How I Learned to Drive by Paula Vogel is dramatic comedy, which lives up to what it is. Now only giving readers laughs, but also leaving them disturbed as well with a lot of questions to ask. Taking place in the suburbs of Maryland. The play is told in a series of flashback by the main character Lil’ Bit who is now a 30 something year old women. The first time Lil Bit gets molested is when her uncle is teaching her how to drive, from then on her relationship with him is told through driving lessons. In the play Vogel explores the most fragile time in a girl’s life and compares it to driving. In the play “How I Learned to Drive” Vogel demonstrates it takes more than one person to molest a child, the villain may actually be a victim and that
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But could it be that the molester is the victim as well. It would come as a surprise to many, however it’s certainly not impossible. In the case of Uncle Peck, Vogel doesn’t necessarily make him out to be a bad guy. In fact we see him as a “Good Guy”. We know that he does the dishes for his wife, we know that he helps people around his neighborhood, we ever know that he’s helping teach Lil Bit how to drive. What we know doesn’t shape the picture of a bad guy what it does shape is someone who’s helpful, loving, nice. Jacobus (2014, pg. 1608) “The audience’s attitude to Peck and to his relationship with Lil’ Bit, is in part shaped by the fact of the play’s broken chronology.” If the fact that Lil’ Bit was molested was told right off the bat, there would be no compelling reason to contend whether Peck is a victim or not. But since we experience the thoughts of considering him to be a caring person we can't naturally paint this evil photo of him. In the end he’s a victim of love. We know what he loves Lil Bit so much and that shouldn’t be questioned. He gives up drinking and wants to divorce his wife for her. Though that doesn’t excuse his behavior, the question of “Does love really make you do crazy things?” is asked. Could it have been because the first time he molested her, she was 11, and seeing her grow up into the …show more content…
There are many things Lil’ Bit learns about in the play, sex is one of them. How she learned about sex is unintentional, and even then she doesn’t understand it she just knows of it. She also learns ‘A Mother’s Guide to Social Drinking’ which she applies when she and Peck go to the Eastern Shore. In this ‘guide’ her mother tells her things such as how a lady never gets sloppy, but she may however get tipsy and a little gay, and other important parts of learning how to drink like a lady. Besides sex and learning how to drink, it seems as though her mother doesn’t teach her much of anything else and that she must learn how to take responsibility for things in her own life at such a young age. That may be a reason as to why she didn’t tell anyone about Uncle Peck molesting her. Her mother doesn’t seem like the understanding type and almost seems like her mother would hold her responsible for what happened even though it’s not her fault. With those lesson and or/ responsibilities put on her, she learns how to drive life. How to put the car into drive, reverse, and the most important part putting the car in
But could it be that the molester is the victim as well. It would come as a surprise to many, however it’s certainly not impossible. In the case of Uncle Peck, Vogel doesn’t necessarily make him out to be a bad guy. In fact we see him as a “Good Guy”. We know that he does the dishes for his wife, we know that he helps people around his neighborhood, we ever know that he’s helping teach Lil Bit how to drive. What we know doesn’t shape the picture of a bad guy what it does shape is someone who’s helpful, loving, nice. Jacobus (2014, pg. 1608) “The audience’s attitude to Peck and to his relationship with Lil’ Bit, is in part shaped by the fact of the play’s broken chronology.” If the fact that Lil’ Bit was molested was told right off the bat, there would be no compelling reason to contend whether Peck is a victim or not. But since we experience the thoughts of considering him to be a caring person we can't naturally paint this evil photo of him. In the end he’s a victim of love. We know what he loves Lil Bit so much and that shouldn’t be questioned. He gives up drinking and wants to divorce his wife for her. Though that doesn’t excuse his behavior, the question of “Does love really make you do crazy things?” is asked. Could it have been because the first time he molested her, she was 11, and seeing her grow up into the …show more content…
There are many things Lil’ Bit learns about in the play, sex is one of them. How she learned about sex is unintentional, and even then she doesn’t understand it she just knows of it. She also learns ‘A Mother’s Guide to Social Drinking’ which she applies when she and Peck go to the Eastern Shore. In this ‘guide’ her mother tells her things such as how a lady never gets sloppy, but she may however get tipsy and a little gay, and other important parts of learning how to drink like a lady. Besides sex and learning how to drink, it seems as though her mother doesn’t teach her much of anything else and that she must learn how to take responsibility for things in her own life at such a young age. That may be a reason as to why she didn’t tell anyone about Uncle Peck molesting her. Her mother doesn’t seem like the understanding type and almost seems like her mother would hold her responsible for what happened even though it’s not her fault. With those lesson and or/ responsibilities put on her, she learns how to drive life. How to put the car into drive, reverse, and the most important part putting the car in