i
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
Buntara Adi Purwanto Student Number: 054214082
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
v
“
m inum susu b ia r se ha t”..!!!!
Otot kawat balung wesi...
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gratitude is dedicated for my beloved father Suryanto and my mother Asih Sri Suparni for their support, facilities, and helps when I encounter a dead end. Thanks a lot for my brother DwiAri Puja Watara and my sister Hera Nisa Kurnia Dewi for their way to understand me, so that I can finish this undergraduate thesis. Great gratitude is sincerely dedicated to Drs. Hirmawan Wijanarka. M.Hum who guides and advices me patiently so that I can improve this undergraduate thesis, especially to get a better format, grammar, and go deeper in my analysis. I faithfully would like to address my gratitude to Elisa Dwi Wardani, S.S, M.Hum as my Co. Advisor and Adventina Putranti S.S. M.Hum who has directed me during the years I studied.
My thanks go to my friends who has helped me to do this undergraduate thesis; Hardian Putra for his excellent thesis, Jonatan Baradiska for his grammar and critics, Gibson, koh Alvin Ginardi. I also would like to express my glad for the crazy friends Fuja, Bruno, Sindu, Ian, Yoseph bayu, Yemima, Ucok, Miki, Yohanes Bayu, Riana, Elsa, and for the lads who still consistent on their idealism Lenyung Adyatmaka, Riject Adi Renaldi, Lipenk, Galeh, and Mbah Roni. I give my thanks to those who have given any support for me. I cannot mention their name, but I will not forget them.
viii A. The Conflict in Buried Child.………... 30
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The conflict in Shepard’s Buried Child is reflected by a bad relationship among the members of Dodge’s family. In this case, the main cause is Dodge’s strange behavior. He possesses a psychological disorder called schizophrenia. Therefore, the significance of Dodge’s schizophrenia toward the conflict in the play is interesting to be discussed. Indirectly, it leads the relationship between Dodge and his family and among the members in the family into a messy situation.
In order to go to the main analysis of the study, the writer will describe the conflict. The next step is studying Dodge’s psychological disorder named schizophrenia. After that, the discussion will be focused on the significance of Dodge’s schizophrenia toward the conflict.
The writer uses library research method in this study. The main source of this study is the Play Buried Child. The writer uses books and internet as the supporting sources. Theories that are applied in this study are theory of characterization, theory of conflict, and theory of psychology that includes theory of schizophrenia, theory of mental health, theory of denial, and theory of relationship between schizophrenia and a family. The writer uses psychological approach to analyze the significance of Dodge’s schizophrenia toward the conflict in the play.
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Konflik dalam Buried Child-nya Shepard diwujudkan dengan hubungan buruk antar anggota keluarga Dodge. Dalam hal ini, sebab utamanya adalah kelakuan Dodge yang aneh. Dia mempunyai kelainan psikologi yang disebut skizofrenia. Oleh karena itu, pentingnya skizofrenianya Dodge terhadap konflik dalam drama tersebut menarik untuk dibahas. Secara tidak langssung, skizofrenia menyebabkan pada hubungan antara Dodge dan keluarganya dan antar anggota keluarga tersebut kedalam situasi yang berantakan.
Untuk mendapatkan inti analisis penelitian ini, penulis akan mendiskripsikan konflik tersebut. Langkah berikutnya adalah meneliti kelainan psikologi pada Dodge yang dinamakan skizofrenia. Setelah itu, pembahasan akan difokuskan pada pentingnya skizofrenia pada diri Dodge terhadap konflik.
Penulis menggunakan metode penelitian pustaka dalam penelitian ini. Sumber utama dalam penelitian ini adalah Drama Buried Child. Penulis menggunakan buku-buku dan internet sebagai sumber pendukung. Teori-teori yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah teori penokohan, teori konflik dan teori psikologi yang mencakup teori skizofrenia, teori kesehatan mental, teori pembantahan dan teori hubungan antara skizofrenia dengan sebuah keluarga. Penulis menggunakan pendekatan psikologi untuk menganalisis skizofrenianya Dodge terhadap konflik dalam drama tersebut.
1
A. Background of the Study
Everybody wants to have a happy family, a family that is made up of father,
mother, son, even daughter. A family will not be a happy family only with a complete
member. The word “happy” here is dedicated to the feeling and atmosphere inside the
family. It is no doubt that the relationship among the members is very important to
gain love. With this kind of feeling, the family will always be able to solve every
problem occurred between them. It is undoubted that there will be good
communication among them.
