مسرحية / the man who would not go to heaven [الأرشيف]

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15-06-2008, 12:37 AM

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هو : Andrea Foos

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Term paper

The Man Who Wouldn′t Go to Heaven

1. First thoughts about the title

,,The Man Who Wouldn′t Go to Heaven" is the title of the one-act play by F. Sladen-Smith.

Glancing at this drama, a reader might be unsure as to what the drama is about. At first, the play starts out with the main character not recognizing that he is in Heaven. As a result of this he refuses to go up the steps into Heaven. What is his motive behind this? We will find out in the following analysis.

2. Historical context

This one-act play was written in 1928. It was a time when Britain′s working class became unionised and labour relations were deteriorating.

In 1926 - 1928, there was a very large upheaval because there was a national antigovernment strike. While the church supported the government, many people were starving. In 1926, Prime Minister J.R. MacDonald, member of the Labour Party came into power. Being betrayed by the church people thought more and more about their future, their lives, religion and even what would happen after their death.

3. Introduction

"The Man Who Wouldn′t Go to Heaven" written by Francis Sladen-Smith takes place at the gateway to Heaven. The main character of this one-act play is a man called Alton. Being an atheist who just died, surprisingly to himself, he stands on the steps to Heaven. The steps lead to an archway.

Welcoming the arriving souls, there sits an angel named Thariel. He tells them to ascend the steps in order to enter Heaven. Most of them accept his proposal, except Alton. He cannot accept that he was mistaken in his beliefs.

Throughout the entire play Alton tries to convince souls not to ascend the steps but to refuse. In the end, Alton′s persuasions are useless. The souls notwithstanding go up the steps except a lunatic who calls himself Newbiggin. He talks Alton over to play a card game with him. Playing the game, Alton forgets everything around himself. After a while Thariel appears again and tells him that Alton has just entered Heaven.

4. Sub-structure

This drama was first performed at the Little Theatre in Salford on March 24 1928.

Most important element of a drama is the plot. It is written in a dialogue or monologue. This drama consists of dialogs between the characters, e.g. like

(1) "Girl. And then I go up those steps? Thariel. Yes."1

(2) "Alton. I don′t believe in it any more than I did on earth.
Mrs Muggins. No, I dare say you wouldn′t" 2

The development of the plot is dependent on the central conflict. The manner in which the conflict is solved determines whether the drama is a tragedy, fantasy or comedy. "The Man Who Wouldn′t Go to Heaven" deals with the fantastic dimensions. It is about angels, Heaven, God, religion and theological theories. It is set at the gateway to Heaven, as proved in the scene description at the beginning of the play:

(1) "A gateway to Heaven."3

This drama is a one-act play. In this case, the conflict itself is solved but not the idea behind it. The audience is made to think about their own attitude towards religion and the hereafter.
The one-act play allows the audience to question what he/she has read or seen.

In most of the dramas, the conflict is held between the characters. In contrast to them, the conflict in this one-act play is an internal conflict of the main character, Alton. He dies and finds himself in something which is commonly referred to as "Heaven". Ironically, this is a place which he never believed existed. He refuses to accept what he sees, e.g. in sentences like

(1) "I don′t believe in it any more than I did on earth."4

(2) "[...]Free-thinker Dick, I used to be called. Went up and down the country exposing religion"5

Drama usually consists of elements like an act, scene, plot, character, soliloquy and the three unities of time, place and action. They all add to the beauty of the play and make the play effective.

This drama differs from the norm as the story is told in one act and one scene. The unity of time, place and action is given. The entire play is set at the gateway to Heaven6. No time lapses or flashbacks are used. It has one plot, which is the struggle of Alton not believing in Heaven7.

