It has to be reckoned that the art form of drama is surely one of the most effective and expressive ways of exuding and exploring relationships among individuals. The form of art provides the playwright with utmost scope of portraying affective charm and aesthetic quintessence so as to leave a mark in the minds of the avid audience or readers of the text. One can take into consideration the plays, The Normal Heart and Dog Sees God so as to delve deep into the intricacies of relationships and emotions that get portrayed via the characters and content of the respective literary works. A close introspection of the two texts would enable one and all to have a much better comprehension of the matter in context. Both the plays explore the thematic content of friendship and hopelessness via the relationships among the various characters of the respective narratives; it is important in the context of both the plays because these themes drive the plots of both the literary works. The staging of the subtleties of relationships brings out the emotions of life and show how an individual is driven by these factors.
One can take into account the play, The Normal Heart that goes on to portray the intricate relationship between people. The play is very much significant as it portrays the complex relationships of the male protagonist who is homosexual. It needs to be noted that even his own brother discriminates him due to his sexuality. Nonetheless, the protagonist is highly engaged in his activities for homosexual rights and awareness. He is extremely committed to his cause, and is never ready to compromise with his aim for any reason. The play stands out as it portrays the friendship between Ned and Felix. As they meet for the first time, Felix tells, “I just write about gay designers and gay discos and gay chefs and gay rock stars and gay photographers and gay models and gay celebrities and gay everything. I just don’t call them gay. Isn’t that enough for doing my bit?” (Kramer 9) This quote shows how Felix shares his thoughts and stand about homosexuality to Ned, the protagonist. This quote comes toward the beginning of the play, and shows the subsequent development of the dynamics between Ned and Felix. The quote relates to the developing bond of friendship between the two people. Thus, they open up to one another about their responsibility toward the gay community. It has to be reckoned that these two people share a close bond with one another and they understand each other very well. The friendship is surely one of the major factors that drive the character and plot of this play in context. The central content of this play is the amorous relationship between Felix and Ned that is encompassed with the problem of the epidemic goes on to inflict harm on the homosexuals.
However, the narrative of the play takes a turn when Felix reveals to Ned that he might be inflicted by the mysterious virus that has affected other people. Now, all this while Ned has been extremely active in urging people to come forward and support medical research for the identification of the virus and find a cure. However, the homosexuals get marginalized in spite of all the efforts. The narrative works excellently to portray how Ned desperately endeavors to find support for the cause. He, indeed, thinks of his lover, Felix, and also about the entire homosexual community of the society. While the friendship plays an important role in driving the narrative, it is meshed with the feeling of hopelessness. No matter what, Ned is not able to find the resources for the medical research. In the meanwhile, the deterioration of Felix’s health can be seen as a precursor to the impending hopelessness that would encompass the protagonist of this play.
Felix endeavors to make things right between Ned and his estranged brother. However, Felix dies as the condition of his health worsens with time. Now, the protagonist left to pine for his companion. He is encompassed with the guilt that makes him feel guilty for his lover’s untimely demise. He feels that he could not fight well enough to save Felix’s life. It is quite intriguing to see how the societal cause ignited in the heart of Ned ends up zeroing in on his love for Felix and the sadness of bereavement. Thus, the playwright successfully portrays how the emotions of friendship or companionship are followed by immense hopelessness and isolation. Indeed, Ned is left all alone in his fight for the cause. Not only does he lose his lover, but also a friend and a well-wisher who worked as his support-system.
One can take into reckoning the other play in context, Dog Sees God that also engages in the explication and portrayal of the bond of friendship and the following isolation or hopelessness. While one sees Ned finding the support of Felix in his struggle for the homosexual community, here one finds how CB, the protagonist of the play finds an unlikely companion in Beethoven who is a musician. As the narrative progresses, their bond develops and they are homosexually involved with one another. The play shows how these two people come physically close to one another. While Felix was the support-system of Ned in his fight, here CB lends his support to Beethoven when it is expressed by him that he is bullied and treated unfairly by others. At a social gathering, CB kisses Beethoven for the second time in the narrative. While others might have problem with their relationship, they can be taken to be attracted to one another enjoying each other’s company.
It needs to be reckoned that when Beethoven is physically abused for getting involved with CB, he is deeply hurt. That he is immensely hurt and insulted can be understood by the fact that he goes on to commit suicide. This leaves CB shattered as he loses his closest friend and companion. One can draw a comparison of his bereavement and isolation with the bereavement portrayed at the inception of the play where CB’s pet dog has to be put down due to being afflicted by rabies. The play only accentuates the affective influence of the loss of the pet as CB’s companion too leaves him all alone in the journey of life. It is very much evident from the narrative that CB is deeply hurt and he remains under the influence of the trauma and desolation even after many years. He is shown to be unable to forgive the person who abused Beethoven in the first place for being in a relationship with him.
There can be no doubt about the fact that the play in context goes on to portray the subsequent hopelessness and isolation of the protagonist of the narrative. The audience traverses through an emotional journey feeling the pain of bereavement as felt by CB in this play. One can be reminiscent of the fact that Ned was left with the feeling of being guilty when Felix met with his death. In the narrative of this play, one finds how CB’s heart echoes with the emotions for Beethoven. Somewhere down the line he comes to make terms with the fact that her dog is now being looked after by Beethoven in their afterlife. This goes on to show the enormity of effect of isolation from close ones in the psyche and perspective of CB. At one point of time, CB opines after losing his pet, “I hope you're still there. I'm not sure you ever were. I never got any letters back from you when I was a kid. But in a way it was always very therapeutic. Everyone else judges everything I say. And here you are: some anonymous person who never says 'boo.'” (Royal 7) The quote shows the state of mind of CB after the loss of a friend. He is deeply hurt by the death of the dog and mourns its demise in her heart. This desolation increases when Beethoven is no more there in her life as well. The quote represents the essence of friendship as well as hopelessness that weave the theme of this play.
It is truly very much commendable on the part of the author of the play in context to have portrayed the subtle emotions of companionship with utmost clarity in the dialogues of this play. The words expressed by CB in his letters make her pour his heart out to his pen friend. Thus, the audience or the readers get an insight into the thoughts and emotions of the character in context so as to comprehend the depths of his feelings for his dog as well as her companion. If one is to compare the situations of the two plays in discussion, it can very well be understood that both the plays have the expressions of the bonds of friendship, the moments of opening up to one another, the closeness as well as the purity of emotions. However, in both the cases, the friendships are followed by painful state of minds of the protagonists who lose their respective partners. The protagonists are left in a state of desolation and isolation sans their companions in both these plays.
It would be correct to conclude that both these plays delve very deep into the intricate nature of interpersonal relationships between the characters of the narratives. While the relationship between Ned and Felix hog the attention of the audience, CB and Beethoven are friends who are separated abruptly by the fate of life. The audience can readily relate to the characters and the situations portrayed in the two plays. It goes beyond doubt that the playwrights have done an excellent job so as to bring out the subtleties of the homosexual friendships that are followed by the painful isolation or hopelessness of the bereaved characters of the two plays. The audience is simply left stirred to the very innermost core of their hearts with the quintessential portrayal and affective appeal of both the literary works. The pain of Ned and CB bother the audience as they think of the harsh realities of life and existence.
Works Cited
Royal, Bert V. Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead. New York City:
Dramatists Play Service, Inc., 2006. Print.
Kramer, Larry. The Normal Heart. London: Nick Hern Books, 2011. Print.
