| Sir Tom Stoppard, the early plays3. Enter a | | | | someone disagrees with you on a moral point |
| Free ManSir Tom Stoppard's play Enter a Free | | | | you assume that he is one step behind in his |
| Man (Originally called A Walk on the Water, | | | | thinking, and he assumes that he has gone one |
| made for TV, 1963) is a more complex play | | | | step ahead. But I take both parts, O'Hara |
| built up on the simple foundations of A | | | | leapfrogging myself along the great moral |
| Separate Peace (1960). The chief difference | | | | issues, refuting myself and rebutting the |
| is that George Riley of Enter a Free Man, | | | | refutation towards a truth that must be the |
| having a wife and daughter, has a commitment | | | | compound of two opposite half-truths. And you |
| to a social group. Thus he has not opted out | | | | never reach it because there is always |
| of society to the extent that Brown has, but | | | | something more to say. But I can't ditch |
| when he opts out of paid employment the issue | | | | it.' (p.53.)Enter a Free Man ends on a note |
| of the individual's responsibility to others | | | | of compromise and re-establishment of |
| is more immediate and concrete.Another | | | | harmony. George and Linda both make failed |
| important difference is that Riley takes upon | | | | attempts to escape the situation by leaving |
| himself an active role, that of inventor, | | | | home, then understand each other better when |
| whereas Brown wanted to do nothing and have | | | | they return. George makes steps towards |
| nothing expected of him; even his painting | | | | coming to terms with reality by deciding to |
| was 'only to please Matron really' (p.14.). | | | | go to the labour exchange, and Linda grows |
| Riley has taken on a responsibility to | | | | more tolerant towards his 'eccentricities'. |
| himself as well as to his family, and | | | | George's wife has always tolerated his odd |
| therefore he can fail, whereas Brown, in his | | | | behaviour without expecting him to be a |
| passive isolation, was escaping the | | | | success, in fact she married him because he |
| possibility of failure. In fact Riley is a | | | | was 'different', and she defends him as an |
| failure, both as the head of a family and as | | | | individual, against Linda's attack on his |
| an inventor and it is this fact that creates | | | | social status.'There's lots of people like |
| the tension of the play, because it forces us | | | | your father different. Some make more money |
| to consider that his actions might be | | | | because they're different. And some make |
| justified in principle even if they fail in | | | | none because they're different'. (p.57)'If he |
| practice.The positive side of George Riley is | | | | was going to be a failure anyway, he was |
| his independent creative spirit. He stands | | | | better off failing at something he wanted to |
| for the freedom of the. individual to use his | | | | succeed at . He got hold of a bit of |
| own mind and follow his own principles.'I was | | | | enthusiasm. That was worth a lot.' (p.59)It |
| given a mind and I use it. I don't go | | | | is notable in his first two plays Stoppard |
| through life as if it was a public escalator | | | | gives equal weight to the human relationships |
| with nothing to do but watch the swimsuits go | | | | and to the issue under examination. John |
| by.' (p.48)He finds the ordinary routines of | | | | Brown and Nurse Maggie strike up an |
| life meaningless and pointless, and he has | | | | affectionate relationship, and at the end of |
| the courage to follow his creative promptings | | | | the play she is as reluctant to let him leave |
| in spite of the ridicule and indifference of | | | | the hospital as she was to let him enter at |
| those around him.'A man must resist. A man | | | | the beginning. And in Enter a Free Man much |
| must stand apart, make a clean break on his | | | | time is spent on the home life of the Rileys, |
| own two feet. Faith is the key - faith in | | | | showing how having the father in a parasitic |
| oneself.' (p.16)In terms of general | | | | role causes tension and argument between the |
| principles his ideas are quite sound; to | | | | mother and daughter.This aspect of the play |
| invent a product useful in daily life, make a | | | | is not very successful though, Linda and |
| prototype in his own workshop, then form a | | | | Persephone are not convincing characters; |
| partnership to go into business manufacturing | | | | their behaviour is 'wooden' because Stoppard |
| the product. But he is quite out of touch | | | | is more interested in them as spokespeople |
| with reality, his inventions always have a | | | | for and against George, than as characters in |
| flaw which he has not foreseen. His thinking | | | | their own right. At this early stage in his |
| is logical, but at the expense of common | | | | career Stoppard seems to have realised that |
| sense and practicality. He does not realise | | | | his talents did not lend themselves to the |
| that his prospective partner is merely making | | | | portrayal of characters and relationships.The |
| fun of him, and he avoids the guilt he ought | | | | same is true of his novel Lord Malquist and |
| to feel about being financially dependent on | | | | Mr. Moon (1966) in which the characters are |
| his daughter by believing that he will soon | | | | entirely flat, being representatives of |
| be worth millions from his inventions. He is | | | | stereotyped life-styles. The John and |
| living in a world of his own.In making George | | | | Maggie, or George and Linda/Persephone type |
| so lacking in self-awareness Stoppard has | | | | of relationship, in which a couple co-exist |
| avoided having his 'hero' face up to his | | | | in a fluctuating state of affection, |
| responsibilities, or the guilt he ought to | | | | misunderstanding and antagonism is recurrent |
| feel at their neglect. All the opposition to | | | | in Stoppard's work. It can be found in |
| George comes from his daughter Linda, who | | | | almost every play. But the emotional content |
| points out his inadequacies,'If he was honest | | | | of his plays is at an absolute minimum, the |
| he'd come down and say I've decided that some | | | | characters being primarily vehicles for the |
| people are cut out to make a living and some | | | | exploration of an issue. There is often |
| people are cut out to lie in bed, and I'm the | | | | room, however, for an actor to create a |
| bed type.' (p.60.)This splitting up of the | | | | convincing character to fit Stoppard's |
| issue into two characters, one 'for' and one | | | | script; Michael Horden's portrayal of George |
| 'against' is characteristic of Stoppard's | | | | in Jumpers at the National Theatre being a |
| technique. He has said that he writes plays | | | | good example.Read the full version of this |
| as a means of contradicting himself, (see | | | | essay at: |
| Bigsby: Tom Stoppard: Writers and Their Work | | | | |
| p.24), and his plays are often structured | | | | Mackean runs the site which features a |
| around the kind of dialectic process | | | | substantial collection of English Literature |
| expressed by Moon in Stoppard's novel | | | | Resources and Essays, and where his sites on |
| Malquist and Mr. Moon (1966):'I distrust | | | | Books Made Into Movies, and Short Story |
| attitudes, he went on, because they claim to | | | | Writing can also be found. He is the editor |
| have appropriated the whole truth and pose as | | | | of The Essentials of Literature in English |
| absolutes. And I distrust the opposite | | | | post-1914, published by Hodder Arnold. |
| attitude for the same reason . . . when | | | | |