The contradictory condition occures in the scenes of Sam Sheppard’s play
Buried Child. Sheppard very skillfully shows the absence of the normal touch of love
in the family. His play contains visual issues of bad relationship between the
members in the Dodge family. In other words, the bad relationship in the family in
this play is the most dominant problem in this play.
Sam Sheppard’s scenes in Buried Child are the implication of illness, incest,
adultery personal violation and spiritual emptiness. The play demonstrates the
absence of the touch of love in the family. From the very beginning of the play, there
are the visual clues to the decay of personal and familial values: the neglected room,
sentences said by Dodge in the Shepard’s Buried Childshow the unhealthy emotion.
The condition is caused by the existence of schizophrenia possessed by Dodge.
Someone with this disorder experiences two or more personalities that take turns controlling the person.(McGrath: 2008)
As stated in the quotation above schizophrenia may control the person who
has it. Here, the schizophrenia attacks Dodge’s mind, and then it takes turn to control
his behavior. There are many evidences in the play which show some abnormal
attitudes, such as declaring a rude sentences without any relation with the context of
the conversation and spending all his day in front of broken (having no picture) TV.
Therefore, we can conclude that the schizophrenia has a great contribution to
influencing Dodge’s attitudes.
Sam Shepard was born in the Midwest, grew up in California, and began his theatrical career as a bit actor. Since 1964, he has dominated avant grade theatre in New York and London, exploring modern American myths and culture in such diverse plays as Tooth of Crime (1972) and Buried Child (1978). (Perrine, 1994:10).
Authors share their idea or criticize something through their works. Shepard’s
vision to criticize America’s myth and rituals of family love and ethical values is
clearly projected inBuried Child. When Sheppard wrote this play, “The American’s
dream of familial love and individual success achieved by hard work has been
replaced by realities of disease, loss, betrayal, violence murder, and death.”(Milly S.
Baranger, 1994:11). This condition can be seen in the events and actions of the play.
Nevertheless, Shepard seems to replace the condition by putting the actions in Buried
symbol by the loss vegetables garden behind the family’s house. It is not lost, not all
the members of the family realize that they have a garden. Only Tilden (the oldest
son) can see the vegetables that belong to them.
The play Buried Child presents the absence of love in a family. The bad
relationship happens between them. The play central action is Vincent’s (grandson)
question about his root. Vincent returns to his family from New Mexico and finally
reveals the problem. The family is rebuilt in a terrible secret for years. It is about the
crime action many years ago. Dodge killed the baby born by Halie (his wife) and he
denied that the baby was his child. He killed it and buried it in the backyard
(vegetables garden). Everybody realized that the baby was died, but they did not
know who killed it and where it was. Everybody had different opinion about the
terrible event, and Dodge tried to keep it as a secret during his life. For about thirty
years, the secret become a mystery in the family. At the end of this play, the
revelation of the secret crime cleanses the spiritual life of the family. At the moment,
Dodge’s confession of his murder is followed by his quite death caused by his
disease. After this scene, the condition of the family is back to normal. Halie and the
others can see their mysterious vegetables garden in the backyard and Tilden finds the
skeleton of the baby.
Through the condition of the family and Dodge’s psychological condition, the
writer feels the issues are very worthy to be studied. The writer hopes the study can
no blind impulse that bringing them on a psychological problem and broking their
relationship.
B. Problem Formulation
The problems to be discussed in this thesis are formulated in the 3 questions
bellow:
1. What is the conflict that happens in the play?
2. How is Dodge described as a schizophrenic?
3. What is the significance of Dodge’s schizophrenia toward the conflict in the play?
C. Objectives of the Study
The aim of this study will answer what we have in the problem formulation
above. Firstly, the writer will seek an answer about the conflict that happens in the
play. Then, secondly this work will find out how the conflict happens, as at the
problem formulation said that it is influenced by Dodge’s schizophrenia. Before
discussing the influence, the writer will try to emphasize Dodge’s schizophrenia by
supporting the idea from the other opinions about it.
D. Definition of terms
In order to avoid misinterpretation among readers, the writer gives a little
explanation on some keywords used in this thesis. Among others are:
Nancy Coover Andreasen in DSM IV-TR defines schizophrenia as a
personality’s disturbance that may involve a range of cognitive and emotional
dysfunction that include perception, inferential thinking, language and
communication, behavioral monitoring, affect, fluency and productivity of thought
and speech, hedonic capacity, volition and drive, and attention (2003:298-299).
