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Throughout the night, Mary is tormented by —supernatural figures or fellow patients who act as a Greek chorus. These Furies taunt her by shapeshifting into key figures from her life, including her mother, her husband, and his mistress, Polly Kenton. By the end of the play, the psychological toll of her environment leads Mary to choose "insanity" as her only means of liberation and control. Character Guide the insanity of mary girard script pdf
The central question of the script is: Who defines insanity? In the world of the play, sanity is not a medical state but a social construct dictated by men. Mary’s "insanity" is simply her refusal to be a submissive, silent wife. The play exposes the historical reality that nonconformity was often punished with institutionalization. By the end of the play, the psychological
The play centers on , the wife of Stephen Girard, a prominent and wealthy merchant. After Mary became pregnant by another man, Stephen utilized his immense social and financial influence to have her declared "legally insane". He effectively bribed the Pennsylvania Hospital to keep her confined in a basement "lunatic cell" for the remainder of her life. Historically, Mary spent her final 25 years in this institution, giving birth to a daughter who died in infancy, and eventually being buried in an unmarked grave. A Nightmarish Theatrical Device Mary’s "insanity" is simply her refusal to be