flores. Flores Para los muertos." She is selling artificial flowers for the dead which suggests the tragic end of Blanche's hopes.

Orpheus Descending is also rich in symbols. It is rather packed with symbols than any other play by T. Williams. Its mythical and religious symbolism has already been discussed in Chapter IV. Besides them there are many other symbols, such as, Val's guitar which is obviously a phallic symbol. His snakeskin jacket suggests a variety of things. It suggests rejuvenation or rebirth after shading the old skin. After his purgation and purification Val is supposed to be reborn. It also hints at his wild nature and wanderer's life-style. But his accepting a blue business suit refers to his willingness to be tamed. It also indicates his bonding with Lady in an 'employer-employee' relationship and then love relationship. After Val's tragic end, the snake-skin jacket rightly passes to Carol Cutrere, from one wanderer to another.

Jabe Torrance's cancer stands for his malice against Lady and her father. It also symbolizes the cancer of pride, arrogance, hatred and evil throughout the society. Papa Romano's orchard and Lady's confectionary both are symbolic of the Garden of Eden. It symbolises irmocence and virginity which get destroyed by the evil forces. The

-509 confectionary suggests resurrection of purity and innocence and also the victory of life over death. Unfortunately, the victory is short lived. Many of William's characters suffer from and die of cancer, besides Jabe Torrance, such as Big Daddy and Flora Goforth etc.

In , Margaret is the cat whose desperation has been suggested through the title. She is ready to do anything to win back her man's love. Her heat and vitality has been contrasted with Brick's cool, detached and isolated attitude through the symbol of moon. His alcoholism and his crutch stand for his emotional and physical crippledness. The people who love him try to snatch away his crutch and make him stand on his feet. His real crippling factor is his illusion about his relationship with his friend Skipper. He is not ready to accept the truth despite Skipper's confession about it. His frank discussion on this issue with his dying father brings hope of elimination of this crutch, at least to provide solace to his dear father.

The symbols of are mainly related to the decay and degeneration of the old order and the rise of a new healthy promising order. There are also symbols related to discord and harmony between the sexes, represented by the couple, Archie Lee and Baby Doll. Vice and virtue, has been juxtaposed through the characters of Archie Lee and Silva Vacarro. Same is true about refinement and savagery. Ironically, true refinement has been observed not with the proud Southerner, Archie Lee, but with the 'wop', Silva Vacarro who treats Baby Doll and the old Aunt in a true chivalrous manner whereas Archie Lee arm or to slap her in public as a punishment. When it happens in Vacarro's presence, he comes forward to protect her.

The unkempt yard, the dilapidated house with the bare interior, the filthy kitchen and sink, the old car and the outdated machinery in the gin stand for disorder, chaos and carelessness. Everything is on the verge of breaking down just Uke Archie Lee's gin and his marriage. It is highly symbolic that the gin resumes fiinctioning smoothly after Vacarro replaces a new saw-cylinder. It applies to Archie Lee's marriage too where he is replaced by Vacarro.

-510 Baby Doll's name suggests her child-like innocence, her immaturity and her virgin status. Same is true about her nursery and her sleeping in a crib. Silva Vacarro's clenching Baby Doll's thirst with the spring water and sharing a pecan nut with her cracked in his mouth suggests his leading her towards the path of knowledge, the pecan nut hinting at the 'fruit of knowledge'.

Silva Vacarro's game of 'hide and seek' with Baby Doll symbolizes his technique of getting a testimony, keeping the person in the dark. Her making him sleep in the crib like child, patting his head affectionately and singing a lullaby to him indicates both, her affection for him as man and also as a baby. It is a sign of the arousal of the motherly instinct within her. It is also a sign of her newly attained maturity.

Suddenly Last Summer is full of symbols of savagery in nature suggestive of utter cruelty among human beings, especially Mrs. Venable. The massive tree flowers, suggest organs of a body, torn out, still glistening with undried blood. They are accompanied by harsh cries, hissings and thrashing sounds. There is the Venus Fly Trap- an insectivorous plant. There is also a detailed description of the pathetic scene of the newly hatched turtles scrambling from the sand pits on the beach towards sea and the ominous crowd of carnivorous birds pouncing upon them with savage cries. It is a foreboding of Sebastian's being killed with savagery by the urchins on the beach. As juxtaposed with this savagery, the names of Catherine Holly and Dr. Cukrowicz are symbolic of their iimocence and good nature. Catherine Holly stands for frankness and something sacred. Cukrowicz in Polish means sugar.

The names of characters and places are symbolic as usual in Sweet Bird of Youth also. For instance the name of the iimocent and extremely beautiful beloved of Chance Wayne is Heavenly whereas Chance Wayne suggests waning chances of survival for him. The name of the city is St. Cloud suggestive of holiness and heaven. It may also be suggestive of vanishing hopes of the union between Chance and Heavenly. The action takes place on Easter Sunday. It may suggest that all the main characters hope for resurrection.

