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Show THE DIXIE OWI CRITICISM OP 3 Manson. Yes sir: ALL of them that he had been eating breakfast with a drain man he exclaimed, Vicar (slowly). That is not alDo you mean to tell me that I have ways so easy, Manson, but its my been sitting down to breakfast with a creed too. by common working-man- ? The Vicar characterizes himself THE SERVANT IN THE HOUSE "The Servant In The House, Charles Rann Kennedy, is an allegorical play based on the story of The APharisee and the Publican. and is it may very interesting lthough be enjoyed just as a story, still it is made much more beautiful by taking It was it in its allegorical sense. written to illustrate a great truth. The characters represented are these: James Ponsonby Makeshyfte, D. D., the most Reverend the Lord Bishop of Lancashire; the Reverend William Smythe, the Vicar; Auntie, the Vicars wife; Mary, their neice; Mr. Robert Smith, a gentleman of necessary occupation; Rogers, a page-boand Manson, a butler. The Bishop of Lancashire represents the Pharisee, Robert Smith, the Publican, and y; Manson, Christ. The Vicar and his wife are those to whom the lesson of brotherhood is taught. a The play occupies but single morning in the lives of the people represented, yet, nearly all of their past history is revealed through their conversation. This past history is necessary in order that the characters and the situation in which we find them may be understood. The method of this exposition is not direct narration, although told by the principal characters themselves. No one tells the history direct to another, but each in his conversation, drops information, piece by pie' e un- til we have the whole story. The explanation is not all massed in the earlier part of the story, but goes through to the end. Mistaken identity, or rather masquerading, since Manson did not wish to be known as the Bishop of Benares, is used in order that Manson. the Servant in the House, may learn what sort of characters he is to deal with, and incidentally to reveal these characters to the audience. Throughout the play there is a mystery surrounding Man-sothat is, the players do not know who he is. His identity is revealed to the audience, however, by his making himself known to Mary. All the characters are important The except Rogers, the page-boBishop of Lancashire is a hypocrite His in every sense of. the word. character is brought to light in his conversation with Manson. When he n, y. found Manson. Yes; have you never done it before? Bishop. My dear sir, what do you take me for? A Bishop of Manson. Gods chu rch. Is it your Bishop. Precisely! custom to breakfast with workingmen? Another speech revealing his char- acter is this: Now, you said, lets give as little and grab as much as we can. Of course, that is a playful way of putting it; but between ourselves, it expresses my opinion exactly. He showed that all his energies have been directed toward the gathering of wealth instead of the saving of souls. Robert, the brother of the Bishop of Benares, and the Vicar, though he has led a miserable life, is really good at heart, and shows his strength of character when he finds that there is someone who believes in and loves him. He recognizes the fact that he is only a drain man, and acts accordingly, doing his work the best he possibly can. There is nothing very characteristic about Mary. She is just an ordinary type of English girl with a warm and sympathetic nature. Manson, the chief character in the play, represents Christ, and accordingly is endowed with wonderful sympathy and understanding, and with a deep insight into human nature. Because of his remarkable ability for reading character he knows just about what to expect from the others, even when he has known them for only day. He has come to the house of his brother, the Vicar, to help him build his church, but not exactly in the way the Vicar had supposed he would help. The Vicar had expected financial aid, but Manson comes to build spiritually, In order that he the man himself. might not be known, the Bishop of Benares comes to the house as Man-sothe butler from India. When the Vicar asks what his religion is he replies, My religion is very simple. I love God and all my brothers. Vicar (after a pause,) God and your brothers one-ha- lf n, and also his wife when he says, My sin has been greater than yours. You have only loved unworthily in blindhave seen clearly and been a ness; coward. The Vicars wife has loved him too much, so much that she has really harmed him. In her desire for him to win fame and glory in this world, she has forced him to put into the background his spiritual affairs, and to thrust everything that might be an obstruction, out of his way at any cost. One of these obstructions has been Robert. The Vicars wife shows her attitude toward Robert in the following conversation. Auntie. Think of what he is! Vicar. Isnt he my brother? Auntie. No, he is not your brother at least, nothing that a brother Ridicules everything ought to be Hates everythat you hold sacred Loves everything thing you love 1 ! ! ! you hate Vicar. Auntie. ! Thats true ! A scoffer, an atheist, a miserable drunkard. That Manson knew of the relation existing between his two brothers is proved by his conversation with the The Vicar, which has been given. Vicar had refused to recognize and as his accept Robert, the drain-mabrother. The play does not end until the Vicar recognizes the brotherhood of man; until he acknowledges that all men, however different in station, are brothers in the sight of God. The keynote of the resolving force is struck when he shakes off the power of his wife and his best self comes The wife, too, sees the uppermost. ex i in what she has done, and agrees with her husband. Then when the Vicar asks In Gods name, who are you? the Bishop of Benares is ready In Gods and willing to answer, name, your brother, and the circle is complete. n, 20. Good character rests upon a record A man and not upon a prospectus. has a good or a bad character, by what he has really done, by what he has really accomplished, and not by what he promised to do. Robert Ingersoll. |