According to Sigmund Freud (2008) in Encyclopedia of Psychology states, that
schizophrenia is a lifelong brain disorders and makes it functionless. Schizophrenia
causes some effects that can be seen direct or indirectly, such as unusual thought or
perception, movement disorder, difficulty in speaking and expressing emotion,
problem with memory and organization.
Here, Freud argues that schizophrenia is a brain’s disturbance affected to the
personality disorder such as a range of cognitive and emotional dysfunction that
include perception , inferential thinking, language and communication, behavioral
monitoring, affect, fluency and productivity of thought and speech, hedonic capacity,
volition and drive, attention, and problem with memory and organization.
2. Conflict :
Holman and Harmon in A handbook of Literature The struggle that grows out of
the interplay of the two opposing force in a plot (1986: 107). In addition, Laurence
Perrine in his book Literature; Sound, Sense, and Structure (1974: 44) defines a
conflict as a clash of action, ideas, and desires, or wills among two people in the
society. He adds a conflict can be categorized in physical, mental, emotional, and
6
A. Review of Related Studies
Sam Shepard shares his knowledge throughout his works such as Buried
Child that is considered as a reflection toward the American society. By the time,
Buried Child opened in New York in 1978, Sam Shepard had been well- established
as a counterculture playwright. It means that his inspiration comes from the facts
which he has seen. There were several critics to respond the Shepard works; it was
Shepard’s ability to tap into America’s self-perception in intriguing new ways.
Buried Child, for its entire reflection, is a powerful reflection, no matter how ‘funny’
the mirror, of the dilemma of present day America.
In order to understand the play better, the writer needs to give some
knowledge based on the comment by others writer. Here the writer tries to
pharaphrase the critics, or some comments toward this play.
Milly S. Barranger in Understanding Plays states that this Shepard’s play
is structured by the gradual revelation of the family terrible secret (1994: 11). Here,
the revelation of the secret crimes releases the members from their spiritual
emptiness. He argues that the family has been dominated by the secret for long
years, and the revelation of the secret crimes cleanses the spiritual life. It can be
the family out from the exorcism. Then, Halie can see what has been covered her
eyes before, an abundance vegetables in the mysterious field around the house.
She also says in this Shepard’s play that Shepard imitates the reality of
illness, incest, adultery, and personal violation by showing the absence of normal
touchstones of love, family, and fidelity. In relation with the statement above, he
argues that Shepard has sharply projected America’s myths and rituals of family love
and ethical values in Buried Child. According to her, the American dream of familial
love and individual success achieved by hard work have been replaced by reality of
disease, loss, betrayal, violence, murder, and death. All these condition can be seen
throughout the play in all events and actions. In the next sentence of the book which
the writer has read, it seemed that there was a communication between Barranger
and Sam Shepard during the process he wrote his argument. Nevertheless, Shepard
admits the possibility of reviving those lost dream and values symbolized by the
abundance of vegetables at the play’s ending. These life-sustaining crops arise
mystically from the soil where the buried child of the play’s title is both sign and
symbol of the decay of the modern American family. (1994: 10-11)
Heather Solomon pronounces a similar opinion but different angle in her
article entitled Buried Child Unearths Humuor and Horror at a newspaper named The
Canadian Jewish News(February 19, 2009). Solomon is a director of Buried Child’s
performance in America. She argues that Buried child combines two atmospheres of
humour and horror. The audiences alternately taste the comfort of laughter, and then
macabre the next. A combination of two different atmosphres in one play. She adds
that Buried child will able to influences the audience to the horror and humour at the
same time, this one is the interesting side from Shepard’s play. The next sentences in
her article explain about the characters. The most dominant character in the play is
Patriarch Dodge who is a cadaverous retired farmer with a heart condition whose
main companions are now the TV set and his whiskey bottle secreted in the derelict
sofa he inhabits. Dodge is the keeper of a horrible secret that touch all members of the
family and has each one of them harboring a death wish for him. Then she describes
Halie as a straitlaced religious fervour belies her action, especially when she gropes
Father Dewis. Agitating their shaky emotional balance is the arrival of a young man
claiming to be Dodge and Halie’s grandson named Vince. He acted less believably
than others did. She also describes many others characters briefly in her article.
Another related study in relation with the subject is the case study about a
person named Jack in http://www.academon.com/lib/paper/. Jack is a 27 years old
man diagnosed with schizophrenia. He has been referred to Top Quality
Rehabilitation (TQP) to provide supported employment services.
Jack graduated from high school and got a job working in a video store.