511- The castration of sorts is observed in the play. There are actual castrations of Negro youth and Chance Wayne, Heavenly's hysterectomy, the mistress's referring the ageing Boss Finley 'impotent', the advancing years of the Hollywood actress, Andre Del Lago, being a form of castration.

Again, the names of characters are symbolic in The Milktrain Doesn 't Stop Here Anymore. The name of the protagonist is Flora Goforth, indicating a flower going forth to perish. Chris is obviously suggestive of Jesus, the savior. Mrs. Goforth uses significant allusions, for instance an angry old lion for the hot sun and also for the death. The names Pink Villa and its Cupid Room are romantic symbols. Chris who helps the dying people to accept death peacefiilly is called an angel of death. He has brought a meaningful gift for Mrs. Goforth. It is a mobile titled, 'The Earth Is a Wheel in a Great Big Gambling Casino' suggesting a wheel of fortune. The Samurai warrior's robe with the sword is a symbol of her sex life with her last husband Alex.

There are a lot of symbols of her cruelty such as employing Rudy and his ferocious dogs to keep away the intruders or her deliberately keeping Chris starving. Chris uses an allegory of puppies snatched away from their mother who provide emotional support to each other in the darkness of night, to drive home the concept of the need of company while stepping into the darkness of death. He uses another allegory of a house on fire with no escape routes, to describe the last moments of human existence, the separation of body and spirit. The lowering of the flag on Mrs. Goforth's mountain by the end symbolizes the end of her life and her monstrous regime. The emblem of the golden griffin represents the character of the owner of the mountain. It is a mythological monster, half lion and half eagle, but strangely completely human.

Rather than symbols, allusions are quite frequently observed in Albee's plays; for instance, the Hollywood film is referred to by Martha in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf! The title is a refrain of a popular song, twisted a little bit. The original line is, " Who's Afraid of the Big, Bad Wolf?" The allusion to Virginia Woolf bears special significance.

512 She represents the intellectual woman amongst the predominantly male bastion. Men appreciate such women but at the same time, they feel insecure in the presence of the intellectually outstanding women. The women in the party are singing this song, referring to them as not so intellectual as Virginia Woolf

A pun is intended in the title. It suggests that Martha is a she wolf who keeps on savagely attacking her husband, George. She probably considers herself very intelligent. But at the end, after being completely outwitted, she confesses "I am afraid — ." She is afraid of herself the symbolic presence of this line is feh throughout the play.

The titles given to the three acts are also significant. Act I is 'Fun and Games' indicating light mood, teasing etc. Act II is ' Walpurgisnachf, the night of witches and Act III is 'Exorcism' indicating expelling the ghosts. George uses the symbol of 'musical beds' for the adultery among the University personnel. He also alludes to 'cloning' and chromosomes as business of Biology people. Martha calls George 'bog' and 'swamp' for his failure in making any progress at the University hierarchy. George, too, uses symbol of a marriage between a witch and a white mouse with the tiny red eyes for Martha's parents as Martha's stepmother was a very old lady with warts. Obviously Martha's father is the white mouse.

There are two main symbols in The Sandbox. The sandbox symbolizes a grave and a handsome young man on the beach is an angel of death. His kiss on Grandma's forehead is a seal of her death. The death of Bessie Smith symbolises the racial discrimination and apathy or cruelty arising out of it. In Counting The Ways, the depetaling of a rose suggests the uncertainty, the doubt about love between the couple. The separation of the beds symbolizes the rift in their marital relationship. The dying marital relationship also suggests death in a literal sense and the sense of loss and pain associated with it. The recurring reference to the wilting of rose indicates the same thing. Then there is a direct reference to death, Auden's death, by He. He tries to imagine how exactly one feels during a heart-attack, imagining one's own death. The symbols are mainly associated with decay and death.

513- There are allusions to Darwin's theory of evolution in Seascape. Other allusions are the custom of greeting each other with a hand-shake, class differences within the animal world or sea-creatures, atom bomb and aeroplanes as the sign of progress. Seascape is symbolic of man's retrogressive instinct, especially during the later phase of life. It also stands for man's primitive nature and instincts like fear of unknown, self defense, self respect, curiosity, envy etc. It is also an allegory on racial differences and the problems of mutual understanding between the races.

The dying man with all tubes of life-support system, in All Over has been compared with a central gadget by The Wife. The Mistress uses the symbol of a city seen from the air with the rail lines and roads. She also compares it with an octopus with its tentacles. The Wife's dream is also symbolic. She recalls her late aunt who has died in a car crash. The Aunt was heart-broken when she was twenty six. She must have turned schizophrenic since then. The Wife, as a child had asked her an impertinent question, "Do you love anyone?" Her aunt had slapped her for that. After this account she dozes off for a while. She re-lives the whole episode in her dream and experiences the slap which awakens her with a jolt. The guilt of being asleep while waiting for the end of her husband and the punishment for the impertinence in the past, combine together and she wakes up.

