Modern Elements in Pinero’s “The Second Mrs. Tanqueray” Essay

The Modern Elementss in Arthur Pinero’s
“The Second Mrs. Tanqueray”

As a modern author. Arthur Pinero has presented a great sum of modern elements in his work. For case. his calamity “The Second Mrs. Tanqueray” has a fantastic aggregation of these elements. Stage way. Defamiliarization. enigma. metatheatrical technique. Surrealism. impressionistic soliloquy. psycho patient construct. go againsting the integrity of clip. and cubism can all be found in this drama. but one ne’er knows the exact deepness of words and the different universes they hide. In fact. at the beginning of each act. a phase way is found to steer the histrions about where to stand and how to respond. It. besides. presents a description of their facial looks and gestures. along with their tones of voice. Furthermore. a phase way gives some inside informations about the characters’ societal category. For case. the phase way at the beginning of Act I introduces Aubrey Tanqueray as a member of the upper-class. for his Chamberss have. “A richly and tastily decorated room. elegantly and luxuriously furnished. ”

Furthermore. Pinero manipulates another modern component called Defamiliarization. In the nineteenth century. the Russian Formalist Critic Victor Shklovsky says that the modern authors should come up with something new as agencies of experimentation. In “The Second Mrs. Tanqueray. ” Pinero inserts few Gallic words in his English text for the interest of defamiliarization. For illustration. he says “Mesalliance” alternatively of “Unmatchable matrimony. ” “Vin ordinare” alternatively of “Ordinary wine” and “L’age critique” alternatively of “The critical age” in Act I. The modern audience is supposed to be cultured. so he/she is expected to understand the text. Since ambiguity and enigma are praised in modern play. Pinero has employed these elements in his drama every bit good. This affair is clearly seen in the first act. in which Aubrey tells his friends Jayne and Misquith that their friendly relationship must come into an terminal. now. because he will remarry. He insists that they will non stay friends when they know the 2nd Mrs. Tanqueray. Aubrey. here. is equivocal.

He hides the individuality of his new married woman maintaining his friends in suspense. Most significantly. at the terminal of Act III. Paula insists on stating Aubrey the truth about her old relation with Hugh Ardale. who has come to get married Ellean. This enigma has different readings. one of which is that. Hugh was the first adult male in her life who broke her virginity. betrayed her. and refused to get married her. Hence. this affair has led her to the way of harlotry. Another reading for the affair is that. Paula is seeking to demo herself as a good female parent to Ellean. She does non desire her girl. as she thinks of Ellean. to get married such an indecorous adult male like Hugh. Furthermore. harmonizing to Christianity. Ellean can non get married a adult male who has slept with her stepmother ; for if Hugh marries Ellean. it will be an incest. Last. this cryptic insist on stating Aubrey can be seen as Paula’s green-eyed monster. She is covetous of Ellean. and how her relation with Hugh is better than her old relation with him. Although she has lived with him. Hugh does non see Paula as his married woman. for he. like everyone. is attracted to her physically non spiritually. Hence. he chooses Ellean as his married woman depicting her. ” every bit good as my ain female parent. ” In add-on to the old elements. Pinero. besides. manipulates the Metatheatrical technique. which is found in Act I. Close to the terminal of that act. Aubrey converses with his friend Cayley Drummle after Jayne and Misquith has left. and reveals the individuality of his new married woman.

Knowing that it is Paula. the cocotte. Drummle understands and admires Aubrey for being tolerant. He. so. tells him that. “I’m simply a witness in life ; nil more than a adult male in a play… . I love to see certain characters happy and comfy at the coating. ” Drummle. here. is seeking to remind the audience that he is really an histrion in a drama. so what they watch is non world. Using this method. Pinero has violated Aristotle’s Dramatic Illusion. which states that the audience must believe what they see as world. Furthermore. Pinero employs another modern component called Surrealistic technique in the drama. Surrealism is. in fact. an anti-realistic technique that was coined at the beginning of the twentieth century. It is used in play to do an laden character battle for her freedom against a totalitarian force. The battle is like a incubus in the drama. Andre Breton says that force should be confined to the linguistic communication merely. and this is true every bit far as Paula’s wrangles are concerned. However. the other Phantasmagoric leader Antonin Artaud believes that force should be shown in both linguistic communication and action. It is deserving adverting. that the Surrealistic battle. though painful. is humourous. and includes grotesqueness.

