Critical Summary - Admirable Crichton
[alert-success] Admirable Crichton - J.M. Barrie
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J. M. Barrie wrote The Admirable Crichton, a comedy for the stage, in 1902. The play deals with serious class issues that were highly controversial, but it doesn't really question the status quo. Barrie thought about a more controversial ending, such as Crichton and Lady Mary staying together, but he decided that "the stalls wouldn't stand it." It was put on by Charles Frohman and opened at London's Duke of York's Theatre on November 4, 1902. It was a huge success and ran for 828 shows.
There are two kinds of people in The Admirable Crichton: masters and servants. On the Pacific island, the people don't fit into the same groups as they do in London.
Crichton is a man in his early thirties who is the main character. At the start of the play, he is a dignified, respectful butler who is happy with his position and does his job well. He doesn't see himself as Lord Loam's social equal any more than he sees the kitchen staff as his equals. He thought that they were doing their jobs and he was doing his. He hates the "democratic gatherings" that his master, Lord Loam, insists on because he thinks they keep up the lie that all people are or can be equal. He's only there because his master tells him to.
But when the travellers end up on a deserted island, it is Crichton who is best able to make sure that the group stays alive. He knows how to start a fire, build a shelter, hunt, fish, and cook. In short, he can survive in this new place. Then, Crichton becomes the master, and the lords and ladies of London become the servants who do their jobs while being told what to do by Crichton. Lady Mary, who was the most proud noble and the last to give up power to Crichton, falls in love with the former butler and decides to marry him.
But more than two years after the shipwreck, another ship shows up. Crichton, who has made a device that uses electricity to light signal fires all around the island, tells the ship to come save them.
Crichton thinks it's a badge of honour to be an indoor servant at all, and being a butler at thirty is the best thing he's ever done.
Lord Loam, the radical earl who wants nobles and servants to be treated the same in London, is not a good leader on the deserted island because he is out of his element. Due to his lack of skill, he is washed overboard during the shipwreck. On the island, he throws away a hairpin he finds because he had no use for them in London. But Crichton says that in such a primitive place, a hairpin could have been very useful.
Tweeny is a young housekeeper who hasn't had much training. She goes on the sea journey because she is the only worker who is willing to take care of all three of Lord Loam's daughters. The name Tweeny comes from the fact that she is neither the maid for the upstairs nor the maid for the kitchen. Instead, she is a kind of helper in between. Crichton noticed her before the play started because of how young, pretty, and willing she was. On the island, however, Crichton is drawn to Lady Mary, and the Honorable Ernest Woolley asks Tweeny to marry him. In London, Tweeny is illiterate, shy, and unable to speak in front of her betters.
Crichton is a man in his early thirties who is the main character. At the start of the play, he is a dignified, respectful butler who is happy with his position and does his job well. He doesn't see himself as Lord Loam's social equal any more than he sees the kitchen staff as his equals. He thought that they were doing their jobs and he was doing his. He hates the "democratic gatherings" that his master, Lord Loam, insists on because he thinks they keep up the lie that all people are or can be equal. He's only there because his master tells him to.
But when the travellers end up on a deserted island, it is Crichton who is best able to make sure that the group stays alive. He knows how to start a fire, build a shelter, hunt, fish, and cook. In short, he can survive in this new place. Then, Crichton becomes the master, and the lords and ladies of London become the servants who do their jobs while being told what to do by Crichton. Lady Mary, who was the most proud noble and the last to give up power to Crichton, falls in love with the former butler and decides to marry him.
But more than two years after the shipwreck, another ship shows up. Crichton, who has made a device that uses electricity to light signal fires all around the island, tells the ship to come save them.
Crichton thinks it's a badge of honour to be an indoor servant at all, and being a butler at thirty is the best thing he's ever done.
Lord Loam, the radical earl who wants nobles and servants to be treated the same in London, is not a good leader on the deserted island because he is out of his element. Due to his lack of skill, he is washed overboard during the shipwreck. On the island, he throws away a hairpin he finds because he had no use for them in London. But Crichton says that in such a primitive place, a hairpin could have been very useful.
Tweeny is a young housekeeper who hasn't had much training. She goes on the sea journey because she is the only worker who is willing to take care of all three of Lord Loam's daughters. The name Tweeny comes from the fact that she is neither the maid for the upstairs nor the maid for the kitchen. Instead, she is a kind of helper in between. Crichton noticed her before the play started because of how young, pretty, and willing she was. On the island, however, Crichton is drawn to Lady Mary, and the Honorable Ernest Woolley asks Tweeny to marry him. In London, Tweeny is illiterate, shy, and unable to speak in front of her betters.
On the island, however, she is more skilled and more practical than most of the nobles, making her better than most of them. She tells them what to do in the kitchen, and when Ernest asks her to marry him, she says no.
Ernest is Lord Loam's nephew. He is a self-centered young man who is fun to watch in a London drawing room but a time-wasting bore on the island, where people are more simple. Crichton has to dump buckets of water on Ernest's head to teach him not to say the same thing over and over again. He does, however, try to become a useful member of the island family by following Crichton's strict rules.