There are allusions to the famous persons and events, such as, the sudden and violent deaths of the Kennedy's and Martin Luther King. The Nurse alludes to the disaster of Titanic with which another doctor's death was falsely associated while the doctor had actually committed a suicide. The Mistress alludes to the Berlin Wall, having witnessed it along with Husband when it was being built.

The title. The Death of Bessie Smith alludes to the actual incidence of the death of a Negro singer named Bessie Smith in a road accident in a similar situation depicted in the play. There is another allusion to the apathy and atrocities by the white police. The Orderly alludes to the policy of the state police of crushing down the protests and

514 demonstrations by blacks against apartheid. In one such case the police have run vehicles over the protesting crowd and Orderly's uncle got killed in it.

In Fam and Yam too there are allusions to the then established and famous writers like Miller, Williams and Thornton Wilder. There s also a reference to the film director Ingmar Bergman. There is an allusion to Albee himself as an upcoming and promising playwright. In A Delicate Balance Agnes refers to the unknown fears of the guests as a disease and compares it with the epidemic of plague. Tobias alludes to his strange experience with his pet cat who suddenly stopped responding with affection and he never knew the reason. He wants to refer to the loss of communication between the two without any apparent reason.

Tendulkar doesn't make use of symbols as frequently as Williams. However, the titles of his plays are found to be ironically symbolic, for instance, Silencel The Court is in Session, Kanyadaan. Shrimanta etc. The title Chimanicha Ghar Hota Menacha is symbolic of the pathetic condition of Kamal whose suffering never comes to an end. He uses a similar line from a Marathi rhyme describing the pathetic situation of Leela Benare towards the end of Silencel The Court is in Session. The line roughly means "everyone is tormenting the poor little sparrow!" In the original rhyme about poor sparrow's nest, a parrot expresses sympathy towards her while the crow has ravaged her nest. The line has been used symbolically towards the end of the play to symbolize Leela Benare's feeling devastated. While all others behave like the crow, Samant is the sympathizer, the parrot. It has been suggested through Samant's bringing a cloth parrot to her in the beginning, as well as, towards the end of the play.

Apart from this recurring motif, there are many other symbols in this play, for example, right in the beginning of the play, the stage setting suggests 'time out of joints' through the clock which is not in order, worn-out portraits of the national leaders suggest the degradation of values and ideals. The bolt's behaving strangely if not handled carefully is symbolic, too. It also hints at the forebodings of the ordeals, Leela Benare

515- has to go through. The slipping of the door-bolt from outside barring Leela Benare's escape route is also symbolic of her getting trapped. Kashikar alludes to the social reformers like Karve and Agarkar. He holds them for the violation of social norms by the women like Benare.

Elkunchwar's plays are highly symbolic. The symbolism begins right with the titles of the plays. Most of the times, there is irony in the symbols. Wada Chirebandi is no more a strong, fortified structure. It is infested with rats and moles. Same is true about everything related to it. The wada stands for the well-knit, compact joint family system, the feudalism, the old value system and the glory of Dharangaonkar Deshpande family. Nothing of this applies to it in the present circumstances. The tractor stands for the pride and glory of the feudal lord family. But now it has turned into 'a white elephant' which is not of any use neither can be disposed of.

Apart from the title, many other symbols are found in the play. The tractor in the front-yard of the house has never been used and now it is not in a condition to be used. Neither is there that much agricultural land to use it. The tractor is the symbol of high status of the family which is drastically declined. The tractor becomes a nuisance, a hurdle in the progress. Anjali's sari gets torn and Chandu's foot gets seriously injured by the tractor. In the same way, the prestige of Deshpande family, bars the progress of Prabha's bright career. The symbol of tractor closely resembles the setting of Archie Lee's house and its exterior. Just as the tractor in the front-yard, an old rusting Limousine car is lying in Archie Lee's side yard in Baby Doll. Towards the end of the play chanting of the death related hymns for the master of the house, Tatyaji are heard and simultaneously is heard the roaring of the bulldozer brought to raze a part of the house. The sound of the bulldozer indicates the beginning of the death of the citadel-like mansion. Dadi represents the period bygone and Aai has also begun to follow her foot steps.

Elkunchwar uses an objective correlative of knitting by the woman, Stree, throughout Ek Osad Gaon to indicate the lifeless dreary uniform pattern of her loneliness

516- and variations in it taking place unconsciously when a hope of change, a hope of companionship arises. There emerge signs of life in the form of leaves and flowers in the pattern. When Tapasi finally sets to leave the spot, Stree in her despair starts undoing the lively pattern to resume the lifeless pattern. For Tapasi, the continuous wandering in search of something is his self inflicted penance whereas Stree's self imposed isolation is her penance with the only companionship of the shawl she has been knitting. When both of them feel tempted to enjoy each other's company, again the romantic symbols of life and indulgence have been used. Tapasi suddenly starts smelling the wild fragrance of herma blossom. Stree talks of walls crumbling down. She begs him to be 'a bird' for which she wants to be a cage. She compares her frightening loneliness with the interior of python's belly where she could hear the sounds from outside but nobody can hear her. Both feel alike. When she narrates her own feelings, Tapasi feels, as if, she is a mirror and he is looking at his own image in it.

