All Things Bright and Beautiful Essay Example

things that are not. So many dispute that the phrase 'All Things Bright and Beautiful' is erroneous.

This could be why adults find this hymn so exasperating. This attitude is very much what is applied in the play, showing many of the 'downsides' of the world at this time, and presenting the destruction of many things that are bright and beautiful. This play is ultimately a depressing, sad story in which everything seems to go wrong for this working-class family, living in a poorly cared for council house in the early 1960's. When the audience first catch a glimpse of the Hesseltine family it seems there is no optimism or hope.

But as the play unfolds it turns out many of the characters share optimism, and have hopes for the future, not just for them, but for others too (such as Queenie). These unfortunately later in the play turn out to be nothing more than ironic dreams. They dream of a brand-new council house (when they eventually move), with a garden, situated in a pleasant neighbourhood, but these dreams are stolen away from them when the council decides to instead move them to a newly opened block of flats, locating them on the eighth floor.

Another way that this title can be seen to be ironic is through the authors' intent to emphasize the destruction of 'things bright and beautiful'. For example, the beating of Rory by Queenie - many people consider young people to be something 'bright and beautiful. ' The Lectern especially, is an item of great value and beauty. Queenie has plans for it but by the end of the play, it also, has been

destroyed. The family's dreams and hopes for the future are another idea that could be considered by the audience to be something of a 'bright and beautiful' nature.

For instance, Queenie's dreams for the family on page 30: "We're going to have all new! " This also shows her enthusiasm and anticipation at getting a new house, she thinks this will change the family and make them turn away from petty theft. Queenie's dreams play a very large part in securing the audiences' empathy for the family. It shows that she is just a normal mother/wife in a difficult situation, who only ones the best for herself and the rest of the family. That's her dream and all that she wants. She is truly desperate for this.

The audience can sympathise with Queenie and how important her dreams are to her, so when all her dreams are dashed and the council man reports they are moving to a block of new flats, it leaves the audience astonished, and gathers further sympathy for Queenie and her family, and maybe even builds up anger in the audience for the 'council. ' Many other characters are responsible for making this play an exciting drama. Albert is a man who is sure of himself, not given to self-criticism, and always first to have his say in times of problem and anguish, but still normally unsociable to his family.

Unlike Charles who is lazy and very much unsociable not just to visitors in which it could be interpreted as simply being dourly shy but also to the rest of his family. Harry is a petty criminal, and causes some of the main problems

of this play (i. e. bringing the Lectern back in his van). However this isn't to say he has the personality of a typical criminal. He is probably the pleasantest member of the family, and certainly the most communicable. Baloo and Old Jakie's roles in the play are very obvious to the audience, as they have been purposely made to be very stereotypical characters by the author's.

For example, Baloo is always dressed in a cub's outfit to make it obvious to the audience that she is a Cub master in the cubs that Rory infrequently attends. Old Jakie is stereotyped out to be very dependent on other people: "Old Jakie. (cheerfully) I've lost it again! Deanna. Oh you and that lavatory key, what would you do if we were out? " Old people are quite usually like this. Old Jakie is also stereotyped to be very forgetful, again, very much like a lot of old people are (when Deanna accuses him of forgetting to lock the lavatory door on page 17).

Rory is a very important subject in the play. In the introduction to the play Waterhouse and Hall pronounce: "Perhaps the main difficulty of the production - certainly from the point of view of the actors - is that the two main characters in the story are an inanimate lectern and an invisible small boy. " This is without doubt true, as Rory only says a few words in this play - usually singing, and the family don't really take much notice of him. Although he is sometimes beaten badly it is obvious that Queenie cares for him deeply.

This is displayed when she stands up

for him in front of Baloo and accused of stealing the Lectern from the church. It is also interesting in the way that Queenie's attitude to him changes with her mood. For example, when she has high hopes thinking about her new house she talks about Rory meeting new friends (as she thinks that it is the friends who are influencing Rory to steal, when actually it is his family e. g. Harry, Albert and Charles), as well as him joining a new cub's and having a wonderful time.

