Resumo de The Clothes They Stood Up In

First published in 1996, The Clothes They Stood Up In tells the tale of a typically dissatisfied older married couple. Like much of Alan Bennett?s work, it describes what happens to ordinary individuals when they are confronted with their own narrow lives and battle for, or fight against, transformation. For Bennett?s characters, the journey of self discovery is fraught with the struggle between the need for change and a strong desire to keep to the status quo.
Maurice and Rosemary Ransome are a middle aged, middle class couple who have nothing but opera to look forward to. "They had no children and but for Mozart would probably have split up years ago.? On returning home from a production of Cosi Fan Tutti, they discover that their home has been burgled. Rather than just taking the valuables, the unknown burglar has appeared to have taken everything. The house is empty of every item, every piece of furniture is gone, and the Ransomes are left with only the clothes on their backs.
Without their possessions, the Ransomes must try to start over; they find themselves changing the fabric of their lives along with their furniture. Mrs. Ransome begins to explore the neighborhood; she enjoys local shopping among the Pakistani market and is surprised to fine her life changing for the better. Mr. Ransome, however, does not adapt as well as his wife does; he dreams of Mozart and the slow rhythm of their previous routine.
While the Ransomes begin to get used to their new lives, a disruption comes with a letter and the return of their possessions. Mrs. Ransome finds this as distressing an event as the loss of her material goods. While Mr. Ransome remains too old to change or learn from the experience, Mrs. Ransome discovers that ?not the least of what they had lost in the burglary were their little marital deceptions.? Their marriage, according to Mrs. Ransome, only continues out of habit. With the loss of everything, Mrs. Ransome suddenly sees through their veil of domestic amnesia and travels on her own ?timorous voyages of discovery?.
Bennett?s plays and television dramas are often subtle, understated performances of the tragedies of daily life. Like Chekhov, Bennett concentrates on the family circle, class pretentions, and ordinary people contemplating the very things that make them ordinary. Alan Bennett presents much of his work on domestic British life. The Clothes? is a subtle portrayal of the dissatisfaction of middle class domestic life.

Actor and Writer for Stage and Screen, Alan Bennett entered the public eye when he co-authored and performed in Beyond the Fringe with Dudley Moore, Peter Cooke, and Jonathan Miller in 1960. Performing and writing for the stage, Bennett achieved greater fame with his work for television, most notably Talking Heads in 1992. Bennett has been presented with the Olivir Award for Talking Heads, and nominated for an Academy Award for his film version of The Madness of George III.

Resumos Relacionados