Just as Ek Osad Gaon, Eka Mhatarycha Khoon is also an allegory of man's inevitable mortality and the messenger of death- the old man. Man's life has been symbolized through the toiling, tormenting and seemingly unending journey through the barren land. At another level life has been compared with imprisonment. Man tries to bring an end to the imprisonment by killing the messenger of death. Ironically, it is the act of sealing their own fate. It is liberation from the messenger of death to hasten their own death. For man's journey through life, the stock symbols of blazing mid-day afternoon, evening and dark night have been used to signify the phases of life. The cruelty of death has been symbolized through the pack of wolves. Man struts, frets and curses his destiny. But destiny has no impact upon it, just like the old man.

Holi means a ceremonial bonfire. Fire may be constructive or destructive if not kept under control or proper caution is not exercised. Once it is out of control, it goes on spreading like a wild fire and takes everything in its lap. Everything is burned down. All these symbolic meanings are found in this play. It is a fire of discontent, of youth, of desire, of revolt which finally turns into arson, vandalism and it bums down the lives and careers of young boys. Holi also has significance, especially in Maharashtra of burning

517 down the evil suppressed in mind throughout the year, purgation of pent up emotions there by cleansing the mind. This purgation and cleansing does not take place. But the fire spreads further, goes out of hands and results into burning of furniture, many rustications, one suicide and some arrests.

The title Yatanaghar itself indicates torture and suffering. The literal translation may be a house of torment. The title also indicates human body which has to undergo continuous trials, tribulations and toils. In a broader sense, it may be taken as the whole human existence or even the whole life on the earth. The names are certainly symbolic, for example, the name of the protagonist 'Baby' suggests a child though she is around thirty-five. Rather than an innocent child, she behaves as a pampered and spoilt child. She keeps on tormenting others and makes them behave according to her whim. Keshav, who comes towards the end of the play, behaves like a messenger of god. Keshav stands for god or savior. He leads her to the path of light, path of knowledge and perhaps salvation.

Just like the symbols of cruelty and violence in , there are a number of symbols of cruelty and darkness associated with Baby. Baby and her maid- cum-companion Kamal symbolize two aspects of Baby's character. Baby is very pretty and has rich, thick and shining black hair. Kamal is ugly looking, so much so that, her first appearance has frightened Baby. It indicates the pleasing exterior and equally ugly and dark interior of Baby's personality. Kamal refers to herself as a mirror who tells lies to please Baby. While describing Baby's hair Kamal uses various symbols as if, she has fallen in love with it. She compares it with a mighty fall, a ferocious snake emitting poisonous blue light on every curve, if one tries to touch it, it punishes cruelly with shocks like electric shocks and leaves the person in agony. Kamal, as a maid, is too submissive. Baby refers to it by comparing her glances with a caterpillar.

Ramesh's lighter is a symbol of sensuousness. When it is lighted. Baby experiences a burning desire within her. It has also been used to trigger Baby's 'Switch-over' in the past.

518 After Baby comes to know about the death of Ramesh's wife, her motive, purpose of life is suddenly lost. She wants to die. Kamal has no existence without Baby. But Kamal wants to adorn Baby one last time before that. While describing the jewellery pieces, she again uses the symbols of violence and cruelty, "Ruby-necklace like blood drops and snake-like bangles." She compares Baby's hair with pitch dark night, eyes with black velvety moonlight and lips with a goblet of deadly poison. Then she says, "I'll take you to the dense torture-forest where the creepers will wrap around you. You'll be dying with thirst. Your soles will bleed, lips will turn blue-black and eyes will become heavy." While putting make-up upon Baby's face, again she compares her features with similar images of 'death like black eyes and cinders-like lips' etc.

Just in the nick of time, Keshav arrives. He refers to the darkness and staleness in the room which is an objective correlative of Baby's life. The closed windows of her room stand for her mind which bars the light, the truth as she is afraid of melting into bright light. When Keshav recounts his experience of overcoming the loss of his fiancee by helping others in dire need and bringing smile on their faces, she gets impressed by the novel theory and attains peace of mind through it. She feels like sitting by a lake. Baby is surprised to find that he doesn't loathe her lifeless legs which she has been using as a weapon to seek her revenge against others. First time in her life, she feels ashamed of herself Her physical crippledness is a symbol of her mental crippledness, her weakness. She wants to overcome it. But she feels that she is tied up with the torture chamber, the literal one as well as her physical existence.

