Arsenic And Old Lace Play Quotes

Abby is portrayed as a charitable woman that would do anything to help others. From donations toward community toy drives, to occasionally murdering lonely old men, Abby vows that with every action she takes, she would improve the lives of those in need. This devotion reveals her charitable personality. Arsenic and Old Lace is a play centered around insanity, family, and charity. While all of these themes vary throughout the play, they remain constant and in the forefront of the storyline. One of the main quotes regarding this charitable trait in Abby is when she was speaking with Martha about one of their latest charities and it’s origins. Abby and Martha say, “ All his kith and kin were dead and it left him so forlorn and unhappy--- We felt so sorry for him. …show more content…
We made up our minds right then and there if we could help other old men to that same peace-- we would.” Abby’s mindset towards these men may not be charitable from society's point of view, but from the Brewster’s point of view, they believe that they help no differently than any other charity. She further displays this characteristic when she and Martha murder other men that they’ve since buried in their basement, truly showing that they both are under the impression that they are helping these lonely old men. As they progress onto helping even more people, this idea to them is only reinforced. As the play continues forward, Abby goes as far as telling Mortimer that they aren’t murdering people, it’s really a part of one of their new organizations to do what they think is right. Ultimately, Abby and her sister are insane, yet to them everything they do isn’t for their pleasure, rather for their