The drama starts in the middle of the plot. It does not have an exposition. The drama stops immediately after the climax. The conclusion is left open and unanswered. Seeing that, it makes the audience think about the play. In this case, the audience finds itself in Heaven and the conflict of the drama is already evident at this point, namely that humans think too much about the afterlife and are therefore afraid of what might happen to them. When the curtain rises Thariel talks to a "girl" who wonders what is behind the gate she is about to pass: "What is beyond?"8. She asks Thariel so many questions about the hereafter that he says "Why do you all make yourselves unhappy by perpetual questioning?"9. The one-act play concentrates on the simple necessities of the play, which are listed in the stage directions. There is only a flight of steps10, a white-curtained archway11 and a small table12. Unlike "normal" dramas, the audience is introduced to only eleven characters. The following is a list of the characters: Thariel, Margaret, Richard Alton, Bobbie Nightingale, Eliza Muggins, Sister Mary Teresa, Mrs. Cuthbert Bagshawe, Harriet Rebecca Strenham, Reverend John McNulty, Timothy Toto Newbiggin and Derrick Bradley. All in all the drama is reduced to the minimum in order to get a maximum effect, namely concentration on the plot.

5. Characters arranged after their entrance

All characters in this play are flat characters.
They all personify a type of person and they do not develop.

The First entrance is by an angel called Thariel. He appears to the viewers as an angel with wings13 and raiment14. He sits at a small table in front of an archway with a book in his hands. As he says himself, he is "[...] in charge"15. He asks arriving people for their names, then checks them against his list and asks whether they have any comments16 before ascending into Heaven. Almost every arrival complies with his proposal except Alton. In the end, Thariel is annoyed by Alton and his arguing17. He wants people to have simplicity in them but Alton still thinks he is human and therefore cannot stop to cogitate about things.18. Thariel believes humans take life and the hereafter too seriously. "What a lot you think about death down there" 19. Throughout the whole play, Thariel tries to explain that all they imagined about Heaven and utter extinction etc. is nonsense. He tempts them with the wisdom they will gain by passing up the steps Their human thoughts would vanish like their clothes. One important statement Thariel gives is "it matters extremely little what you′ve been"20 and so to say what you have done is irrelevant, too. Everyone gets into Heaven even the ones, which talk blasphemy, kill, and commit suicide or any other crime. That is the reason why Alton, Harriet and Nightingale are in Heaven, too.

Second entrance is of a Girl named Margaret. At the beginning of the play, she does not even have a name. She appears like a typical girl: afraid, curious and naive. Her perpetual questioning shows her fear of the unknown21. She wants to know what will expect her before she dares to go up the steps. That is shown in the following sentences: "And never see any one again?"22, "What is beyond?"23

She is a caring girl, too. She likes a boy very much and even though she is dead, she wants to make sure that everything will be fine with him when he arrives in Heaven24. Margaret is afraid of being alone and not being able to recognize her boyfriend anymore: "And not see any one again?"25, "Because it all seems so lonely"26, "But he won′t be different when he comes, will he?"27

The audience meets her again at the end. There she picks her boyfriend Derrick Bradley up and leads him into Heaven.
Third entrance is by a man called Richard Alton.

He started life as a miner and worked himself up28. He has believed in "utter extinction"29 and consequently cannot believe that he is at a place, which to his mind does not exist. "So I must be delirious or dreaming"30 is his only explanation for the situation. He seems very confused, repeats himself31 and even begins to stutter32. The Angel called Thariel denies that Alton is dreaming, because of that he gets really upset. The only consequence there can be is that "some trick is being played"33 on him. However, the main reason for Alton′s disbelief in Heaven is that he has spent half his lifetime writing and talking against Christian beliefs34. He has been an atheist. How can an atheist be in Heaven when he actually should have gone to Hell.

Fourth entrance is by a man called Bobbie Nightingale. He has never been ashamed in his life35. He likes women and is more or less a so-called "lady-killer". He even kisses the Nun because in his mind it would be a waste if she had never felt "love"36. He seems to be from the upper class because his English is grammatically and stylistically correct37.

Fifth entrance is by a woman named Eliza Muggins. She died of bad health38. She is religious and believes in God, Heaven and angels39. She knows Free-thinker Dick because her daughter went to one of his lectures and was confused after that40. At the end, she agrees with Thariel′s opinion that "life doesn′t bear thinking about"41. The syntax of Mrs. Muggins is not correct. She speaks in a colloquial language, which shows her simplicity and her social status. She must be from the lower class: "[...] I don′t fancy no passings on just yet."42, "I bet it′s me health that′s got me here."43 One of her distinguishing marks is that she mainly talks about her doctor and her health44. It seems that the only contact she had at the end of her life is the one to her doctor.

