The Shadow Box | Style

The Shadow Box Style

Structure

The play is comprised of three different plots working together to create a sense of overall unity. Transitions in plot are indicated smoothly, at specific points in the play, during which one dialogue is faded out as another is woven in. The perspectives of characters involved in three different plots come together at the end of the play to give a fuller, richer picture of what it means to be dying, and how this condition impacts both the lives of those close to the terminally ill and the patients themselves. In Cottage One, Joe struggles to reach his wife, to share histhoughts and feelings with her about dying, but also to help her cope with his illness so that she is prepared for a future without him. In Cottage Two, Beverly and Mark struggle with each other concerning Brian's well-being. And in Cottage Three, Agnes struggles with the guilt and pain of failing to live upto her dying mother's expectations. Despite this blending of plots, the play does follow some strict patterns of dramatic structure. The action of the plot occurs in the course of a day, and the scene is limited to a single location, that is, the grounds of a hospital.

Point of View

Events of the play are presented outside of anyone character's perspective, in the third person. At no time does a character address the audience oroffer any special insight into his or her motivations or actions. Instead, the audience is able to draw conclusions about the characters themselves by observing them in dialogue with various other characters. The dynamic nature of such interactions gives breadth and depth to these individuals and helps the audience to better understand their motivations.For example, Agnes reveals to the interviewer that she has been writing phony letters fromher deceased sister to her mother, Felicity, for two years. In later scenes with her mother, Agnes sayssimply, "If I told you the truth, mama, would you listen?" The audience is already privy to what the ...
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