"Don't Stafford house me, lady. This cream cracker was under the settee."
Doris is very over the top about finding a cream cracker and is satisfied that she has exposed a flaw has found a flaw in Zulemas cleaning. Bennett doesn't make Doris's situation very obvious to us instead he subconsciously makes us work it out for ourselves. By portraying Doris in this way we really sympathize with her and feel very sorry for her as we see how hard her life is and the denial she is in.
Doris's life is made harder because she is very lonely. She had one companion in life, Wilfred, and now he has gone. She feels isolated in this new society and feels like everyone is out to get her. We begin to feel sorry for Doris when it states,
"Cracked the photo. We're cracked Wilfred."
Throughout the monologue Doris speaks to the photo as if it is Wilfred. We see how Doris still misses him and loves him. However, when she talks about him she is very negative about him. Despite having a bickering relationship, she still loved him very much. She is in pain and can't move her leg yet she still trys to stand up and dust their wedding photo, this shows how important he is to her. Furthermore, Doris thinks there is no place in today’s culture for old people and she states,
"They don't get called Doris now. They don't get called Wilfred. Museum, names like that."
This shows Doris thinks that names like that belong in a museum and therefore that she belongs in a museum also. She also speaks about Stafford house as a museum, and having no relevance in today’s society. Doris still thinks about her baby who died at birth; if the baby had survived then Doris wouldn't be so lonely and she thinks about this all the time. She is always thinking how she could be living a different life with children and grandchildren. Then she comes back to reality and see's how she is alone. She states,
"...no bonified caller."
This shows how she knows she is alone and is aware that nobody would bother to call her to inquire as to her health. Doris feels alone because of this. Alan Bennett depicts her as if she is secure about her loneliness and she is strong enough without friends or family. However, we see how desperately she needs friends. When people come to her house they come because they have to not because they want to and she knows this. For example, Zulema is her only visitor and she comes because she has to and Doris doesn't even like her. The world has changed and moved on but she has stayed the same. We see this when it states,
"Used to be the Marsdens. Mr and Mrs Marsden and Yvonne, the funny daughter. There for years."
This shows how everyone else has moved on and Doris has stayed living in the same house and the same society for several years. I think that people would possibly forget about Doris and not realize she is here because she doesn't make an effort with life. Some people her age have long gone and you outlive your friends. So any friends Doris may have had could have died or are ill. Alan Bennett makes us feel extremely sorry for Doris by expressing her loneliness in, yet again, a less palpable way. We begin to see how life is hard for her and friends are few. Doris's loneliness is a way of which we see who she really is. Alan Bennett portrays it very well by showing her desperation and denial that she fits into today’s society.
Doris doesn't have a lot of choice in life; all her decisions are made for her. For example, when Doris is talking about her son it states,
"The midwife said he wasn't fit to be called anything..."
This shows how Doris has been hurt by many people. She had gone through months of pain to have a child and when it dies at birth she would want to mourn and be looked after. When a midwife says that her child doesn't deserve a name and takes it away, you feel sorry for Doris and understand why she is the way she is. She didn't even get to say her goodbyes to the baby, who she wanted to call John but he wasn't permitted a name. She also has no choice when she gets sent to Stafford house. The decision will be made for her when she goes. She is reluctant to accept the fact that other people can help her. Zulema always tells Doris that she has to go to Stafford house; Doris doesn't get a choice what she wants to do she just gets told. The only choice Doris gets is at the end of the monologue. She could get help off the policeman but she knows that if she does then she will be sent to Stafford house. Doris is appreciative for the policeman caring about her. We see this when it states,
"Thank you,
Thank you!"
This shows how Doris wants the policeman to hear her and she is thankful for his care. She wanted to show him how much just a simple question could make her feel loved and wanted and how his kindness was appreciated more than he would properly ever realize. It could be her last interaction with a human and wants to end being polite. She chooses death over help because she wants to be courageous and finish her life not having been looked after in a home. We really see her dislike for Stafford house when it says,
"A home, not me, no fear."
