Alison and Jimmy’s roommate, Cliff, is the target of Jimmy’s insults. Mostly calling Cliff stupid and ignorant, and they do get physical with one another, but it always appear as playful, but rowdy, wrestling. Jimmy and Cliff share an intimate moment on page 84, Jimmy confesses to Cliff, “You’ve been loyal, generous and a good friend… You’re worth half a don Helenas to me or to anyone.” Alison, Jimmy, and Cliff all recognize that Cliff was an essential part of Jimmy and Alison’s relationship. Cliff is somewhat of a mediator in their relationship, taking the heat off Alison before Jimmy gets too wound up. Cliff as a literary element serves as Jimmy’s foil. Cliff shows Alison the love an affection that she should be receiving from her husband.
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Helena is Alison’s foil, and she steps in and takes on Jimmy threatening to slap him should he come near here. There is a palatable tension that exists between Helena and Jimmy, and Jimmy goes on to say about Helena that she is “one of my natural enemies” (35). Helena is the only one to challenge Jimmy regardless of his temper, and Helena is the only person to deliver violence upon Jimmy by slapping him at the end of Act II. The relationship between them changes after Alison leaves Jimmy, Helena and Jimmy enter into a physical relationship and Jimmy is rather pleasant with Helena. The audience never sees Jimmy lash out at Helena like he did to Alison. The relationship between Jimmy and Helena imposes more emotional violence onto Alison when she returns. “All because of something I want from that girl downstairs, something I know in my heart that she’s incapable of giving.” Jimmy talks about Helena as something that he’s using to fill a void, probably a void left by Alison’s departure. This kiss they share at the end of Act II, might be the manifestation of his panic, Jimmy is emotionally alone with Alison …show more content…
We can see physical violence, in the form of bruises or in Alison’s case, a burn, but we fail to see emotional damage. One is much easier to hide than the other; emotions are intangible to the senses, but to each person who feels them, it is completely physical. Emotional pain comes out most commonly in the form of tears, Alison makes her emotional pain physical by saying, “I think I feel rather sick” (27). People feel emotions so strongly that it becomes a physical pain, and that pain can linger longer than the sting of a
Helena is Alison’s foil, and she steps in and takes on Jimmy threatening to slap him should he come near here. There is a palatable tension that exists between Helena and Jimmy, and Jimmy goes on to say about Helena that she is “one of my natural enemies” (35). Helena is the only one to challenge Jimmy regardless of his temper, and Helena is the only person to deliver violence upon Jimmy by slapping him at the end of Act II. The relationship between them changes after Alison leaves Jimmy, Helena and Jimmy enter into a physical relationship and Jimmy is rather pleasant with Helena. The audience never sees Jimmy lash out at Helena like he did to Alison. The relationship between Jimmy and Helena imposes more emotional violence onto Alison when she returns. “All because of something I want from that girl downstairs, something I know in my heart that she’s incapable of giving.” Jimmy talks about Helena as something that he’s using to fill a void, probably a void left by Alison’s departure. This kiss they share at the end of Act II, might be the manifestation of his panic, Jimmy is emotionally alone with Alison …show more content…
We can see physical violence, in the form of bruises or in Alison’s case, a burn, but we fail to see emotional damage. One is much easier to hide than the other; emotions are intangible to the senses, but to each person who feels them, it is completely physical. Emotional pain comes out most commonly in the form of tears, Alison makes her emotional pain physical by saying, “I think I feel rather sick” (27). People feel emotions so strongly that it becomes a physical pain, and that pain can linger longer than the sting of a