The three characters, Kamal, Baby and Keshav are also symbolic. Kamal is her ugly, evil side whereas Keshav is her hidden conscience. Her conscience is aroused when she ponders over suicide. Before she is convinced by Keshav to change her track and to transcend her own limits, Kamal has left the house ravaging everything in the house. It is symbolic of her wiping out the evil aspect of her mind and her turning to the brighter, sublime side of life where there is possibility of the peace of mind. Though Keshav brings to her notice and cautions her of the trials and tribulations of this path, she remains

519- firm with her decision. She has suddenly discovered the hidden strength of her mind. Her own efforts to open the shutters of the window are also symbolic. Everyone has to work on his own to achieve the peace of mind. Finally she applies all her force and opens the window. When she experiences the bright light first time in her life, she experiences a wave of fragrance along with it. She compares that light with a blazing lotus with millions of petals which symbolizes the enlightenment. It is like cleansing of mind through confession before death. In that case Keshav stands for angel of death.

There are two major symbols in Raktapushpa. One is the title itself which literally means 'Flower of Blood.' However the reference is to the menstrual bleeding with which the main conflict is related. Padma and Lilu, mother and daughter, represent the two major meaningful phases in a woman's life. Lilu has just entered the phase of physical maturity and fertility. On the contrary, Padma is in the fading phase of fertility. Losing a power to bear a child is as good as death for a woman. Padma is scared by the same reason. She gets anxious whenever her period is delayed. She deliberately opens the topic of Lilu's periods, related pain and precautions to be taken etc.

Her interest in Raja has been symbolized through her acts like tidying his room, asking him to press his forehead, trying to extract praise for her looks from him, wearing a wedding sari and going to his room etc. She is not ready to acknowledge his mother's attachment with him. She avoids the topic. Padma's biased attitude towards Raja makes Lilu jealous of him. At first she deliberately insults him. But soon, her genuine respect for his talent is revealed. Both come very close to each other. He discloses a secret of his admiration for her and a rose, he, brings for her every day but dares not present her. At this point Elkunchwar has used an appropriate symbol of dissection of flower by Raja, explains her all parts of flower, including the reproductive system. In fact, Lilu knows everything about the human reproductive system as she tells Padma during their conversation. But she gets so fascinated by his style of explaining that she just keeps on staring at him instead of listening to the illustration. Lilu's discovery of the love letters by Padma is the last straw in the rivalry between the two which causes the final explosion.

520- The wada- the old mansion which is deserted and accursed is highly symbolic. There are other symbols of death. The stone houses are compared with the tombs and the chandelier with an animal's body hung at the butcher's. It is a foreboding of the later ominous events. There are symbols of barren, arid and rocky terrain which are very similar to Lalita's own life, with the photograph of her mother and the routine mechanical sentences of her strict father.

Hemakanta's fascination for rocks also symbolizes his bend of mind. The contrast in their attitudes towards the sculptures has also been suggested right in the beginning. He wants to immortalize her in the rocks. But she is reluctant to do so. She finds it sinfiil to bare everything to the public through the sculptures.

The orgy of the musical instruments in the procession of the goddess symbolizes the orgy inside where Hemakanta worships Lalita's beauty and they indulge with each other. She uses the symbol of Yamapash, the bonds of death for their union. When she is burning with the desire, he compares her with the flame-tree.

In the later phase when Lalita finds Hemakanta to be indifferent to her, she curses him in a variety of ways. She calls him a leech who sucks her blood. Lalita's still-bom baby is a symbol of punishment for their sin. The whole plot sees to be like an allegory of Vishwamitra-Menaka myth. After enjoying conjugal bliss with Menaka, Vishwamitra avoids further responsibility of its consequences. At another level, Elkunchwar probably wants to make a statement over the perpetual relationship between a man and a woman.

521 Techniques

In addition to the various kinds of symbols used in these plays, there are a few effective, expressive techniques and structures also which call for some extended consideration.

There is no traditional division of plots into Acts and Scenes. Instead, only scenes are used. The scenes are grouped into parts as in The Glass Menagerie. There are only seven scenes in this play. Part I comprises of the first five scenes and part II comprises of scenes vi and vii when Jim is seen with the Wingfields. A Streetcar Named Desire has also been divided into eleven scenes. The conventional division into Acts is not followed. It probably gives the experience of continuity without interruption of intervals.

Apart from the main characters of the play, some characters have been employed only for the sake of narration. Their function is like the chorus in Greek tragedy. They talk to each other and also comment upon the happenings while addressing the audience. Sometimes, the characters like Tom of The Glass Menagerie, perform the functions of a narrator as well. According to concept of Intimate Theatre, the distance between the performers and the audience is to be minimized which gives the feeling to the audience of being the part of the action. In a way, the narrator like Tom takes the audience into confidence and shares his feelings with them.

