Eric Herrera
ENG 265
Response Paper to:
‘Night Mother by Marsha Norman
‘Night Mother
by Marsha Norman isn’t the ordinary drama. Aside from the fact that’s only one
act and speaks about death the entire play, it still stands out because of the
ideals presented in the play. I found an image from the performance at the Royale. The image seems to be moment in
which Marsha has already told her mother that she will kill herself that night.
Her mother proceeds to make hot cocoa, the way Jessie liked it.
To be a little more specific and in depth on the image,
we realize the facial expressions on the actors. The woman playing Mama, seems
to be focused on making the cocoa, doing her best to suppress the news and
keeping her eyes off Jessie. Meanwhile the actor playing Jessie, keeps her eyes
fixated on her mother, as If trying to read her and her emotions. Jessie looks
tired, for someone who is young and should be full of energy.
The moment I could take away from this play would be the
moment that Jessie actually pulls away from her mother and rushes into the
bedroom with the gun. Not only is it the most dramatic moment in the play, but
it’s powerful in another sense. It plays off the emotion of impotence, as Mama
can do nothing to keep Jessie from killing herself. Even after trying
everything she could emotionally and psychologically, she didn’t feel strong
enough to stop Jessie. And in the end, her impotence is demonstrated as she is
physically overwhelmed by Jessie, who still loving her mother, dashes away, and
ends her life.
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