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