Visitor And No Name Analysis

In the story Tape, there are many issues that arise during the story. One of the bigger issues in the story is the mystery that both charcters in the story have no names. One of the characters is conveniently named No Name and the other is named Visitor then there is also Voice at the end of the play. While no genders are given in the story, the author leaves it up to the reader to interpret. Readers are left to use what they know about genders using sterotypes. Reading a play is different than reading a novel or short story. Plays are all dialogue and are meant to be acted not read. The director or author has actions inserted in the play but reading it can be difficult to interpret the emotion of the dialogue. The two characters in the play Visitor and No Name drop subtle hints of what their genders are. Men are generally viewed as tough, frank, use salty language, drink, impatient, etc. Women are viewed as caring, pure, good, innocent, apologetic, feeling, soft, etc. The …show more content…
The voice comes in at the end of the story in a flashback to the Visitor who is reliving all of their lies. The visitor listens and the voice says “Where have you been? Do you know I’ve been looking all over? Jesus Christ! I went to Manny’s! I went to the pharmacy! The school! I even called the police! Look at me, Jesus Christ, I’m shaking! Now look at me-look at me and tell me where the hell you were! Tell me right now! (Rivera 1060-1061).” If the visitor is viewed as a man, and No Name is viewed as a woman and knowing all of the stereotypes, this puts the voice as a woman. The voice comes off as worrying, suspicious, and confrontational. The voice also mentions Manny’s in the quote and that sounds like a bar or restaurant of some sort. Stereotypes say that men are the ones who spend late nights at the bars so that could further support that the Visitor is a male character and the voice could be a girlfriend or a wife worried sick about