ACT 2 SCENE 6/ Final Thoughts

Basically Alma meets a complete stranger in the park and after being slightly charmed by him and with an automatic connection the two decide to go to the Casino (a place Alma never wanted to be before.) One can assume they'll have an intimate relationship. "Oh, how the tables have turned!"

Alma salutes the angel statue as she leaves. I now understand why so much emphasis was put on it. Alma and the statue were sort of one in the same. Or they used to be. She appeared cold and made of stone, but she really wasn't.

The scene is short so it doesn't need much explanation but it holds a lot of weight. Alma and John have both now changed, the world is completely new. And however much we liked them as they were before, I think they both have a better chance of happiness now. Maybe fleeting, or incomplete but at least they know who they want to be and are both more well rounded. This play completely broke my heart but I think it holds a lot of truth about people and men and women and love and change. It was more about a story than an overall idea. I like that things only happened in 3 or 4 places because it kept things simple. I'd really like to see this done well. i think it'd really speak to me.

ACT 2 SCENE 5

• It's an hour later. John's office. Alma enters and they sort of small talk. there's obvious tension. But a new kind. A kind born of respect and quieted longing. John says he's become settled with his life. Alma talks about how she's changed-her doppelganger, the person inside her finally come out.


• John goes to check on her heart and she kisses him. He makes no response. She thinks now that they are both different they can finally be together. Finally meeting in the middle. He now believes in the soul and she is ready for passion. She tells him about her love. How she's loved him for as long as she's known him.


• Nellie enters disrupting the sadness. The overwhelming realization that nothing can happen between John and Alma. (Ahh! This hurts me so much.) John holds Nellie tight so that he won't see the sadness all over her face.


• Alma knows the two are going to marry. This is how John has settled with the world. Alma knows and everyone knows.


• And though she doesn't realize it Nellie has the meanness and audacity to force the dagger still further in Alma's chest by asking her to sing at the wedding. :(

ACT 2 SCENE 4

• Alma and Bassett are talking in the park. My mind goes, "Oh no, THAT woman is here. Something bad is about to happen." But at least Alma is back outdoors again.


• Nellie comes and talks to Alma. General catching up sort of talk. Alma is also surprised at how much Nellie has seemed to change. Nellie briefly mentions that John has missed her-been her by her icyness with him. (So now we find that it was Alma who refused to see John.)


• Also Nellie and John are sort of..together now. They wrapped Christmas presents together. Apparently John had spoken well of Alma, saying she was his inspiration to become the better person he now is. (And that person is with NELLIE? Why not be with Alma? :(((( )


• Alma runs away from all of this and before Nellie can give her some news she runs off. She really can't bear to hear about John. And especially not John and another woman. Nellie? Her student? WHY?

ACT 2 SCENE 3

I have so much to say about this scene!

• It's been a while since all the conflict of Scene 2 with John's father. It is to be assumed that some time has passed. Alma is in the rectory and her parents have just entered.


• Mr. Winemillers gives the details of the horrible outing with his wife as she publicly emabrrassed him. (I think most audience members will finde verything Mrs. Winemiller does at least marginally fun thus making her, though pretty unecessary otherwise, an excellent comic relief.)


• Mr. Winemiller complains that ALma is always moping around in her night gown, sitting around and staying indoors like she's ill.


• Alma doesn't see why she should change how's she acting. She still manages to finish her household duties and make dinner each night-what more could anyone ask for?

Totally feeling Alma at this point as I've felt similarly. After a harsh break up I lived in a perpetual black cloud and could not be taken out of it. Others would complain that I wasn't myself and I wasn't doing anything positive but I didn't care. I kept up the business of living-bathing, eating, keeping my grades up-I just did it all with no joy or purpose. I wasn't ready to go back to normal life again.

• Alma also doesn't plan to change anything. She is a new person. Indelibly marked by what happened/didn't happen between her and John.


• We also learn in this scene that John has grown up some and achieved sucess after the death of his father. They are having a parade for him outside and Alma faints at the sight of him. She says, "No, no, don't call anyone to help me. I want to die!"


• The lights fade out in the rectory and come up in John's office where he has his new "loving cup" (Whatever that is) that he was given for his achievements.