Lady Mary, the only one of the three sisters whose character Barrie develops, is most like Crichton. She is smart, determined, and a little bit proud. She is the one who says, for example, that the servants, especially Crichton, don't like "democratic gatherings." On the island, Lady Mary learns to hunt better than anyone else. She is already engaged to Lord Brocklehurst, but she wins Crichton's heart and agrees to marry him.
The Reverend John Treherne and Lady Mary's two sisters, Catherine and Agatha, are not as well thought out as the other characters. In the beginning of the play, they are Lady Mary's opposites. On the island, they are with the group that follows The Admirable Crichton. The Reverend Treherne is slow-witted throughout the play. His skills are measured by how well he plays cricket. Even Ernest starts to think that Treherne must have used his head as a cricket bat at one point.
Several times during the action, the play's theme is shown. At the beginning of the play, when Catherine asks Crichton about her father's democratic ideas, the butler tries to explain that absolute equality is not natural. He is a butler, not a nobleman, so he can't act like a nobleman and doesn't want to act like a lower-class servant, either.
When Crichton realises that the nobles can't lead when they are far from civilization, he starts to ignore some of their useless and dangerous orders. Lady Mary tells him to be less bossy. He says, "My Lady, I didn't believe in equality at home because it went against nature, and I still don't believe in it on an island for the same reason."
Ernest is Lord Loam's nephew. He is a self-centered young man who is fun to watch in a London drawing room but a time-wasting bore on the island, where people are more simple. Crichton has to dump buckets of water on Ernest's head to teach him not to say the same thing over and over again. He does, however, try to become a useful member of the island family by following Crichton's strict rules.
Lady Mary, the only one of the three sisters whose character Barrie develops, is most like Crichton. She is smart, determined, and a little bit proud. She is the one who says, for example, that the servants, especially Crichton, don't like "democratic gatherings." On the island, Lady Mary learns to hunt better than anyone else. She is already engaged to Lord Brocklehurst, but she wins Crichton's heart and agrees to marry him.
The Reverend John Treherne and Lady Mary's two sisters, Catherine and Agatha, are not as well thought out as the other characters. In the beginning of the play, they are Lady Mary's opposites. On the island, they are with the group that follows The Admirable Crichton. The Reverend Treherne is slow-witted throughout the play. His skills are measured by how well he plays cricket. Even Ernest starts to think that Treherne must have used his head as a cricket bat at one point.
Several times during the action, the play's theme is shown. At the beginning of the play, when Catherine asks Crichton about her father's democratic ideas, the butler tries to explain that absolute equality is not natural. He is a butler, not a nobleman, so he can't act like a nobleman and doesn't want to act like a lower-class servant, either.
When Crichton realises that the nobles can't lead when they are far from civilization, he starts to ignore some of their useless and dangerous orders. Lady Mary tells him to be less bossy. He says, "My Lady, I didn't believe in equality at home because it went against nature, and I still don't believe in it on an island for the same reason."
At first, no one gets the double meaning of what he says, but when he later says, "There must always be one to command and others to obey," Lady Mary gets it and tells the butler to be loyal to Lord Loam. When Crichton says no, the nobles kick him off the island and go to another part of it. But since Crichton is the only one who knows how to start a fire and cook a pot of stew, all of the former rulers come back to sit at the feet of their new master, who is the only one who can provide food. Nature has already made up its mind.
After being saved, everyone goes back to where they were before. Once again, Lord Loam is in charge, Ernest is the self-centered playboy, and Crichton is the butler. Lady Mary is still engaged to Lord Brocklehurst, and no one talks about how roles were switched on the island. When Crichton says he is leaving, everyone is "extremely happy." He can't be on the same level as Lady Mary in London. Lady Mary doesn't want to leave London, so Crichton quits. He is upset with her, but he handles it with the dignity that comes from knowing how the world works.
Crichton is "admirable" because he sticks to the rules of nature. Except for the minor character Tweeny, Crichton is the only one who is selfless enough to put the greater good of principle ahead of himself. On the island, Lady Mary likes him enough to be excited about the idea of marrying him. But when she gets back to London, she can't give up her social status. The Admirable Crichton is the only character in the play who has to act without thinking of himself in order to stand up for what is right.
After being saved, everyone goes back to where they were before. Once again, Lord Loam is in charge, Ernest is the self-centered playboy, and Crichton is the butler. Lady Mary is still engaged to Lord Brocklehurst, and no one talks about how roles were switched on the island. When Crichton says he is leaving, everyone is "extremely happy." He can't be on the same level as Lady Mary in London. Lady Mary doesn't want to leave London, so Crichton quits. He is upset with her, but he handles it with the dignity that comes from knowing how the world works.
Crichton is "admirable" because he sticks to the rules of nature. Except for the minor character Tweeny, Crichton is the only one who is selfless enough to put the greater good of principle ahead of himself. On the island, Lady Mary likes him enough to be excited about the idea of marrying him. But when she gets back to London, she can't give up her social status. The Admirable Crichton is the only character in the play who has to act without thinking of himself in order to stand up for what is right.
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