In The Milktrain Doesn 't Stop Here Anymore, Williams has employed two stage assistants who perform the function of chorus. They explain their role in the play as a "theatrical device of ancient and oriental origin with occidental variations". They further explain together, "We are stage Assistants. We move the screens that mask the interior playing area of the stage presentation. We fetch and carry furniture and props, to make the presentation- the play or masque or pageant-move more gracefully and quickly through the course of the two final days of Mrs. Goforth's existence." They raise the flag of Mrs. Goforth's mountain with a logo of golden griffin and lower it ceremoniously towards the end of the play, to indicate the end of Mrs. Goforth's earthly existence. Right

522 in the beginning they announce the fast approaching death of Mrs. Goforth, then in between keep on appearing on the stage as per the requirement of the action, conversing with each other. They also clarify that the other characters do not hear them. (Prologue, P.137)

Williams has his intention in adding the pair of stage assistants which is between the Kabuki Theatre of Japan and the chorus of Greek theatre. He thinks that the play will come off better if it is removed from conventional theatre since it's being rightly described as an allegory and as a 'sophisticated fairy-tale'.(Author's note. P. 135)

This play has also been divided into six Scenes instead of Acts, in addition to a prologue. In still another play , he has employed the technique of sixteen Blocks including a prologue, instead of Acts and Scenes. Baby Doll, being a script or screen-play for a film with the same title, the whole play has been divided into one hundred and fifteen frames.

Tendulkar has written in both the forms, One-Act Plays and full length plays. So has Elkunchwar. However, when division of the play is concerned Elkunchwar has also experimented with it. Wasanakanda is divided into six parts without any particular heading, such as scenes or blocks to these parts. Albee, too, has experimented with the length of the plays. He has written some very short plays. The Sandbox, The Death of Bessie Smith, Fam and Yam, Counting The Ways and Listening belong to this category. Death of Bessie Smith has been divided into eight short scenes. In Yatanaghar, Elkunchwar has employed a device of creating scenes or some part of the scenes into memory or imagination, by using a specific area of the stage for this purpose it is also observed in Atmakatha where such scenes take place in the middle part of the acting area. In Party, the three sections of the stage used as drawing room, verandah and bed-room represent the three layers of human psyche. The true character of the persons is revealed in the comparatively darker area of verandah.

523 The above mentioned technique is also associated with the use of Hght effects. The scene from memory or imagination takes place in the middle of the stage where there is focus of light, leaving other portion dark. Williams has made use of many other techniques, for instance, the use of portieres to divide the stage for 'present and past' or memory scenes. He also uses legends on the screen. When Laura's lies about her typing classes are exposed to Amanda, the legend on the screen is 'AFTER THE FIASCIO-.' Many such symbolic legends have been used throughout the play, as if, these are the titles of those scenes; such as, in scene v, the legend is 'ANNUNCIATION.' Apart from it, in scene vi, there are the legends like 'TERROR' and 'THE OPENING OF A DOOR' which describe Laura's mental plight. In addition to legends, frequent use of related images is also found. The image of Blue Roses appears for Laura. Two other images to represent Jim's past and present also appear. They are 'HIGHSCHOOL HERO' and 'CLERK' respectively.

Tendulkar makes use of cinematic technique of freezing the action by the end of an Act, in Silence] The Court is in Session. When the curtain opens for the next Act/scene, action begins from the same point of the previous Act/scene. In this connection one point should be noted that detailed stage directions has been a common feature observed among all the four playwrights.

A technique commonly observed in the plays by Albee and Elkunchwar is the use of generic names for the characters, to indicate that they represent types rather than individuals. Albee uses this technique in The Death of Bessie Smith, The Sandbox, The American Dream, Fam and Yam, Counting The Ways and All Over. Tendulkar has used it to some extent in Chimanicha Ghar Hota Menachal like Malak, Muni etc. Elkunchwar has used it in Eka Mhataryacha Khoon and Ek Osad Gaon.

The technique of games and play, is found to be used frequently. The game of hide and seek goes on between Blanche and Stanley over the Dubois property and Blanche's real financial as well as social status. She continues with the similar game with Mitchell also to conceal her age and her spoilt reputation from him. Similar type of game goes on

-524 between Big Daddy and Brick, Brick and Margaret in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof over the true cause of Brick's frustration and his detachment from Margaret, his wife and also from Ufe.

In Baby Doll, a symboHc hide and seek goes on between Archie Lee and Silva Vacarro over 'good neighbour' policy. A literal hide and seek goes on between Baby Doll and Silva Vacarro over extracting the truth from her about Archie Lee's role in burning down Vacarro's gin. At one point it attains the level of horror and cruelty when Vacarro makes a mysterious noise by cracking a whip or when he plays with the hobby­ horse. Finally when Baby Doll gets scared of him and hides herself in the attic, Vacarro literally frightens her to death and successfully obtains her written testimony revealing Archie Lee's role in the arson.