After working for about 6 months Jack began to hear voices that told him he was no
good. He also began to believe that his boss was planting small video cameras in the
returned tapes to catch him making mistakes. Jack became increasingly agitated at
work, particularly during busy times, and began "talking strangely" to customers. For
tape might not be available because it had "surveillance photos of him that were
being reviewed by the CIA". After about a year Jack quitted his job one night,
yelling at his boss that he couldn't take the constant abuse of being watched by all
the TV screens in the store and even in his own home. Then, his parent took him to
the hospital. He was given Thorazine by his psychiatrist. This condition was
continued for around 7 years. After moved to his own appartement, he became a
member of psychosocial clubhouse for people with mental illness. He answered the
phones and helped to write a clubhouse newsletter. He had a few friends, but he
never had a girlfriend. Jack was very worried about looking for a job. He did not
know how to explain his disorder to a potential employer, and he was afraid of
becoming overwhelmed.
In this case, Jack has a strong hallucination that leads him to do some
abnormal attitudes. Moreover, there is no relation between his attitudes and reality.
Here is the schizophrenia’s direct influence to the person. It caused great damage in
Jack’s brain later the brain cannot work normally.
There are similar characteristics as what happen in Jack and Dodge in the
play. The effect of strong hallucination when gaining a contact with others such as
what happens to Jack at the store and Dodge in his living room, Dodge’s imagination
that there is a picture in the broken TV and Jack’s imagination about video camera.
Some similarities also found in the causes to get the schizophrenia as Jack’s worries
By looking at both statements above, the point is already clear that there is
an unhealthy relationship among the members of Dodge’s family, and it is caused by
Dodge’s keeping secret. It is similar with the article above that the conflict is caused
by Dodge’s keeping secret. In other words, the secret becomes the main cause of the
conflict. A conflict must be caused by the struggle between the characters(Melissa,
Oct 21 2002). Therefore, there must be something in the middle between the conflict
and the secret. In the story, there is a strange attitudes expressed by Dodge called
schizophrenia. It influences his attitudes later his attitudes causes the conflict. So, in
the analysis the writers will talks about the process from the secret schizophrenia
Dodge’s behavior conflict.
B. Review of Related Theories 1. Theory of Conflict
Robert Stanton in anIntroduction to Fiction mentions that one of the elements
of a plot in a story is a conflict. In every work of fiction contains obvious internal
conflict between two desires between a character, and external conflicts; a conflict
between a character and others character or its environments (1965: 16).
Holman and Harmon in A Handbook of Literature states that conflict is the
struggle that grows out of interplays of the two opposing force. A conflict provides
interest, suspense and tension. At least one of the two opposing force is usually a
person, or, if an animal or inanimate object, is treated as it were a person. This person
against another person (usually the antagonist), struggle against nature, struggle
against society; struggle of inastery against two persons; struggle against destiny or
fate (1986: 107).
They also define internal conflicts that “it does not show any physical
struggle; always puts two elements within a person, always confronts character
thought with feeling. (1986: 107). A conflict does not only show the struggle of
protagonist against someone or something and some motivations and aims that to be
achieved. They have a big influence choice.
Laurence Perrine in his book Literature; Sound, Sense, and Structuredefines
conflicts as a clash of action, ideas, desires, or wills between two individual among
people in the society. Conflicts can be categorized into physical, mental, emotional,
or moral. Regardless to those types of conflicts, Perrine states that conflict may be
single, clear out and identifiable and multiple, various and difficult to be understood.
(1974: 44).
Melissa (English rector) states a conflict as a struggle. It means that every
struggle no matter in daily life or literature can be declared as a conflict. According
Melissa, there are two classifications of conflict especially in literary world.
a. Internal conflict: Struggle of internal conflict takes place in character’s mind.
She also explains deeper that it is a visual or tangible opposition. So, we can
conclude that this is a character dealing with his or her own mind mixed
She adds that internal conflict may occur between man vs himself.
b. External conflict: Struggle of external conflict may include between a
character and an outside force is an external conflict. In short way, external
conflict is occurred between man vs man or man vs his environment
(www.questia.com/literary criticism/London,2002).
2. Theory of Characterization
Perrine in his book Literature: Structure, Sound. And Sense (1974: 68 – 69)
states that characterization can be presented in two ways:
a. Direct Presentation
The author tells the quality of the characters in exposition or analysis or has
someone else in the story that tells us what the characters are like. This method
cannot be used alone; it needs to be supported by the indirect presentation to
convince the reader.
b. Indirect presentation
The author shows the readers the characters in action and lets the reader
infer what they are like from what they think, they say, or they do.
