Juxtaposing in the play Unity

In the play Unity, Kevin Kerr takes the paranoia of the war and the fatal illness and juxtaposes it with his raw, slapstick comedy. Over the years it seems very little has actually been written about the wide-reaching misfortune of both the war and the Spanish flu epidemic. Kevin Kerr’s Unity is therefore very important. It helps to recapture an elapsed period of Canadian history.

Juxtaposition is a very important element in the play Unity by Kevin Kerr. Throughout the play, seemingly dissimilar qualities are placed together. Although very different, the qualities work together to add an aspect of veracity to the play. In many people’s experience, there is never really happiness without some aspect of misfortune. And wherever sorrow is present, a time of rejoicing is not far behind. Kerr takes this aspect of reality and uses i

Firstly, the juxtaposition adds an aspect of reality to the play. As early as the prologue the reader is introduced to this fact. Mary, Sissy, and Beatrice were talking about boys and getting married and the soldiers returning home, but abruptly the reader learns that Mr. Thorson had died. First the girls are speaking of starting a life, and all of a sudden the reader learns of death. Next in scene two, we learn of Ardell dying while giving birth and of the hardships Stan would endure. Stan was gaining a child and losing the one he loved. This was a direct juxtaposition of life and death. And then the reader learns that Rufus, a boy from Unity who had gone to fight, had died in battle. The conventional, cliché chit-chat of Doris and Rose coupled with the tragedy of the deaths is also an example of the aspect of reality that the juxtaposition provides. In scene three, Stan is speaking to Ardell’s dead body, mourning over his loss, and unexpectedly the body emits gas. The pairing of Stan’s mourning with this crass occurrence adds an aspect of gothic humour to the piece. Many more examples of this gothic humour appeared throughout the play, but perhaps the most out of the ordinary occured in scene nine upon Hart’s arrival. While Stan pushed the wheelbarrow carrying Ardell’s body, Hart, who is blind, holds Stan’s shoulder to be led to the mortuary. Sissy, Mary, and Beatrice follow them carrying their wheat bouquets.

Stan exits with the soldier trailing behind

t to his advantage to keep the essence of Unity very genuine and real. He also incorporates the strong basis of family into his writing. The juxtaposition of comedy and tragedy is also evident in this portrayal. Lastly, the unity of the small town is very important in the delivery of the piece. The play’s very title, coupled with the fact that it is also the town’s name, suggests that accord would play a large role in the progression of the play.

Beatrice retreats. Eventually he succeeds and they carry on.

Lastly, Kerr uses juxtaposition to show

Some topics in this essay:
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