The Rose Tattoo- Themes
- Created by: Isabella
- Created on: 17-04-14 14:30
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- Themes in The Rose Tattoo
- Pride
- Defining trait of Serafina
- Very proud of her- boasts about him
- Boasts of his beauty, virility and family
- Serafina overcomes this flaw- realises Rosario was not perfect
- Also overcomes this is in her love for Alvaro- capable of loving someone who is not perfect
- Humanity
- Very human play
- Depicts Serafina as learning she is ordinary- but also having an amount of ridiculousness about her
- Thus, Williams fondly suggests that humans are quite ridiculous and not so grand
- Williams' notion of humanity is best represented in the play by his use of clowns or clown like behaviour
- He suggests that there are some people who suffer terribly but there are also poor creatures whose lives are comic misadventures
- Idolatry
- Serafina worships her husband inordinately
- When he dies- she has urn put on her mantel piece
- Worships him as God when alive and dead
- This is improper to her religion- elevates him to an improper manner
- Eventually overcomes this-learns that she nor her husband are worthy of worship
- Life and Death
- Sets up life and death in the opposition of Serafina and Estelle
- Life- Serafina
- Has a happy, passionate nature
- Her husband 's virtility, her own fertility and interest in sex suggests life
- She also has a cluttered home
- Estelle- Death
- Serafina's opposite- thin
- Link to death- only appears on stage on the day Rosario is killed and at his wake
- Thus, death counters life
- Described as wearing Egyptian clothing- connected to death
- Sexual repression
- Forceful and going theme
- Added to by neighbourhood gossip- especially the Strega, Serafina's neighbour
- Overcomes this- with Alvaro
- Becomes a target for gossip since Rosario's death and her reaction
- Fear of romantic relationships
- Manifests itself in her relationship with Rosa
- Because of the trauma with Rosario, Serafina finds it hard to let Rosa grow up and move on
- Fearfully protectful of her
- Not until she has made contact with a man again does she appreciate Rosa's womanhood
- Roses
- Strong symbol throughout-many references
- Is a symbol of love, sex, emotional vulnerability and procreation
- Of high importance to Serafina b/c of Rosario's tattoo- places high faith in it
- Universal symbol- Jack uses this without knowing the connection
- Pride
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