Absurd Feminism Despite not being a playwright of the absurd, several elements of absurdism are seen in Caryl Churchill’s Top Girls. This is seen throughout the play in things like the ambiguous ending and the general ambivalence to violence shown by Angie. The most prominent example of the absurd in this play is in the dinner scene between the historical figures at the beginning, which seems to follow most of the rules of the absurd and its tropes, however this is not the central focus of the absurd, but rather a focal point to give meaning to the rest of the absurd. While this play is certainly is not absurdist drama, it certainly seems to draw upon the absurd in several ways throughout, and I would argue it all exists for a specific
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This scene is central in the entire presence of absurdism in this play, as well as the centrality of Angie in this regard. In this scene the key points to notice are the general contrast between the members of this dinner party, all of whom besides Marlene and Griselda I would argue represent what are known as the first-wave feminists which was the feminist movement in the 19th and early 20th centuries, focusing on the legal oppression of women, especially in regards to suffrage. Marlene, however, seems to represent the second-wave feminists. This movement is defined as the feminist movement from the 1960s into the mid-1980s which focused on the unofficial but still highly noticeable oppression of women, such as perpetuation of gender roles, objectification of women in pornography, and the lack of power held by women in both politics and business. Griselda seems to be the other odd woman out representing a pre-feminist existence where women were at the complete mercy of men as evidenced by her story. These distinct groups, as well as this entire scene exist for the sheer purpose of perspective. When you hold Marlene up to the others in her group, she seems absurd; her incredible accomplishment was achieving managerial status, whereas those before her were liberators of women in their own respective ways. The first-wave group, from the perspective of Griselda, likely also seems absurd because they threw away the traditional responsibilities of women and challenged the status
This scene is central in the entire presence of absurdism in this play, as well as the centrality of Angie in this regard. In this scene the key points to notice are the general contrast between the members of this dinner party, all of whom besides Marlene and Griselda I would argue represent what are known as the first-wave feminists which was the feminist movement in the 19th and early 20th centuries, focusing on the legal oppression of women, especially in regards to suffrage. Marlene, however, seems to represent the second-wave feminists. This movement is defined as the feminist movement from the 1960s into the mid-1980s which focused on the unofficial but still highly noticeable oppression of women, such as perpetuation of gender roles, objectification of women in pornography, and the lack of power held by women in both politics and business. Griselda seems to be the other odd woman out representing a pre-feminist existence where women were at the complete mercy of men as evidenced by her story. These distinct groups, as well as this entire scene exist for the sheer purpose of perspective. When you hold Marlene up to the others in her group, she seems absurd; her incredible accomplishment was achieving managerial status, whereas those before her were liberators of women in their own respective ways. The first-wave group, from the perspective of Griselda, likely also seems absurd because they threw away the traditional responsibilities of women and challenged the status