Accidental Death of an Anarchist Setting & Symbolism

Accidental Death of an Anarchist Objects/Places

The Maniac's Papers

These papers contain documentation of the Maniac's history of madness as well as a list of his "crimes" of impersonation. Bertozzo uses them as evidence against the Maniac, while it's the Maniac's retrieval of them from Bertozzo's desk that catalyzes the event that sets the action of the play in motion. In other words, if he hadn't gone back to get the papers, the Maniac wouldn't have answered Bertozzo's telephone; wouldn't have learned about the impending arrival of the judge to conduct the inquiry into the Anarchist's death; and wouldn't be inspired to impersonate the judge.

Bertozzo's Papers

These papers are similar in function to the Maniac's papers in that both sets contain incriminating evidence. In the case of these papers, they incriminate Sports Jacket and the superintendent in the Anarchist's death, as well as the judge that conducted the first inquiry into their role in the incident. Later, the Maniac uses...
(read more)