analysed quotes

• 'Mother'

  Kates dramatic persona 'Mother' in the script suggests that she is an archetypal caring, affectionate, family minded woman who embraces her maternal role and demonstrates all the qualities of self sacrifice.
• 'more, more than a dream.' pg20


  Kate blends the border between dreams and reality.

  Repitition emphasises that she believes she is experiencing sights beyond anything, will go to any limit to prove that her son is alive.

  Audience question the sanity of Kate.

  Unwilling to settle and accept sons death.
• 'she's dreaming about him again. shes walking around at night.' pg12


  Lack of sleep = distress and without peace.

  Contrasts to the peacefulness of Keller - he sleeps through the grief.

  Intertextual reference to Lady Macbeth, whose guilt drives her crazy and takes away her ability to sleep. The contrast shows the patriarchal society that allows men to ignore morality.

  Obsessive - he seeps into her dreams.
• 'and suddenly he started to fall. And crying, crying to me... Mom, mom! I could hear him like he was in the room. Mom!.. it was his voice!' pg20


  Personal affectionate term of address 'mom', she sees him personally reaching out to her.

  Repitition conveys urgency emphasising the impact - ellipsis = struggle to recount painful memory

  Modal verbs = the possibility, it feels real to her.

  Reveals Kates emotional turmoil.

  Figurative language 'fall' acts as a metaphorical descent into despair as the family accepts his death.

  Haunting, vivid and deep.
• 'i came out here... i mustve still been asleep. I could hear the roaring like he was going by. The tree snapped right in front of me... and i like... came awake.' pg20


  The line between reality and dreams is blurred.

  The imagery of the roaring + tree snap evoke a sense of danger and imminent disaster - heightens the tension of the moment and acts as prolepsis for the arrival of the letter.

  Snapped = death

  Fragmented sentances = vivid and painful, reliving the dream.
• 'this month is his birthday, his tree blows down, annie comes. everything that happens seems to be coming back.' pg19


  Millers + Ibsonian idea of 'chickens coming home to roost'

  Cyclicality - mother constantly feeling the arrival of something, but at this moment she doesn't know it is the arrival of the letter confirming the death - blinded by grief.

  3rd person pronoun repeated = hagiography / central focus

  Superstitiousb
• 'then why is she still single? New York is full of men, why isn't she married?' pg 22


  Reflects the patriarchal society that doesn't see that woman can be single.

  She thinks Annie is waiting for Larry
• 'she knows what i know, thats why. she's faithful as a rock. in my worst moments, i think of her waiting, and i know again that i'm right.' pg22


  The one thing allowing Mother to hold faith in the possibility that Larry is alive is Annie, annie is her safety net.

  She turns possibilities into facts - twisting realty to function / survive

  Stative verbs, declaratives, desperation, delusion
• 'they dont say it on the radio but im sure that in the dark at night they're still waiting for their sons.' pg27


  Enduring pain and grief experienced by mothers whose sons have been lost - relatable to audience.

  Public discourse does not directly acknowledge the ongoing suffering of mothers, women pushed aside and their grief is turned into hysteria

  Silent nature of grief - lonely and despairing

  'dark' symbolises the emotional and physical burden mothers carry
• 'because certain things have to be, and certain things can never be.' pg28

  Syntactic parralellism - set in ways

  Control

  Her need to control relates to her holding onto Larry, because if he is dead then Keller killed him and the family will fall apart.

  She must act as the grieving mother to keep her family together.
• 'be smart now, joe. the boy is coming. be smart.' pg40


  Tension over george (nemesis) arriving

  Womens dominance, mother dominates her husband but pushes it aside in public to act like the modern american family living the american dream - it is a performance to hide the underlying anxieties of the family.

  Dramatic contrast to opening

  Repitition shows her distrust in Keller and his stupidity - which is why she must stay vigilant whilst he sleeps]
• 'whats the difference, dear. there are certain people, y'know, the sicker they get the longer they live.' pg42


  Observation of human nature - could suggest that those who are morally or ethically comprimised seem to thrive despite thier corrupt actions or decisions.

  Bitter as she cannot live longer in sickness?
• 'georgie, georgie!' pg57


  manipulation through tone and use of childhood nickname to push his mindset back into the past.
• 'and now your going to sit here and drink some juice... and look like something!' pg58


  sense of sedation - juice to manipulate him back into the past and ignore the troubles.

  sinister - forceful language
• 'you dont hate us, george, i know you, you cant fool me. i diapered you.' pg61


  manipulation, speaking for him, taking on his voice to silence it

  he is indebted to them 'i diapered you', immoral to turn against those who raised you.

  infantilization
• 'your brothers alive, darling, because if he's dead, your father killed him.' pg68


  the peripitaia of the play

  denial of death is a coping mechanism, allows her to maintain the family unit

  highlights the dynamics of guilt, denial, and familial loyalty that permeates the play.

  maintain the illusion of sons survival reflects the emotional turmoil and conflict

  mentally deteriorating under the pressures of the deciet + lies
• 'i cant sleep.' pg71


  juxtaposes keller - mother has morals meaning she cannot simply ignore the troubles and sleep

  keller has the luxary of avoidance

  convention of tragedy - sleep = peace, peace has been disturbed therefore she cannot sleep.

  stative blunt declarative
• 'don't, dear. dont take it on yourself. forget now. live.' pg84


  final line

  avoidance of the generational guilt, she wants her son to live rather than take on the burden.

  suggests that kellers actions were payment for his wrongdoings in life and the suicide had nothing to do with chris or the family.
• 'you dont hate us, george, i know you, you can't fool me, i diapered you.' pg61


  Manipulation, direct adress 'i know you' = indoctrination

  Past permeating the present to emphasise the way she looked and loved George as a baby - aiming to get him to forget the situation.

  Trying to convice him that he is putting on a front
• 'they can hate so much they'll tear the world to pieces.' 


  Direct reference to the way that hatred and conflict can have such devastating efffects over time, as shown by the war.