• Nellie enters. She has become a young woman overnight and John is surpised. She is coy, flirtatious and spirited. The two talk and flirt a bit when she mentions sweet candy she's been eating that make her mouth sweet-would he like a try?


• They kiss and Nellie really goes for it with passion, surprising and impressing John. (Why does John kiss her? Even though he's grown some he's still a sucker for women. Also, what is the age difference there? Weird.)


• After the kiss John sends Nellie off kindly. The way he speaks to her, he sounds more like a father or borther than a possible love interest. "Run along, Nellie."


• She leaves but promises to be back. Awkward budding romance?

ACT 2 SCENE 2

• They are at the Buchanan house. Alma and her father and John Sr. AND Jr. John Sr. was the one who got shot, but he isn't dead. John blames his father's shooting on Alma since she was the one who called him to make him go home and talk his son out of marrying Rosa.
• John forces Alma to look at the anatomy chart and explains to her who he thinks he is and what he thinks is important. FEEDING: feeding the mind with truth, the belly with food, and the loins with sex and love.
• Alma struggles against his force and this notion. She can't believe it is so simple as that. She said she used to love John with something more-her soul. But only used to, before he hurt her again and again.
• John admits he would have never made love to Alma in that casino because he is afraid of her soul just like she is afraid of his body. He felt that he wasn't good enough-isn't good enough for her.
• And all of this makes me so angry. Why couldn't these people just be up front with one another about their love and their intentions and their differences. JUST TALK HONESTLY. But that's the trouble with John. All his mystery, all his doubletalk.
• Alma's father calls her away to go sing for the injured doctor. John stumbles in after her and says gently, "Father?"

BUM BUM BUMMMM.

ACT 2 SCENE 1

• Roger and Alma in rectory together looking at pictures from one of Roger's mom's old trips. Alma is obviously bored when old Bassett hound bustles in.
• She tells Alma that Rosa and John are to be married! Alma is upset and sends Roger and Bassett away. What? Well, I guess we should have expected. Rosa seems to be good with the intimate relations.
• Oo..too good? Violent sex where John always starts bleeding... (What sort of characters are these Tennessee Williams? This whole play is about sex.)
• Lights up on John and Rosa in the doctor's office. Rosa is in hysterics. She doesn't think they will actually get married because her father will make her marry a Mexican man. (Also, how does Rosa feel about John taking Alma out and trying to take her up to an upper room?)
• Rosa's father, Gonzales staggers in from the party going on in the house waving a gun and money and talking nonsense.
• John leaves to escape it all-he goes to Alma and lays his head in her lap.
• John Sr. comes home to the awful party in his house-obviously very angry. He orders Rosa and Gonzales out of his office and when tensions rise a shot is fired. Is the doctor or Gonzales dead???

SO MUCH DRAMA!

ACT 1 SCENE 6/7

SCENE 6

• Alma tries to tell her parents to leave the rectory so that if maybe John does come that she can meet him herself. Mother is being annoying as usual and pulling up her skirt and spreading about Alma's business to the Reverend as he works on his sermon. He sort of insists on meeting John himself but Alma, being a woman, says she can do so herself while her father goes to his study and her mother goes upstairs.
• Alma says she doesn't judge John by all the gossip but I think she just really wants him to be a good guy since she likes him so much. (But the audience knows he isn't a great guy.)
• Reverend Winemiller refuses to retire quietely because he knows John is trouble. He wants to get a good look at him before he takes Alma anywhere.
• Alma is done with this, grabs her things, and heads off by herself-presumably to meet John. Woo! Paging Seargent Backbone here. Our dear sweet Alma is a-changing.

SCENE 7

• John and Alma are at a casino's restaurant. She's all worked up from the drive there and wants a pill that John won't let her have. John complains that they should have gone in the casino but Alma said it's no place for either of them: a minister's daughter and a doctor. It's odd to think these two people like each other because all they seem to do is bicker-sexual tension or no.
• Finally the two start talking softly to one another.
• Alma admits she never felt passionate about other men.
• They kiss and it takes Alma's breath away! But yet, John is still so worried over "intimate relations."
• He wants to take Alma to see a cockfight and then offers to take her up to a room above the casino. REALLY, JOHN? REALLY? Does he even KNOW her?
• Alma becomes anxious and angry and offended. She won't let John touch her and demands he call her a taxi. :(