It is also observed between Violet Venable and Dr. Cukrowicz in Suddenly Last Summer. Catherine Holly also refers to it to explain her relationship with Sebastian. She had to pretend to oppose his views which she agreed with. In Sweet Bird of Youth, it goes on between the frustrated Hollywood actress Alexandra Del Lago and Chance Wayne. Both keep on trying and testing each other to get what they want from the other. The game of cat and mouse goes on between Flora Goforth and Chris Flaunders throughout the play for two reasons. One is related to her scare of even uttering the word 'death'. The other is related to her lust even in the face of death. She plays all tactics of cruelty to make Chris submit to her wish of having sex with him. Similar kind of game goes on between Flora Goforth and her guest, Marquessa Ridgeway to hide the facts related to their health conditions from each from other.

In Albee's The Sandbox, Grandma is given a toy pail and shovel to spread sand upon herself. Metaphorically, she is supposed to execute her own burial. The hide-and- seek goes on between the smarter Grandma of The American Dream and her daughter, Mommy. Grandma never reveals what she has packed in the nicely wrapped boxes. But when Mommy wants to remove the T.V. set from Grandma's room, the T.V. set is not seen anywhere. Not only this. Daddy finds Grandma's room to be missing. Of course, it

525 is all part of fantasy. In Fam and Yam, Yam plays a similar kind of game with Fam and gets what he wants from him, that is, Fam's real views about everyone associated with theatre. He achieves it under the pretence of writing an article on theater.

Albee has brought this technique to full use in his highly acclaimed trendsetter, Who's Afraid of Virginia Wooip. George and Martha, the elderly and childless couple, plays a game of pretence of having a young son. This is a closely guarded secret restricted only between the two of them. Martha breaks the rule in her excesses of insulting and hurting George. George gives a twist to the game and executes his plan to end the myth, thereby defeating Martha in her own game. The whole plan of the game is so deftly executed that until the end, neither the guest couple, Nick and Honey, nor the audience ever suspect it to be a pretence.

Even before this the background for the cruel games is being prepared. Martha is deliberately humiliating George in presence of the guests. George pretends to deal with the humiliation lightly. He calls it a game of 'Humiliate the Host'. Then he terms Nick's gesture of going to sleep with Martha openly, 'Hump the Hostess'. After Nick's failure to satisfy Martha, the tables are turned against Nick. Now George and Martha come together to play the game of 'Get the Guests', especially with Nick. Both start insulting him.

In Counting the Ways, the couple He and She, play the game of 's/he loves me / s/he loves me not' by removing the rose petals one by one. In Seascape Charlie talks about a queer game, he used to play in his childhood. It is his excessive fascination for the retrogressive aquatic life. He used to make himself heavy by holding stones in his hand and go to the bottom of the sea. He used to stay there as long as possible.

Tendulkar has used this technique extremely skillfully in his milestone play, Silencel The Court is in Session. This play has put the Indian Theatre on a new path. In this respect, it is comparable with Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolp. This is a set of people comprising of the actors from an amateur theatre group. They usually perform a

526- show of mock trial. They want to substitute one of the actors with a local person. They decide to play a game of mock trial with a different theme to acquaint the person to be inducted with the concept of mock-trial. Unconsciously, the line of demarcation between the play-acting and reality gets blurred. The consequences prove disastrous for the protagonist, Leela Benare, just as it happens in case of Martha of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf! Another striking point in case of both the plays is the provocation is initiated by Leela Benare as well as Martha which boomerangs upon them unexpectedly.

Another play comparable to Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is Chimanicha Ghar Hota Menachal The couple of this play pretends to have a baby which is just a toy-baby. The reason is very pathetic. The couple has lost their baby and also the hopes to have a baby in future. Here, other members of the extended family, too, participate in the game willingly. Only one person, Muni is determined to expose the myth. Finally, he too gets prepared to participate in the game.

This game of hide-and-seek is not always innocent or harmless. At times, it brings out the brute, a pack of hunting animals who systematically comer their quarry. This quarry hunting feature is observed more or less in each of the following plays, in Streetcar Named Desire, between Stanley and Blanche, in , between Lady and Val versus all the local Southerners, in Baby Doll, between Silva Vacarro and Baby Doll, in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? between George and Martha, in Silencel The Court is in Session, between Leela Benare and others, etc. In The Vultures, the roles of the hunters and hunted go on changing as per the need. Some times Pappa is being hunted, sometimes Manik gets hunted. Rama is being hunted forever. In Holi, the hostelites hunt down Anand for his treachery.

Script wise the following features are commonly observed in the plays of all these four playwrights.

• The play begins on a low note with seemingly meaningless and/or mechanical dialogue. It suddenly catches pace and reaches the crescendo towards the end.