But when her mood changes for the worst when the councilman; Douglas, brings the bad news, and immediately she takes out her rage on Rory, e. g. when he has locked himself in the lavatory. It in fact seems that whenever she is in a time of trouble she takes her rage out on the poor, 'small invisible boy. ' Rory often appears singing, and it is noticeable that each song reflects the mood of the family at that particular time. (I will show evidence for this later in the essay) This is a very good idea portrayed in Rory by Waterhouse and Hall as he actually plays a very important part in the play.

The relationship between Deanna and Desmond is certainly not a heavily romantic one. Deanna does not really take it seriously, and has also learned to keep her emotions well from Desmond. Whereas Desmond, who like any boy of his age is interested in little except sex, and this stands to be the only reason he is with Deanna. When Desmond finds out about the families problems and blackmails Deanna into sex (in the

back of the van) and they are found out, her family blames her. When ironically in this Deanna has actually protected the family, and shown she cares for them.

It is interesting that bureaucracy plays such a large part in the plot of this play. All the family's hopes are dashed when the official news is brought to the family's attention, and the Hesseltine's are clearly outraged with the council and the arrangements involved with the project. The attitude of the council is really made clear in this play when Douglas arrives at the Hesseltine's house. He has a particularly poor attitude towards the re-housing and the families involved. For example: Queenie: "Well I'm very sorry but you've given us the wrong paper.

Douglas: "You don't surprise me" This shows Douglas' lack of organisation and attitude towards his job and the families involved. In fact, not only the civil servants, but also the whole re-housing project is badly organised. For instance: Douglas: "They've made no arrangements! " Reporting that the council have made no arrangements for the re-housing and little effort has gone into the planning of this project. Douglas also complains that the council are "scouring the countryside for removal vans," again, showing up the council's lack of organisation.

Overall, we can make a conclusion from this that the bureaucrats in this decision don't consider the people involved with the re-housing, and Douglas shows up the poor attitude of the council, as well as the lack of organisation in this re-housing. The serious aspects of the plot, thrown in with a touch of wit make this play an extremely interesting read. The characters are realistic, meaning the

audience find it easier to empathize with members of the family, such as Queenie, Deana, and even Harry and Albert.

The irony, and the way in which it is portrayed in the play, as well as the choreographed twists in the plot make for an exciting drama. The audience may find it interesting how dreams are made and dashed in the play, for example, the dreams of Queenie. Her dreams are simple, and many of the items she wishes for we take for granted today. One of her dreams is also that the family gets along better. Many mothers would sympathise with her in this sense, as mothers naturally want the best for their families. The audience may assume Waterhouse and Hall intended to do this.

In showing the families hopes being dashed Waterhouse and Hall may be emphasizing that society is particularly cruel, and in many ways malicious. What is fascinating about the plot in this play is the powerful way in which Waterhouse and Hall end it. The hymn Rory is singing is a very strong one, and the first confident song that he has sung. It shows that there is still hope and confidence in the family, and learning from this experience they will go on living and hoping: (Lyrics from the hymn) "I will not cease from mental fight.

The stage directions also show an essence that the family still cares about beautiful things to end on a positive note: "Queenie has crossed and picked up the severed head of the eagle. She is cradling it in her hands. " The way in which Queenie still cares for beauty is shown in these lines.

It is also written in the last couple of lines of the stage directions that Rory looks around at his family and gathers confidence in his voice to sing the last two lines with no mistakes at all. This shows that Rory feels that together the family can overcome any time of struggle.

As well as this, if Rory can have confidence in this situation than the rest of the family will certainly still have some confidence. In conclusion of the end of this play, the audience can go away on a happier note, thinking that the Hesseltine's, however hard it has been for them, have become a better family from these experiences. From this play people may feel more confident about there own families and experiences, which would undoubtedly make the audience feel good about seeing or reading this play.