Blog #3: Buried Child and 'night Mother

In Sam Shepard’s Buried Child, Shepard portrays the decline of the traditional American dream. The play is centered around a farm family that has been struck with dark circumstances. The first-born is seeking power within the family, the second son is mentally ill, the third son is handicapped, and the fourth son died a mysterious death. All the family members have their way with dealing with grief. Halie has turned to religion, Dodge has turned to alcohol, Bradley has turned to power, and Tilden has become mental. When Vince, Tilden’s son, comes to visit, the entire house is shaken by the news. “Your whole life’s up there hanging up on the wall. Somebody who looks just like you. Somebody who looks just like you used to look.” Dodge’s family used to be the American dream, but slowly started to decline. The mother, Halie, had an affair with her son, the farm stop producing crops, and everyone had to deal with grief of a lost family member.

In Marsh Norman’s ‘night Mother, the play portrays a young women and her mother arguing about death. This play deals with the social issue of suicide, not only trying to understand the side of the suicidal person, but the family member as well. Jessie has had a hard life. She is epileptic and nothing makes her happy. “And I can’t do anything either, about my life, to change it, make it better, make me feel better about it. Like it better, make it work. But I can stop it.”  She looks forward to nothing except taking care of her mother every day. Jessie informs her mother that she is going to kill herself. Her mother, in panic, does everything she can think of to stop Jessie. The play ends with Jessie committing suicide.