The Sea by Edward Bond Symbols
The Sea is a play written by a famous British playwright, Edward Bond. This play was published in 1973. In today’s article, various symbols have been discussed. The symbols such as the sea and curtains show the artistry of Bond in writing a socially thought-provoking play that depicts various social evils deeply.
Symbols of The Sea:
The following are the main symbols that I found while reading the famous British play, The Sea:
The Sea:
The sea is the biggest symbol in the play for having several impactful meanings. Yes, the sea symbolises the uncontrollable forces of nature. When Colin and Willy were trapped in the sea storm, they were feeling helpless, and only Willy survived the storm. Colin drowned during the sea storm. Therefore, one might say that humans have less control over the natural forces that they face sometimes.
Then, the sea symbolises life and death, and it signifies the world’s vastness as well. As the organisms inside any deep sea kill each other for survival, then this shows how life relies on death for its existence. We as humans also have to eat meat and fruit taken from animals and trees respectively for our existence. However, we also live in such a world where people kill each other for their selfish reasons. There is much oppression and violence in this world that results from the imbalance of power in a human society. Therefore, it is inferable that suffering is everywhere whether in the deep seas for survival or on vast grassy lands for human selfishness.
Curtains:
The curtains that are discussed in The Sea symbolise Hatch’s madness when cut into pieces and Mrs. Rafi’s upper-middle class authority when ordered in his shop. These curtains show the quality choice of a rich lady like Mrs. Rafi who feels superior to others. On the other hand, the curtains when shredded by Hatch also signify how an economically struggling and mentally unstable person like him destroys a precious fabric curtain piece when tense and confronted due to the heavy argument between him and Mrs. Rafi.
Characters as Symbols:
The major characters of The Sea symbolise many aspects. For example:
Willy Carson:
Willy is a symbol of hope and positive change for the society who survived the storm. His desire of being a source of improvement in this violent world signifies his strength and positive energy for the world. When he inquires whether he should become the mayor or not in the town, then Evens answers that he should become a part of a broad-minded society to bring improvements in this violent world.
Mrs. Rafi:
Mrs. Rafi symbolises the upper-class authority because of which she has power or control over the townspeople in the play. She has been shown as a figure of domination and class consciousness by the writer to indicate that a society is influenced or controlled by the upper-class people. The rich people like her leave no stone unturned to control the situations, people, and issues in their arrogant way as shown in The Sea.
Mr. Hatch:
Mr. Hatch symbolises madness and negative mentality in The Sea. He is a character who doubts people irrationally and absurdly. His illogical story-making related to aliens signifies what uncontrolled negative thinking can do to a person. The character of Hatch is also a symbol of a struggling man who completely loses his sanity due to a serious financial loss. For example, he becomes mad when Mrs. Rafi rejects paying for her curtain order in his fabric shop.
Mr. Evens:
Mr. Evens symbolises philosophical thinking and isolation. He lives in his cottage on the beach or away from the town’s hustle and bustle. After his wife’s death, he decided to live like this. Plus, he believes that this world is a world of violence, and suffering is everywhere for living things. The suffering is because of human selfishness. But he also believes that this world can become a better place to live in with positive changes.
Rose:
Rose symbolises love and positive outlook for the future. She was engaged to Colin, and, after Colin’s death, she became depressed. However, after Willy’s involvement in her life, she became optimistic again and decided to spend her life with Willy as a probable life partner. Her endurance during her grief and courage while moving on in life show us a bright picture of her transformation.
Conclusion:
So that is all what I have to share with you regarding The Sea by Edward Bond symbols. I hope that you found the piece useful. Plus, if you really believe in the usefulness of this piece, then please share it with your connections. In this way, they can also learn about the symbols of The Sea and get a better understanding of the play’s symbolic analysis.