Sixth entrance is by a nun called Sister Mary Teresa. She enjoys the sight of Heaven because it is just as she had expected45. Her ideal of life was being part of the convent46. She is very confused when Thariel tells her that there will be neither purification nor a trial before she enters Heaven47. She used to be a real Christian on earth and consequently cannot really understand what is going on. On the one hand, she fears the consequences after Mr. Nightingale has kissed her48 but on the other hand, she regrets that she has renounced so many things on earth49.

Seventh entrance is by Mrs Cuthbert Bagshawe. She is a "fat and fussy female"50. She is not used to being alone51. She feels very insecure and is happy when Mr. Nightingale offers to conduct her up the steps52. Her flood of words at the beginning of her appearance shows her insecurity53.

Eighth entrance is by Mrs. Harriett Rebecca Strenham. The first thing she says after her arrival is that "there has been made a blunder"54. Mrs Strenham murdered her dog before she shot herself. She wanted her story to appear in the paper but she now realizes that she has made a mistake55. She has, like Alton, never believed there was a Heaven56

Ninth entrance is by a referent called John Mc Nulty. He was a Free Church minister57. He believes that if there is a Heaven then there has to be a Hell, too. He notices that to his conviction either he or "Free Thinker Dick", as Alton used to be called, must be at the wrong place.

Tenth entrance is by a lunatic called Timothy Toto Newbiggin as he calls himself58. He has not been right in his head since he took up politics59. At the beginning of his entrance, he predicts that all will be different after they have passed the gate60. He has, as Thariel wishes an ideal human dead to have, simplicity in him61. He does not argue with the others about death and the hereafter but plays cards62. He is the only one who stays with Alton after the others have decided to go up the steps in order not to get into trouble. They left to go up the steps because they feared the consequences of keeping on revolting. The lunatic is the only one who realizes that the hereafter is going to be all different. The last sentence, in which he says to Alton "I told you it would be so different"63 is proof of that.

Eleventh entrance is by a boy named Derrick Bradley. As you find out almost at the end of the drama, he is the boyfriend the girl at the beginning was waiting for: "Margaret! [The girl appears] By Jove, it is good to see you again! May I come now!"64 He poses many questions to Thariel concerning life and death. He wants to know the purpose of life, which Thariel does not reveal to him65.

5. Elements of style

In contrast to other literary texts, one-act plays use few stylistic elements, only, as mentioned in the beginning of this analysis. The purpose of this is concentration on the plot.

Throughout the play, the viewer or reader finds out, that the gate is a metaphor. Its purpose is to help the souls to come to terms with death and the afterlife.

At the beginning of their entrance, the author describes the characters as a "boy", a "girl", and a "nun" etc. to give a main idea of their attitude towards life. Only after that, he gives them a name.

The lunatic plays a decisive part in this one-act play. He does not only say that it will all be so different but his self-chosen name already suggests it. He calls himself "Newbiggin". Meaning, that everyone will begin a new life or a new phase after they have died. Newbiggin is a metaphor for the new section we will enter, so to say.

Francis Sladen-Smith uses a lot of pictures or metaphors in his one-act play. The last metaphor is the card game the lunatic plays. This card game is a metaphor for simplicity. As Thariel always wanted, the card game helps the souls to forget everything around them and leads them into Heaven.

6. Conclusion

On the one hand, the author criticizes the social and religious attitude towards life of people in the 1920s. In this time of period, people should learn not to think too much about the sense of life and the afterlife. To the authors mind people should enjoy life and not waste it on thinking of what will be after they have died. On the other hand, the author wants to make the spectator or reader think about his or her own attitude towards life and religion. Is there really something like Heaven? Alternatively, will we be in just another spiritual state?

The author might have even wanted to make religious people angry because this drama says that everyone if sinner or not enters Heaven. The Church of the 1920s had a lot of power and it would have been jeopardized by this play.

I personally liked this one-act play because it made me think about my own attitude towards life, afterlife and religion. But it made me shiver, too. I do not like the idea of being together with murderers, or people who committed any other crime. That is not fair. I like the Christian idea better that bad people get into Hell and nice people go into Heaven.