Murray Shisgals The Typists :: essays research papers

The play by Murray Shisgal, The Typists, is about two people who work during their lifetime at a firm, type the addresses of prospective customers. Through their speeches we see that the play talks about hopelessness, routine and fear of change. Most of the characters motives are explained through the Freudian idea of superego, or, in other words, the part of peoples psique which is related to discipline, judgment of the society, guilt, pride, self-discipline and self- punishment. In this paper, Ill make an attempt to illustrate these themes in the play. despondency is seen through the setting. At the rear of the stage there is a window and through it the sun streams as the play progresses it fades imperceptibly until, at the end, the room is near in complete darkness. Apart from the obvious reason, which would be the course of a day, the sun, here, is a symbol of glory, success and faith. We can interpret it by saying that at the beginning of the play, when Paul and Sylvia are s till young, at twenty-odd years of age, they still have hopes of a better future. It is shown through Pauls emulation of working and studying law to guarantee a better living, and Sylvias intentions of marrying and abandoning her family. As the time goes we notice only disappointments and attempts to change their lives. These attempts are not prosperous as they are hopeless, shown by their fear to abandon the firm and conquer a better job. Working in that office is for them the only way of living. some other theme that appears in the play is the routine. Samuel Becketts Waiting for Godot explores the same theme. Habit is something that makes us feel secure. It is a guarantee that we will be alive the adjoining day as the present has a succession, which is to wake up next morning and do everything again. Since Paul starts working in the office, Sylvia passes to him her routine. Nothing can be alternated. She tells him strike each key with the same steady rhythm () dont move your h ead, keep your eyes on the material youre typewriting. The steady rhythm to strike the keys, the expressions dont move and keep refer to lack of alternation and it means routine. Not only this, when Paul suggests to break Sylvias habit of having lunch always at 1p.m. and have it at 130p.