When Doris and Wilfred were younger they were said to have had a baby which died at birth, when the baby had died the nurse had rapped it up in newspaper, and in Doris’ eyes she associated this with being “dirty”. This reveals how Doris does not want her child to have anything to do with anything dirty, even though it is dead, showing her concern.
Doris did not want to allow her husband Wilfred to have any hobbies which may involve mess. She is very concerned about what other people may think about her not being absolutely spotless, for example when the leaves from next door blew into her garden, “I ought to put a sign on the gate, not my leaves” this shows how much other peoples opinions matter to Doris, showing that she is neurotic. She believes everything would be much better if it was hygienic and wanted Wilfred just to concrete the garden so it would be easy to keep clean, this shows again her fear that other people will think that she is not hygienic.
While Doris is on the floor after her fall, she is looking at the wedding photo of her and Wilfred, lying cracked on the floor. She talks to the photograph of Wilfred, showing how she feels lonely, and she was no one else to talk to. Doris seems to be happier in the past then she is in the present, this could be for several reasons for this, for instance the fact that back then she was total independent and the “ruler of the roost” so to speak, and she did not need a “home help”.
Like the wedding photo, props are a big part of the play as there are many mentioned throughout. Some props were seen and talked about in the play; others were only described to us. For example, the pram is used as a prop even though it is not there. In the play, she looks to her right where an empty space is. She says “This is where we had the pram”. This shows us that Doris always thinks about it with emotion. She is looking back at her past and thinking how much a part of her life it was.
Doris’s character gets revealed in a way that she is living in the past, that the pram was a big part of her life and she hasn’t moved on.
The pram was a very big one and it was in the way of the door. “You couldn’t get past for it. Proper prams then, springs and hoods. Big wheels. More like cars than prams”
When Doris says the pram was “proper” it is suggesting that back then the prams were strong and superior. It is showing that back then, the prams were much sturdier and good looking than the new technical ones we have today.
Doris said that showing whilst she had been leaning against the door, trying to get it open. It was very ironic that when they had the pram, you couldn’t get out it was so big, and now, when she thinks about it, she still can’t get out. It is like she is mentally not able to get out because of the pram that is coming up in her mind is stopping. And then there is the physical side, where she can’t move because her legs have gone numb and she can’t reach the lock on the door.
Now however, she feels isolated as there is no one who lives around who she knows anymore, “don’t know anyone round here now”. She feels uncomfortable with the people of today, probably because she knows they are more capable then she is. She does not approve of change either, you can tell this by the way she treats Zulema, she does not believe she is old and not able to help herself and therefore believes Zulema to be nothing more then a “hindrance”.
Zulema on the other hand does not help the situation by telling Doris what to do and treating her like a child. This just makes Doris resent Zulema even more though. Zulema does not realise that when she threatens Doris with “Stafford house” it would represent insanity and being dominated by others to Doris, which to Zulema, may be a good thing. Doris doesn’t feel she needs to be looked after because she believes she is not senile. At this point though she contradicts herself as when a police man comes to check everything is alright she says it is and sends him away, “police man: Are you alright? Doris: No. I’m all right.” This shows how Doris would rather die then loose her independence as she does not want anyone to think that she cannot take care of herself. This also shows how she has worked herself into a state of mind where she cannot allow herself to give in to the hardship of old age, and refuses to except anyone’s help, this could also be because she is embarrassed about the situation she has got herself into.
At the end of the monologue the last stage directions are “light fades” this shows how they are suggesting that Doris’ life has come to an end and she has given up. You can also take this view from her last line, “never mind. It’s done with now, anyway.” This leads us to the conclusion that Doris has given up, and knows it is time for her life to end, and that it is “done with now”. Or you can think otherwise, as she says she has given up, it could mean she gives up and feels that she might as well move into Stafford House as her last resort.
Alan Bennett’s view of the elderly in society today is put across as neglected and limited. He is saying that elderly people are not capable of living alone and should be helped along the way until they passed away.
The elderly get neglected by the fact they are old and no one really seems to care about them. Everyone thinks that as they are old, then they need taken care of, all elderly people get stereotyped by the younger people in today’s society.