527 Most of the times, the end is so unexpected and horrifying that the audience/readers are left petrified.

The plot is normally focused on female characters. However the attitude of each of the playwrights towards female characters is different. T. Williams is normally biased for them. Irrespective of their vices, he appears to empathies with them. Same is true about Tendulkar. However same cannot be said about Albee and Elkunchwar. It is true that they also normally focus on female characters. They certainly throw light upon different facets of female psyche. But they do not always appear to be biased for them. Albee has portrayed The Nurse of The Death of Bessie Smith, Mommys of The Sandbox and The American Dream, Martha of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf!, Claire and Julia of A Delicate Balance in darker shades. Same is true about Elkunchwar's Baby of Yatanaghar, Padma of Raktapushpa, and to some extent Damayanti of Party.

• Another feature related to characters is conspicuous absence of children and unmistakable presence of the character which does not take part in the action. Normally, the plot is woven around such characters. They are absent, dead or dying. The prominent examples from Williams' plays are Mr. Wingfield of The Glass Menagerie, Pappa Romano of Orpheus Descending, Skipper of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Sebastian of Suddenly Last Summer etc. In Albee's plays, there are Bessie Smith of The Death of Bessie Smith, The fantasy son of George and Martha of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and The Husband of ^// Over, Prof. Damale of Tendulkar's Silencel The Court is in Session, Tatyaji of Elkunchwar's Wada Chirebandi, Ramesh of Yatanaghar, Shashi of Raktapushpa, Father of Wasanakanda, Amrut of Party and Devdatta of Atmakatha.

• Extremely good looking and handsome young men is an unmistakable feature in most of Williams' plays and some of Albee's plays. In Elkunchwar's plays young men make their presence felt. However they are not necessarily handsome. But they are centre of attraction for certain reasons. In Holi, there are the macho men

-528- Ranjit and Shrivastav; whereas Lalu is popular among girls for his brightness and cultured behavior. Other examples are Ramesh of Yatanaghar, Raja of Raktapushpa and Bharat of Party.

• Music has been inseparable part of Williams' plays. Elkunchwar makes use of hymns in the background. Tendulkar uses the lines from poetry.

Frequent use of allusions to contemporary events and persons is observed mainly in Albee and Elkunchwar's plays. Similarly there are allusions to Hollywood movies in Albee, Tendulkar and Elkunchwar's plays.

Effective use of long monologues and soliloquies or narrations is also common. The prominent examples are Tom's narration in the beginning of The Glass Menagerie and his soliloquy at the end of the play, Beulah's long narration as a part of exposition in Orpheus Descending enlightening the audience about Lady's background.

Tendulkar has used this technique in Silencel The Court is in Session. Before the verdict is proclaimed, Leela Benare is given one last opportunity to defend herself She is given only ten seconds for that. She is completely devastated and left dumbfounded by the unexpected developments. She is not in a position to speak. She is also aware of its futility. But whatever turmoil of thoughts emerges in her mind, has been expressed through her long soliloquy. Benare remains silent throughout Act III of the play. She breaks her silence only in the soliloquy. In her soliloquy she tries to reason about her deeds and behavior. She owns her mistakes, her weaknesses and her tragic flaw in the misjudgment of people. She talks of every significant event of her life including her attempt of suicide after her failure in her first love-affair, followed by her failed attempt of suicide. She expresses her love for the small school children and the pain of being deprived of the pleasure after her inmiinent dismissal from her job as a school teacher etc. The whole play and especially the last soliloquy is a classic example of the line of demarcation between the imagination and reality being blurred.

529 Apart from this soliloquy, Tendulkar has made use of other innovative techniques in this play, such as,

• Play within a play or mock trial u^ithin a mock trial • Use of a chance element through inclusion of Samant who is innocent as well as ignorant about the interpersonal relationships within the group • Juxtaposition of the contrasting elements- Samant's simplicity and sympathy for Benare and the brutality of the others • Skilful use of the chance element during Samant's testimony who reads some dialogues randomly from a cheap popular pocket book which fit in the situation accurately to give the trial a disastrous twist • Bringing comic relief through Samant's innocence and Mrs. Kashikar's over enthusiasm

• Use of typographical devices such as capital letters and bold type or Italics to highlight certain parts of dialogue is observed mainly in Albee's plays. Another peculiar feature about Albee's dialogues is deliberations on linguistic aspects by the characters. He likes to play with words which is reflected through his dialogues. In All Over, Mistress mentions to wife about the possibility of reversal of their roles. After a little pondering wife remarks, " no man who has a mistress for his wife will take a wife as a mistress." (P.85) In Seascape, when Nancy asks about Charlie's habit, "When you were a little boy you wanted to live in the sea?" He corrects her, "Under, (the sea)" Again Nancy refers to the nuances of grammar to check if he was dissatisfied over the present way of life, because Charlie had said that he had had a good life instead of "I am having a good life." She suspects that he was not happy then.

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