servants
AN IDEAL HUSBAND
CHRONICLE OF A DEATH FORETOLD
CHILTERN'S
GORING'S
Mason
James
Phipps
Herold
stage direction - enter masom
stage direction - enter servant
Stage direction - "enter Phipps"
Footman
appears in act 3 (pg 88)
He only one line - "What name, madam?" to Mrs Chevely who then ignors him and talks with Phipps
Mrs Chevely aviods giving name to suprise Lord Goring
Phipps' stage direction - "turuns a cold, glassy eye on Herold, who at once retires"
Shows culture of servants, Phipps may have low status but still have power towards those who are servants. Just like upper-class in Victorian society servants have to obey the rules of their boss.
Doesnt have name to stage direction, shows the status of importance in play
only appear in act 4
The least important character
Tells Lord Goring that only his father is in the Chiltern's house and the Sir Robert and Lady Chiltern is not home
Victoria Guzman
Divina Flor
The cook for Satiago Nassar
Victoria Guzman's daughter
Seduced by Ibrahim Nasar and took her virginity in secret at a young age
Protective over daughter, when Nassar grabs her by the wrist she "showed him the bloody knife" and said "let go of her, whitey" pg 8
When he brought her to the house to become a servant when he had no more affection for her
Knows daughter "destined for Santiago Nassar's furguative bed... idea brought premature anxiety in her" 8
Victoria Guzman, for her part, had been categorical with her answer that neither she nor her daughter knew that the men were waiting for Santiago Nasar to kill him. But in the course of her years she admitted that both knew it when he came into the kitchen to have his coffee. They had been told it by a woman who had passed by after five o'clock to beg a bit of milk, and who in addition had revealed the motives and the place where they were waiting. "I didn't warn him because I thought it was drunkards' talk," - chapter 1
Used to control the rises and falls in tension - at the beginning of act 3, Phipps and Lord Goring's conversation diffuses the tension which vitalises the end of act 2.**
Represents the 'ideal servant' and the idea that ideals are not only made of men - he is a hallow man who functions only to serve his rich master. This is dramatically ironic as the audience understand that Wilde gives him other vital functions in the play. :*
The conversation at the end of act 2 was between sir robert and his wife. they argued about the fact that sir robert made a mistake in his past and about the idea that 'ideals should not be made of men' - pg 81 to 83.
Shows status and culture of society - servants are not important, hold any special information
*A symbol of how girls should be like in society.(cultural context)
Knows that Santiago will rape and will do nothing as she know she has no free will in the society. chapter 1
Is not afraid of someone who has a higher status than her, she is willing to fight against the fate she is given - opposite to Santiago because he had no to warns hm
Shows how unimportnat he is that Mrs Cheveley do not bother to tell him
Santiago desires her sexually.
Shorter, more formal responses from Mason when talking to his master (Sir Robert) highlights the historical and social context of the play. This also shows the audience how the Chiltern's see their servants in comparison to Lord Goring (who is warmer).
For example, he constantly reply's with just "yes Robert" pg 63
He underscores Lord Goring's playful and nonconformist character by giving longer responses to his master compared to all the other servants. This could also show his status. In comparison to Herold (a footman), he is higher up in the hierarchy.
On page 63 he feels so comfortable that he decides to express his opinion.
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He grabs her entire "pussy" -chapter 1
"... knew that she was destined for Santiago Nasar's furtive bed, and that idea brought out a premature anxiety in her." pg 15
This propellers Dvina not to tell him about his foretold death because"in the depths of her heart she wanted them to kill him."chapter 1
She sees him go to the Bishop.
She, on the other hand, didn't warn him because she was nothing but a frightened child at the time, incapable of a decision of her own, and she'd been all the more frightened when he grabbed her by the wrist with a hand that felt frozen and stony, like the hand of a dead man. pg 20
Just like her mother, she ends up sad and "faded". She continues to conform to societies views on how women should behave. This completely juxtaposes the woman Angela Vicario turned into. Unlike Divina, she realises that she does not have to be a conformist.
"Divina Flor confessed to me on a later visit, after her mother had died, that the latter hadn't said anything to Santiago Nasar because in the depths of her heart she wanted them to kill him" - chapter 1
Story told in retrospective - not sure if what she said is true memory or false memory
Only appears in act 2
And yet, she still wistfully thinks of him. "Another man like that hasn't ever been born" pg 8 - she told the narrator.
"... she told me, fat and faded and surrounded by the children of other loves."pg 8