She would be happier to die than to go into a home. She wants to finish off being independent and brave. We also realize how Doris is very superstitious. We see this when she is talking about her pram which she bought for the baby. She says how she didn't want to buy the pram to soon because it is thought to be unlucky. I think that when the baby died Doris may have thought that she bought the pram to soon therefore she doesn't trust anyone or anything. She almost blames herself for her baby’s death. Alan Bennett makes us feel very sorry for Doris's lack of choice in life, especially when she is talking about the baby. Bennett really expresses her emoticons for the first time and we see her hard life. It makes us realize why she is they way she is and why she doesn't want to go into Stafford house. Whenever people need to care for Doris they are not there, for example the midwife needed to care for her but didn't. I think that based on certain past experiences Doris cannot trust anyone to help her and care for her because they have let her down. Thats why she doesn't like Zulema because she is there to care for her but Doris can't trust her. She thinks Stafford house could also let her down that’s why she is afraid of it. Bennett shows this therefore we empathize with her.
Doris's sense of humor is unintentionally funny and likeable. When you listen to the monologue you automatically take a liking to her because of her wit and humor. For example when Doris and Zulema are arguing over Stafford house she states,
"Yes. Smelling of pee."
She is saying how you would have a nice time sat by the flower beds but you would still stink of pee if you lived in Stafford house. Her prejudice is shown in a very humorous way and is amusing. It is also humorous when she states,
"Love God and close all gates"
She is so annoyed and worked up about people not closing gates that she thinks it should be a commandment. Alan Bennett gave Doris a sense of humor to make us like her more therefore we sympathize for her because we like her. It also shows us that there is a happy, funny person lurking beneath the shadow of her old age and insecurities.
We feel sorry for Doris because of the way Zulema treats her and speaks to her. Doris is an old lady and should be respected by younger like Zulema. However, we only see Doris's point of view, not Zulemas. Zulema treats her like a child but that could be because there is no other way to speak to Doris as her stubbornness could be likened to a child. We hear Doris's thoughts throughout the whole monologue but nobody else's. When Doris is singing the "H.A.P.P.Y" song she is saying is as if they are treated as children and it is circle time. When Zulema is lecturing Doris she states,
"Pull your horns in."
Zulema speaks to her like a parent and is taking away her independence; one of the only things Doris has left in her life. Doris is still a responsible adult who isn't ready to be treated as a child. Therefore, she doesn't want Zulema treating her like they would at Stafford house.
The use of a monologue helps us to feel as if Doris is speaking directly to us. That it's just us and Doris, this makes us feel closer and feel for Doris. We can just focus on her and there are no other characters to divert our attention. We are also there at the end of her life so we should feel fortunate. However, Bennett gives Doris dignity because we don't see her die but we presume it will happen. Alan Bennett makes us want to help her but we are helpless. She talks to us a lot and we see it when it states,
"How long has that been there?"
It's as if we are speaking to her and she is asking us questions. Alan Bennett makes us feel very sorry for Doris because it seems that everyone treats her wrong. Despite us just seeing her point of view we understand that people are unfair to her and treat her like a child.
Alan Bennett portrays Doris as a typical old person who has something to say about everyone and everything. We feel we can relate to her and we may know people in a similar situation. This makes us commiserate her because we know people who are alone and living a hard life and realize how hard it is for her. Bennetts use of language makes us feel sorry for Doris and we feel she is just in a hard situation.
Alan Bennett makes us feel very sorry for Doris throughout the whole monologue. I think Bennett Makes us sympathize by making us feel as if Doris is speaking directly to us. If the monologue was performed as a play it would have less effect and not let us connect with Doris as much, therefore we would not feel as sorry for her. I think that Doris's situation of being old and forgotten is made worse by her loneliness. People have given up making an effort with her because she seems to have given up with life and socializing. Bennett is trying to show how she has an appearance of a obstinate old lady yet she is really funny and sensitive just nobody cares to find that forgotten side of her. You see how she has been let down throughout life and feel very sorry for her. Several people have let her down and hurt her and her life could have been lived so many different ways. The whole monologue makes you see why old people are the way they are. It makes you comprehend why they don't understand new technologies or societies; there 'day' was so different to what life is like today. Alan Bennett makes us get to know Doris in different ways. We see different sides to her, we see her when she is emotional, happy, in pain and annoyed. She reminisces her experiences and we begin to like her because she is talking to us like friends. The whole monologue teaches us not to judge people from how they appear because once you get to know them they could have been hurt or let down to make them be the way they are. In conclusion, Alex Bennett’s monologue is not only well written and humorous but portrays a deeper and more meaningful message, intended to make us think about the elderly in today’s society.
