"Night, Mother" is a play written by Marsha Norman in 1983. The play tells the story of a woman named Jessie and her mother, Thelma, as they spend one final night together. Over the course of the evening, Jessie reveals to her mother that she has decided to end her life by committing suicide.
The play deals with the complex and often difficult relationship between Jessie and her mother, as well as the larger issues of mental illness, suicide, and the way in which we cope with loss and grief. At its core, "Night, Mother" is a deeply moving and poignant exploration of the human condition, and the ways in which we struggle to find meaning and purpose in life.
Throughout the play, Jessie is portrayed as a deeply troubled and depressed individual, who has struggled with mental illness for much of her life. Despite the efforts of her mother and others to help her, Jessie feels that her life has become unbearable and that death is the only way out. As she prepares to end her life, Jessie grapples with a range of emotions, including fear, sadness, and resignation.
Thelma, on the other hand, is a more pragmatic and stoic character, who tries to convince Jessie to reconsider her decision. Despite her love and concern for her daughter, Thelma is unable to fully understand or accept Jessie's decision to commit suicide. As the night wears on, the two women engage in a series of intense and emotional conversations, as they try to come to terms with Jessie's decision and the implications it has for their relationship and their shared future.
Ultimately, "Night, Mother" is a powerful and thought-provoking exploration of the often difficult and complex issues surrounding mental illness, suicide, and the way in which we cope with loss and grief. Through its powerful and poignant depiction of the relationship between Jessie and her mother, the play offers a poignant and moving reflection on the human condition, and the ways in which we struggle to find meaning and purpose in life.
'night, Mother by Marsha Norman: Introduction
Although her disease is now under control, a lifetime of limitations have conditioned Jessie to not look beyond the moment. The story is intense, the dialogue is crisp and sharp and amazing and asks all the big questions in beautiful everyday ways, and as the play hurtles towards its denouement, our heart starts beating harder. While this was not intended as a condemnation of the play, dissenting critics also said that those reviewers who praised the play so lavishly were over-reacting to a dramatic work that was adequate but not great let alone deserving of a Pulitzer. This abrasion of the Midwest with the South produces interesting dramatic outcomes as they play directly against one another. She finally says that she might want to live if there was at least one thing she really liked—even cornflakes or rice pudding. Desperate, Mama threatens to call Dawson, but Jessie still would shoot herself before he arrived. The desperation of the mother is clear, as is her love for her daughter.
Are there symbols in ’night, Mother by Marsha Norman? Please explain.
Thelma is familiar to most women, and her fears of losing her daughter are universal. To keep her mother busy and to create a semblance of order, Jessie asks her to make some hot chocolate for them—yet neither women drinks it because neither likes milk. The unities are generally credited to the Greek playwright Aristotle, who defined them in his Poetics. Jessie's mother is trying to take out a cupcake from the kitchen cabinet. Whenever the conversation strays to trivial matters, such as how to order groceries or operate the washing machine, the audience, reminded by the clocks, silently regrets the wasted minutes. After she announces this, she begins preparing to commit suicide, including gathering old towels to minimize the mess and writing lists of things that need to be tended to after she is gone. Once again, food takes priority in her life.
'Night, Mother
She's tired of her life, of disappointment, or heart-aches, and fight. Both women have baggage lasting for their entire lives, and Thelma in desperation, attempts to talk Jessie out of it. Cite this page as follows: "'night, Mother - Topics for Further Study" Drama for Students Vol. This is a reflection of how things outside her circle of influence have straddled on her will, autonomy and dignity. Hopefully I'm back : I discovered Marsha Norman's "'night, Mother" in a literary anthology that I have. Doing what Jessie told her, Mama washes the pan and calls Dawson.
