Another major dramatic device used by Willy Russell, is that in the monologue, Shirley talks to the wall, which highlights her utter loneliness and maybe even lack of self worth, the only thing that is interested in her is the wall. This is pointed out when she says “ I like a glass of wine when I’m doin’ the cookin’. Don’t I wall? Don’t I like a glass of wine when im preparing the evening meal?” These lines are deliberately placed at the beginning of the story – they are the first words that Shirley says as she enters her kitchen. This is effective because it would give the first impressions to an audience that she is so bored in her life that she has resorted to talking to the walls. In Greece she talks to a rock on the beach. This shows that perhaps she hasn’t got the confidence to speak to real people, and has to talk to inanimate objects.
“ Its marvellous isn’t it? I love it here – don’t I rock?”
Again this shows that she is so used to being bored and lonely, when she has finally found something to do, she doesn’t know how to behave. But the difference between the rock and wall is that Shirley actually believes, in her head, that the wall does talk to her, and the Greek rock can’t because Shirley is English. “Course, I talk to rock – but he doesn’t talk back to me. Well he can’t can he? It’s a Greek rock”
This illustrates that she has to rely on non-living things for company.
Willy Russell writes the play to make Shirley Valentine sound as if she exists in her very own self contained world within her own mind. He does this in many different ways. An example of this is shown when Shirley speaks her mind in the film when saying the voiceovers, or when she is speaking to the camera without the other character present knowing what she is saying or thinking. An example of this ‘speaking her mind’ is pointed out when she is talking to Gillian.
VO “I’m not saying she a bragger-but if you’ve been to paradise, she’s got a season ticket. She’s that type Gillian. You know, if you’ve got a headache, she’s got a brain tumour”
This technique is used by Willy Russell to illustrate that Shirley knows everybody in the story intimately. Knowing Gillian’s personality so well highlights that she has known, and lived opposite her for many years i.e. she has been in the same routine for many years and has been bored and lonely for many years.
Willy Russell portrays Shirley Valentine as a victim of the world with no self-respect or confidence. This is illustrated when she says “I always said I’d leave him when the kids grew up, but now they have, I’m scared there’s nowhere to go”. This is used to show that Shirley’s self confidence has slowly diminished over the time that she has been in this unhappy and unfulfilling relationship with Joe. The fact that she is scared to move out shows that she isn’t a confident character, considering most women, if they hated their husband so much, wouldn’t worry about where to go, as long as they aren’t abused / neglected by their partner.
The fact that Shirley’s confidence comes back to her when she finds the courage to leave Joe and go to Greece, is also a dramatic device – the point that Shirley has changed her whole personality whilst everybody else around her stays the same. In the early scenes in the film/story, Shirley is very hesitant and fearful about going to Greece and then when she finally does go to Greece, she has enough confidence to allow the thought to cross her mind about staying in Greece.
“I kept trying to think of other things, to make this thought go away. But it wouldn’t. It was just there in me head. An’ this thought was ‘if…somehow…if…for…some…reason…I…didn’t…go…
back…home…who would really care?’
This is an effective dramatic device because it shows the two extremes of Shirley’s attitudes towards life, when everybody else hasn’t changed at all.
Willy Russell knows that to make the story successful, he has to keep the reader entertained. He does this in many different ways. The most common example of this is the use of irony through the storyline. Marjory Majors was always the school swat when they were at school together, but the irony is when Marjory invites Shirley into her hotel suite. “Im a hooker, Shirley, a whore.”
This is quite a shock to the audience and amuses the audience entertained because back at school all the teachers thought that Marjory would get a fantastic career, and live the high-life. It is another example of how life is disappointing not only to Shirley but now to Marjory too.
Another example of entertainment through humour is when Shirley is in the hotel restaurant, where Dougie and Jeanette invite her over to their table, and they make a huge deal over the menu. “ Hey mate. What’s this?”
“ Et ees calamares, sir, eet’s type of fish”
“ Ye but what im askin’ yer is what is this?”
Willy Russell adds humour to the scene, through stereotypical characters. Dougie and Jeanette are stereotype English holidaymakers, adding humour by embarrassing themselves, along with the whole of England.
There are also many other examples of humour. Perhaps more subtle, is the two extremes of contrasts in the location. The first scene is set in a dark, lonely and quiet kitchen in Liverpool, where she is all on her own. The first scene in Greece, shows her lying in the sun, on a beach, with lots of people around her, and it is a happy atmosphere with the sun shining on her.
Willy Russell decided to name the story Shirley Valentine this being her maiden name, instead of Shirley Bradshaw for a reason. This is because Joe has a very old-fashioned view of women. He thinks that they should stay in the kitchen and look after the men. Shirley is Joe's slave. If he doesn't want to do something then they don't do it. He believes that he should make all the decisions and actually drives the old Shirley Valentine away. Effectively he has made her Shirley Bradshaw. The name of the story is Shirley Valentine because Shirley discovers the old fun, and enthusiastic Shirley that she was before the marriage changed her.
