Leigh Ann Watts 12DJ
Discuss the stage directions and message of Act Two, scenes Four and Six. How do they juxtapose each other?
In Act Two scene Four, David Hare has set the scene in the shower block of the prison. This is indicative because the water from the showers may represent purity and cleansing the spirit of sins, 'by the sound of the water jets.' Prison is supposed to be a deterrent for criminals and should provide adequate support for the prisoners to help them become moral citizens. However with this point being made many characters within the play that are part of the Judiciary System are immoral and show many signs of corruption. The most prominent character is Barry who got Gerard put away for longer because of his Irish heritage. This corruption did have an effect on prisoners, 58% of the prison population within the 1990s were re-offenders according to statistics.
The controversial front page of the Sun.
English: Crystal Palace Park in South London, UK.
A statue of David Hare kept at Hare SchoolThis scene is supposed to show the truth about the penitentiary system to the audience.
The scene is set in dim-lighting which suggests to the audience that secrecy is the key feature in this division of the play, 'which we could not see clearly.' Hare uses the word clearly meaning that the public did know certain things that happened within prison but not the full extent. In 1990, Strangeway prisoners rioted for 25 days which symbolises that prisoners do not change their behaviour when in prisoner but only get worse. It also suggests that the police force do not care what happens to the prisoners, 'Don't call for a screw,' because the police are pen pushers and don't enforce any real justice. Secrecy and corruption are the two main themes throughout the play but this scene shows the negative effects it can have on prisoners such...