Jarrow Slake and Fulfilling action through character, language and time

Poulter, Dean (2014). Jarrow Slake and Fulfilling action through character, language and time. University of Birmingham. M.Res.

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Abstract

The play Jarrow Slake tells the tragic story of Isabella Jobling during the three weeks in which her husband hung outside of her cottage window in the north east town of Jarrow in 1832. The play appears in three acts, each one set during each of those three weeks. Isabella is torn between two men and it is time for her to decide which one she loves the most. This decision will either take her across the globe in an escape, or leave her stuck in Jarrow for the rest of her life.
This essay will, using Jarrow Slake as a case study, interrogate important dramatic decisions which the playwright must make during the process of writing their play. These will include considerations regarding character, language and time. I will moreover argue how these key elements interlink to ultimately influence and serve in fulfilling the overall action of the play. Through this study I also hope to contribute, by example, some validation to Tennessee Williams’ idea that the playwright’s initial distorted perspective of the play, through appropriation-based decision making, becomes a much clearer image.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Masters by Research > M.Res.)

Award Type:

Masters by Research > M.Res.

Supervisor(s):