FAR AWAY
AUTHOR: Caryl Churchill
TITLE: Far Away
EDITORIAL: University Photocopies
DATE AND PLACE OF THE
PUBLICATION: In
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
In this play
appears four characters, but one of them only is mentioned.
- Joan is a
girl. She is eager. When she is young, she goes to her aunt’s house, and there
she finds a secret that her aunt and her uncle have: her uncle hides people
(because they are in a war), and her uncle punishes people who are traitors.
When the time runs, Joan is working in a factory. She makes hats, and prisoners
wear them. She hates her work, and she wants to have more and better working
conditions. In this factory, she meets Todd, and at the end, they are
married.
- Harper,
who is Joan’s aunt. When Joan finds the secret, Harper tells her the truth.
Harper supports her husband in his mission. She loves her niece a lot, and then
she loves Todd, too.
- Todd, who
is Joan’s husband. He works in the same factory where Joan works. There he
meets Joan. He loves her a lot. He says to Joan that the idea to try change
conditions in the factory is impossible. But he goes to talk with a friend bout
his working. He loves Harper, too. And they talk a lot.
- Joan’s
uncle. He doesn’t appear in the play, he is only mentioned. He helps people in
that time (they are in a war), and he punishes traitors. He is a good person.
PLOT AND SUMMARY
Joan is a
young girl who goes to her aunt’s house. There, she finds a secret. She sees
her uncle hitting people. Joan tells that to her aunt, and first she says that
it isn’t true, but after she tells the truth to Joan: her uncle helps people
and punishes traitors (they are in a war). Harper, Joan’s aunt, says that it is
a secret, and that she can’t tell it to anyone. Several years later, Joan is
working in a factory where she makes hats. There, she meets Todd, and after
they marry. Joan wants to change the conditions in the work, and Todd goes to
see a friend for talking with him about the work. He is fed up with his
working, and Joan is also fed up. One day there is a procession of prisoners,
and they wear the hats that they make. Moreover, several years later, Todd and
Harper are talking in Harper’s house. They talk about the war, animals (like
crocodiles, deer and wasps). Suddenly, Joan appears. Harper says that she
shouldn’t be there, because it’s dangerous. Joan jokes. Harper is happy to see
Joan, but she is worried about her visit, because she shouldn’t be seen.
SPACE AND TIME
This play
takes place in two different places: first, in the first and the third act, the
action happens in Harper’s house. In the second act, the action happens in the
factory where Joan and Todd are working.
LITERARY RESOURCES
In this
play, the characters are easy, and the language used is also very easy and
simple. The sentences are very short, and using this type of sentences, simples
and shorts, the author explains the action using the characters. It’s very
simple to understand the play, because language is easy, and the structure is
easy, too.
PERSONAL OPINION
In my
opinion, this play is very easy to understand what the characters want to tell
or to understand and to follow the action. But, although it, sometimes this play
can be boring (for example a part of the conversations that Todd and Joan have
in the factory can be boring, or when Harper and Todd are talking about animals
at the end). But, I recommend this play because it has also funny parts and the
story is interesting. And it is very easy to read, too.