Go Look by Christopher Graybill - Essay Example

Go Look’ by Christopher Graybill Table of Contents Introduction 3 Central Idea of the Play and Elements that Affect the Central Theme of the Play 3 Conclusion 6 Reference 7 Introduction Literature is perceived to be the reflection of life and society. Plays being one of the most important genres of literature and mediums of social protest; have fascinated playwrights not only to use it as a mere means of amusement but also as a medium to execute and carry forth any strong social message. In this regard, Christopher Graybill is not an exception either. Christopher Graybill’s play, ‘Go Look’ produced on stage by Samuel French apparently might seem a love story between two young couples but a close inspection to the plot of the play would enable one to see the story lying beneath this apparent love story. There are layers of interpretation that can be framed for the story that operates behind the love story of Kath and Danny that delights myriad of minds along with encapsulating volleys of social issues and messages underneath. Central Idea of the Play and Elements that Affect the Central Theme of the Play The play ‘Go Look’ opens with a young couple Kath and Danny set out for a camping in a forest at night where they hear a sound of a beast and assume it to be a wild bear. They were camping late at night and Kath sends Danny, as he was the male counterpart in the relationship, to find out the real source of the noise. After awhile, Danny comes back and Danny is found to be setting out some of his frustration towards Kath for sending him alone. Danny yields his brassy comments in a humorous tone and Kath quite smartly counters them. Until this point of time, the relationship between the couple seems to be quite conventional and their chemistry is evident as that operates between any average young couples with unresolved commonplace differences. But the ending of the play, set out in a different perspective, gives a jarring effect to the mind and soul of the readers. The young couples at conflict take decision to bring resolution to every conflict occurring between them and learn the reason of differences and their mutual likes and dislikes henceforth. This apparently hilarious love story has a strong gender discourse beneath. Playwright Christopher Graybill wants to project the irony present in the assumed gender roles in an ordinary relationship. The male ego which comes at a logger head for following the instructions of a woman is displayed during the initial part of the play. The central idea or the core point of this play is far beyond the source of the noise. The aspirations for the deconstruction of the stereotype gender roles are evident in the play. Danny is a man and accepted with a strong image and so he is supposed to fight the beast. On the contrary, Kath is a woman and therefore is expected to be with a fragile image. Here, Kath and Danny are the symbols of the problem that society faces with assumed and inhibited stereotype roles. They are the spokesperson of the playwright and give a hint to launch both the genders in the paradigm of equality resolving the battle amid them. However, the mockery of the stereotype figures lie in the instruction that Kath gives to Danny just at the inception of the play: “Kath: Go look Danny: What? Kath: Go look outside around the tent” (Hoppenwasser & Teglbjærg, “The plays the thing: ten-minute plays in the classroom”, Pg 47) This instructive attitude was not acceptable to a male and accelerated his ego. At the same time, Kath is found guilty for sending Danny alone to check out the noise. Equality of sex’s gets fulfilment when both the strengths and weaknesses are present in both the genders is actually accepted. Fear factor does not only work for women but also equally operates in the psyche of men. The following dialogue further proves it. “Danny: You want me to go look for something that’s not necessarily a bear. In the middle of the night. In the middle of nowhere....” (Hoppenwasser & Teglbjærg, “The plays the thing: ten-minute plays in the classroom”, Pg 48). This is actually Danny’s fear and not his ego which is yielding these words. And to hide this fear, Danny is trying to act a “manly man” disagreeing to follow the instructions of Kath. The play’s setting is at an edge of a jungle and the time is late at night. This setting act as a catalyst which accelerates the poignancy of the central idea or core theme incorporated in the play. During the moments of crisis the feelings are universal irrespective of sexes and the horrifying night in a dense jungle with some ambiguous noise add to the crisis and kind of effect that Graybill wanted to develop on stage. Graybill’s protagonists are his mouthpiece. Kath expressed her vision referring to her mother regarding universal thought and feeling irrespective of their sexes, “Kath: She said something. I don’t remember what. Not very nasty, not for her. Something about my shoes. It was nothing, really. But for an instant I felt like letting go. Just letting go and watching gravity work. I imagined chair rolling down the slope, over the edge, and bouncing down the back steps. All the way to the garage. And when the police and ambulance would come, I’d be crying and sobbing and explaining. But inside I’d be dancing.” (Hoppenwasser & Teglbjærg, “The plays the thing: ten-minute plays in the classroom”, Pg 52) The night, the forest and overall dark horrifying setting help in a true mode by agitating the fear factor to establish the power game that initiates between the couples. Playwright does not believe in any feminist or anti-feminist discourse rather he wanted to sing the song of humanity. Failure of communication often misleads and results in degradation of human relationships. At the outset of the play we are launched in the middle of a conflict and confusion between the couples but with the development of the play the readers are shown the resolution and settlement is attained through the means of communication. Conclusion The play ‘Go Look’ by Christopher Graybill takes its readers to a journey through the crest and fall of human relations and emotions. The tremendous psychological exercise incorporated in the play launches it to a greater realm of technicality. The play does not only concern with human factors but also is packed with plethora of social issues and messages that are rendered skilfully and excellently through the play and its protagonists, Kath and Danny actually act as the mouthpiece of the playwright. Reference Hoppenwasser, F. & Teglbjærg, L. S. The plays the thing: ten-minute plays in the classroom Systime, 2006. Pg – 47, 48 & 52. Read More