There is one topic in dramatic literature that really does scare me a bit to share with high school folk. You may think that the topic would be drugs, violence, gender, sexual preference, religion, or morals. These don’t scare me in the least. The one topic that does scare me is the topic of despair. Despair has many faces in dramatic literature. Most commonly it is referred to as the “pipe dream”. The “pipe dream” is a sense that the answer, the good news, the reward is on its way through the pipe headed toward you. What is most painful, of course, is the knowledge that the pipe sprung a leak a long time ago and that nothing is about to happen very slowly.
The plays of Tennessee Williams, Eugene O’Neill, and William Saroyan are full of characters that have worked, have tried, have felt, have worked, have tried, and felt way too much. Now their life is spent circumnavigating the closest bar quenching a thirst that will never abate. Start with big plans and big dreams, add a splash of forgotten youth and a dash of envy, shake brutally, strain ruthlessly and serve ice cold. This bar serves late into the night. Very late.
I am wary to explore this world with teenagers. Although I have the reputation for being a hard-ass and being coldly distant from their experience, the truth is quite different. How do I introduce teenagers to the idea that life can so damage and empty you that the damage is irreparable? How do I discuss dreams that do more damage then good? How can I make them understand that lies can be about the best and only opiate to take away the pain? The reality of this is in so many of the plays that we read. However, this issue is skirted carefully. They had best not see the possibility of this in their teenage years, and I best not see it at 57. Let’s take a pledge class to NOT read this text too carefully. I will understand and totally support you missing a few of these questions on the test. I certainly am going to avoid grading them.