A sample of this technique is seen in Act II. in which Paula wrangles with Aubrey about Ellean’s trip with Mrs. Cortelyon. She becomes highly angry at Aubrey. for she understands that he aims at insulating Ellean from her bad influence. She knows that Aubrey still sees her as a fallen adult female like everyone. as she states. ” I can’t be so utile to your girl as such people as this ; and so I’m to be given the go-by for any town friend of yours. ” In order to rag him. Paula decides to ask for her friend Mabel. a cocotte who has married George Orreyed. as a retaliation for her self-respect. In fact. Pinero’s purpose of utilizing the Surrealistic technique is to incarnate Paula’s verbal battle with Aubrey and Ellean. In fact. Paula’s battle with Ellean. in Act II. nowadayss two modern elements. the psycho patient construct and the impressionistic soliloquy. In that act. Paula inquires about the ground that makes Ellean act in cold blood with her. Ellean tells her that her female parent has appeared in her dream. before. stating her to love her male parent. but she has non told her to love Paula yet. Paula. so. Tells Ellean. ” Dreams are merely a hash-up of one’s day-thoughts. I suppose you know.

Think intently of anything. and it’s edge to come back to you at dark. ” Then. she plays the function of a Psychoanalyst by stating Ellean that she has got a composite after her mother’s decease. which is the ground for seeing her in her dreams. Because Paula is coarse. Ellean does non accept that. Here. Paula is repeating the Austrian Psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud’s theory of Psychoanalysis. Harmonizing to Freud. a psychoanalyst treats a psycho patient by listening to him and leting him to verbalise his ideas. past struggles. phantasies and dreams. In his book “The Interpretation of Dream” . Freud says that dreams are symbolic of what a individual is unconsciously think of. similar to what Paula has stated.

Freud says. that an analyst interprets to his patient his ideas. phantasies and dreams. the. relates them to his present life ; making an penetration for declaration of the jobs. The analyst candidly clarifies the patient’s life wants and guilt. so. confronts him with his composites to undo them ; and that what Paula has applied on Ellean. Since Ellean gets angry. Paula tries to warrant her aggression. She tries to pull Ellean’s understanding and love by stating her that she has been through several calamities in her life that turn her to be like this. She tells her. “I’ve talked to you as I’ve ne’er talked to a adult female in my life. ” Paula wants Ellean to love her and asks her. ” Kiss me! ” Alternatively of sympathising with Paula. Ellean turns her dorsum in cold blood. a affair that pushes Paula to go highly angry and get down shouting at Ellean. This portion presents an impressionistic soliloquy. This sort of soliloquy is along address said by a character to another 1 who listens to her/him.

This character expresses her/his interior struggles. The impressionistic soliloquy reflects psychological pragmatism and deepness in word picture. What Paula has said antecedently represents her psychological deepness and introduces her as a psycho patient. every bit good. Pinero. besides. violates the integrity of clip at the same act. When Mrs. Cortelyon offers to take Ellean with her to Paris so London. she states. ” I’m traveling to Paris tomorrow for a hebdomad or two before settling down in Chester Square. ” She. besides. asks Aubrey to allow Ellean remain with her in town “during the season. ” Here. Mrs. Cortelyon tends to take Ellean for approximately 2 months. a affair that reflects the modern sense of go againsting clip. Last but non least. Pinero has. besides. experimented with Cubism in his drama.

In fact. Cubist authors at the early twentieth century used to conceal some parts from the text. They believe that affairs overlap one another in world because no 1 can see an point from all sides at the same clip. This thought of losing parts or uncomplete text is attributed subsequently to the postmodern authors who dismantle the text so reassemble it to look uncomplete and equivocal. Ambiguity. in fact. is praised in modern play since it stimulates the audience to contemplate and believe of what is missed in the text. Similarly. Pinero. in “The Second Mrs. Tanqueray. ” skips some inside informations anticipating the civilized audience to believe and think of what has happened in the missing portion. For case. It can be imagined that after Paula has left Highercoombe in a fury at the terminal of Act II. Aubrey makes it up with her when she returns.

Actually. Act III opens with the Orreyeds basking themselves at Highercoombe. a affair which indicates that Aubrey accepts the Orreyeds’ visit and welcomes them to delight Paula. To reason. despite the fact that he is described as a traditional author. Pinero has presented himself as a existent modern author. He has experimented with several modern techniques that have non been coined yet as his clip. Briefly. his new techniques have aided “The Second Mrs. Tanqueray” to last until the twenty-first century.