A Lesson from Aloes | Themes

A Lesson from Aloes Themes

Sanity and Madness

During the course of the play, Gladys struggles to maintain her sanity by pushing back her fears that she is not safe. At one point, she admits to Piet that she is even afraid of his aloes because, she claims: “they're turgid with violence, like everything else in this country. And they're trying to pass it on to me.” Her mental state results from the governmental officials reading and confiscating her diaries, which made her feel “violated.” Piet explains to Steve that after that incident, she became more and more paranoid to the point that she thought her own husband was a spy, and, as a result, she was sent to a mental institution.

In an effort to try to maintain her sanity, Gladys redirects her fear into anger, and Piet is her target. She insists that he is to blame for her “condition” since he is the one...
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