All in One Hour?
Sylvia Caggiano
ENG125: Introduction to Literature
Peter Kunze
January 21, 2013

All in One Hour

Tristan Bernard’s one-act play hit quite close to home with me. It presented a situation I have faced quite a few times in my marriage. Very often, I tell my husband that our life is like a farce. My husband, Dave, like Henri, likes going to the races and I do not. Unlike Henri, Dave wants me to accompany him. I will take the formalist approach in analyzing this play. Here is where the humor and hilarity come together in our lives as it did in “I’m Going’. What may seem to be ‘improbable situations, exaggeration, and (often) ridiculous antics’, are almost commonplace in my home. (Clugston, 2010) Though this play takes place in Paris, the real setting is no different from any home. The conversation is in the comfort of their home. It could be anyone’s home, mine yours, or our instructor’s home. This makes the scene personable and memorable for the reader. The plot is intriguing because it makes one wonder who will win out. It made me wonder just how he would get out of taking Jeanne to the races with him. In my home, the question would be how I would get out of going to the casino with Dave, my husband. Henri employs one tactic after the other trying to get out of taking Jeanne along. Henri told Jeanne, “it’s going to rain… and ‘you'd spoil your dress… you won't have a good time.’” Jeanne refuted each of those excuses. Henri then said it would cost too much to take her along. She told him how to get around that. O matter what she came up with, he would still say ‘I’m going’. That is until she told him to go on and go to the races. He now decides not to go. Quelle surprise (what a surprise)!
My Dave would say he might spend too much, he would be lonely, or the women would flirt with him if he went without me. I would tell him to take a certain amount, call me on his cell phone, and ignore the flirtatious women. He would say, ‘I’m not going without you.’
Henri starts out being demanding, uncaring, selfish, and impatient. He demands the right to go alone. He does not care that his wife will be home alone, nor does he care that she wants to spend time with him. He is selfish in not trying to find something they can do together. By continually checking the time and saying ‘I’m going now’, he shows his impatience.
Later Henri seems nervous, tricky, and suspicious. He tried to have Jeanne make the decision. When she reversed her stance, he thought she had ulterior motives. His questions showed he was jealous of this “Him” he thought she was going to meet. Jeanne stood firm and denied knowing whom this “Him” was. Henri tried using psychology in order to persuade Jeanne to allow him to go to the races alone. Telling her it would cost too much, the rain would damage her dress, he did not enjoy going there with her, and she would not enjoy herself , were psychological attempts to dissuade Jeanne from trying to accompany Henri on his outing. The author was possibly alluding to the existence of gender expectations as a form or theme for this play. I see it as reality. Men want and need their time away from their mate. Women deserve the same. There is no gender differentiation here, just personal preference (stuudymode.com) The play ended with Henri’s going on to the races as he planned. There was ambiguity(Use of language that has more than one meaning, creating uncertainty about how to interpret what has been stated), (Clugston, 2010) though, as to why Jeanne no longer challenged his going and leaving her alone. Did she really, all along, want to spend her day trimming hats? Did she settle for this after going round for round with Henri? Did he win or did she win? Did neither win or did both win? Does it really matter?

References

Clugston, R. (2010). A Journey into Literature. SanDiego, Ca. stuudymode.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from 19th and 20th Century Gender Expectations in Literature: . http://www.studymode.com/essays/19Th-And-20Th-Century-Gender-Expectations-955599.html