Wednesday, July 31, 2019
Andreââ¬â¢s Mother
1. Discuss the many symbols in the play and what they represent. Andre loved to play the role of Hamlet, a character in Shakespeareââ¬â¢s play. This symbolizes Andreââ¬â¢s character. In Hamlet, Prince Hamlet struggled in deciding whether or not to avenge his fatherââ¬â¢s death. This situation was similar to Andreââ¬â¢s. Andre, as a homosexual, had personal struggles regarding gender issues. Specifically, he struggled in terms of whether or not to tell his mother about his conditions. Cal provides a direct symbolism of the balloons he brought to the scene. The balloons represent the souls of departed loved ones. As the balloons rose in to the sky, the souls of the departed loved ones were slowly unbound from their earthly ties. Arthur, Calââ¬â¢s father, called Andre ââ¬Å"Menschâ⬠which means a person of integrity and honor (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, 2008). Andre may have AIDS or be homosexual, but still he is a good man. In Yiddish, it also means ââ¬Å"nice guy. â⬠This symbolizes that Arthur has accepted Andreââ¬â¢s condition. He sees Andre as a family. 2. Who is to `blame` at the end of the play? Andreââ¬â¢s mother has to be blamed for her sonââ¬â¢s agony. Andre died in grief and pain, knowing that her mother would never accept his condition. Being homosexual and having AIDS, Andre suffered the tremendous disapproval of the society. The only person left for Andre to ask for help is his mother. In the play, McNally, Andreââ¬â¢s mother, seems to be a person of few words. In Calââ¬â¢s monologue, he described Andreââ¬â¢s mother as someone like Luluââ¬â¢s mother, anonymous in her remoteness. Her remoteness severed her relationship with Andre. Her silence messed Andreââ¬â¢s thoughts. Andre died in fear of her motherââ¬â¢s disapproval, and death was the only way for him to be accepted. 3. What are McNallyââ¬â¢s themes about friendship, unconditional love, and respect? McNally provided a concrete description of love through Cal and Andreââ¬â¢s relationship. McNallyââ¬â¢s theme of friendship, unconditional love and respect, was shown through Calââ¬â¢s attitude towards Andre. In the play, Andre had AIDS and was homosexual, a condition which was not easy for Cal to accept, but he still did. It surpassed the love a mother could give her son. It is hard for Andre to gain any respect from anyone, but Cal respected him unconditionally. As the play reached its end, the monologue given by Cal proved that he was not just a friend but family to Andre. He was enraged by the silence of Andreââ¬â¢s mother. This emotion heightened the theme of unconditional love.
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