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Essay / The character of Mari and the use of language in scene seven of "The Rise and Fall of Little Voice"
Throughout The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, Cartwright presents the character of Mari Hoff as irresponsible and vulgar, particularly through its use of colloquial language. Scene seven certainly supports this view, but also presents his vulnerability: a trait that the audience must understand before the play can be understood. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay When Cartwright opens the scene, he immediately introduces Mari's affection and adoration for Ray, as she calls him "Darling" and "go kiss him." him,” which indicates a strong emotional attachment. Earlier in the play, Mari was presented as a sexual character both physically and verbally, through neologisms such as "wizzle and thin", which prove her apparent sexual appeal. However, Mari's physical attraction to Ray is evident since "Ray gets dressed", implying that he was previously undressed to "roll around". Since Cartwright describes Mari as having an emotional and physical attachment to Ray, she instantly appears more vulnerable to the audience, which allows the audience to feel pathos towards her. Additionally, Ray's feelings towards Mari are clear when he rejects her. » because he has to “rush”; putting his chance for fame and fortune ahead of his relationship with Mari. Ray obviously doesn't know Mari very well, since he doesn't anticipate her misinterpretation of "It's her" and doesn't notice her "desperate" tone. Therefore, Cartwright's justification of Mari's emotional attachment with Ray's distant and careless comments could foreshadow Ray's rejection of Mari in the latter part of the play, when he states "you're too loud and you stink drink…be good and fuck off.” Additionally, Cartwright's use of the ellipsis in "It's like..." indicates the actor to use a thoughtful tone when speaking, which Mari could have interpreted as a romantic fantasy. It is certain that Mari enjoys her own fantasy in the last part of the scene when she compares herself to Cinderella through the reference "I will go to the ball", which reflects her naivety, perhaps deliberate. Additionally, Cartwright's repetition of Mari's "yes" in addition to the exclamation point in response to Ray's "That's her". You know what I mean' certainly highlights her enthusiasm and desperate need for a devoted male companion. Perhaps Ray is deliberately ambiguous about who the "chosen one" is so that he can maintain his access to Little Voice through his mother. This view is certainly supported by the ambiguous "It's not just my future, it's yours" and implied when he later admits "All you've ever had that I want is found up there [in Little Voice’s room].” In this case, Mari is not naive but gullible, given his increasingly distant behavior towards her, presented by a progression from "They laugh and continue [rolling]" until he rejects a “hug” because he has to “rush.” Additionally, Mari's "selfishness" is confirmed by the violent verb "snatch" when she "grabs [the] helmet [and] hands it to him [Billy]" when Billy interrupts her conversation with Ray. Indeed, the continual interruptions combined with Mari's "desperate" efforts to develop the conversation with Ray have a comic effect on stage, which would reinforce the comic value of dramatic irony. Additionally, Mari's ridiculous determination reflects her rudeness, as she "slams [the] door" in Billy's face despite the factthat he is already shy and timid. Ray's horse racing imagery: "It's like at the races, when you find yourself a little nag, no one has noticed, but you know you're on a certainty and you feel, it's is it! » is continued by Mari. “You were gone,” she says, in a desperate attempt to demonstrate that they are on the same page; they “go so well together.” However, the irony is that they are on completely different pages, and Mari's attempt to show that they are on the same page only drives them further apart. Perhaps Mari's sudden formal tone after her misinterpretation of Ray's message could draw on Mari's feeling like "a queen" in Ray's presence; not only does he make her feel like royalty, but he acts like it too. Cartwright's use of pretentious language, such as "statement" and "saying" emphasizes the self-esteem Mari now feels as a result of this misinterpretation. Additionally, Cartwright's grotesque imagery of Mari walking while her dirty laundry "trails... behind her" compares her to a bride, with a bridal train. Although the use of imagery presents a tragedy, on stage it would appear very comical, following the tragi-comic genre of the play. Perhaps Mari's simile "It's like there's a circus parade passing over my paps" best expresses her excitement and joy when presented with the opportunity to marry Ray, and therefore financial security. Indeed, she comments that she has been “saved” and is now “safe,” both financially and emotionally. Mari's comparison is underlined by the fact that she "beats her chest" as if to calm the beating of her heart. The contrast between the fast pace of a "circus parade" and his wonderful comment "What a life, life can be" shows how false the whole situation is; Mari dramatizes it and poses in front of her neighbor, Sadie. Additionally, music is an important motif throughout The Rise and Fall of Little Voice and is used in the seventh scene. The Jackson 5's "I Want You Back" is played by Sadie and they "dance until they have to stop." Ironically, the song played represents a man who asks for "one more chance" to show his ex-lover that he still loves her and win her back. Mari surely doesn't understand the irony of the lyrics and so the song serves as further proof that Mari is completely oblivious to the true meanings. The song is completely inappropriate for a supposed marriage proposal, but Mari orders Sadie to "put Jackson 5 on." Therefore, the idea that Mari is not really listening but hearing the upbeat tempo of the song adds to the audience's understanding of her as a character. Interestingly, although the "music sounds", the fuse does not blow and cause a power outage, making it seem like the power outages caused by Little Voice are more symbolic than logical. The grotesque imagery of Mari having an "asshole feeling" towards him and Ray illuminates her crude nature, as well as her desperate desire to find a man who will commit to her. Indeed, Mari proves the reliability of her "twat-bone" by claiming that she "can predict rain with it", which doesn't seem very promising, considering the frequent rains in the north of England, where the play unfolds. Additionally, although Mari would like to marry Ray, she does not seem able to fully be herself around him, as she "better get dressed" for his return. It is certain that when two people are close enough to get married and devote their lives to each other, they are close enough..