Under circumstances, a change of a character should be reasonable and in
the condition such as within the possibilities of characters who make it. The
character in a story should not change on suddenly. The character should present the
smaller changed that was carefully prepared for. The changing of the character
should be sufficiently motivated by the circumstances. The character should have
strong motivation or reason in doing his/her action. One cannot change his
characteristics so suddenly without any reason and the last one it must follow
sufficient time for change. (1974: 68-69)
The author conveys to the reader about what sort of people the characters
are in other ways. How to know and understand them, Murphy explains in his book
entitled Understanding Unseen. (1972: 161 – 173)
a. Personal description
The author can describe a person’s appearances clothes.
b. Characters as seen by others
Instead of describing characters directly the author can describe him
through the eyes and opinions of another. The reader gets, as it were, a reflected
image.
c. Speech
The author can give us an insight to the character of one of the person in
the book through what the person says. Whenever a person speaks, whenever he puts
forward an opinion, he is giving some clues to reader about his character.
d. Past Life
By letting the reader learns something about a person’s past life the author
by direct comment by the author, through the person’s thought, through his
conversation, or through the medium of another person.
e. Conversation of others
The author can also give us clues to a person’s character through the
conversation of other people and the things they say about him.
f. Reaction
The author may also give us clue to a person’s character by letting us
knows how that person reacts to various situation and event.
g. Direct comment
The comment here is by the author. The author can describe or comment on
a person’s character directly.
h. Thoughts
The author can gives us direct knowledge of what a person thinking about.
In this respect, he is able to do what he cannot do in real life.
i. Mannerism
The author can describes a person’s mannerism, and habits or
idiosyncrasies, which may tells us something about his character.
3. Theory of Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a psychological disorder posessed by Dodge that
gives some theories of schizophrenia to get an understanding about this psychological
disorder.
Sigmund Frued said that schizophrenia is a severe, lifelong brain disorder. People who have it may hear voices, see things that are not there or believe that others are reading or controlling their minds. In men, symptoms usually start in the late teens and early 20s. They include hallucinations, or seeing things, and delusions such as hearing voices. (www.medlineplus.com, Mei 24, 2008).
Schizophrenia is a chronic brain disorder and makes it functionless. In this
article, Freudian add some effects of schizophrenia such as Unusual thoughts or
perceptions, disorders of movement difficulty speaking and expressing emotion,
problems with attention, memory and organization. (Sigmund
Freud,www.medlineplus.com, Mei 24, 2008)
Here Freud argues that a schizophrenic has something wrong in his brain
and it is functionless. The effects are that the person may have an unusual thought and
perceptions, disorder movement and he will difficult to express his emotional feeling
such as difficulty speaking. Besides, the person will get a problem to give attention to
something and difficult to remembering and organizing his/her attitudes.
Nancy Coover Andreasen writes in the DSM-IV TR entitled Schizophrenia
and Other Psychotic Disorders that the charactristics symptom of scizophrenia
involves a range of cognitive and emotional disfunction that include perception,
inferential thinking, language and communication, behavioral monitoring, fluency
and productivity of tought and speech, hedonic capacity, volition and drive, and
be considered as a symptom of schizophrenia when the signs constellate each other
and involve an occupational or social functioning. (2003: 299)
She further explains that there are two broad catagories attach to
schizophrenia characterisrics symptom; posotive and negative. The positive
symtomps appear to reflect a dimunition or loss normal function. This positive
symptoms include distortion in tought content (delusion), perception (hallucination),
language and toughts process (disorganized speech), and self monitoring behavior
(grossly disorganized or catatonic behaviors). These positive symptoms may include
two distinct dimensions which may be related to different underlying neutral
macanism and clinical correlates. The “psychotic dimension” includes delusions and
hallicinations, whereas the “disorganized dimension” includes disorganized speech
and bahaviors. Negative symptoms include restriction in the range of intensity and
emotional axpression (affective flattening), in the fluency of productivity of tought
and speech (alogia), and in the initiation of goal-directed bahavior (avolition). (2003:
299)
She explains deeper about each symptom that is supposed to be the
characteristics of schhizophrenia.
Delusions are erroneous belieft that ussualy involve a misinterpretation of
perceptions and experiences. Their content may include a variety of themes (
persecutory, referential, somatics, or grandiose). Persecutory delusions are most
common. In this case the person believes he or she is being tormented, followed,
has this symptom believes that certain gestures, comments, passage from books,
newspaper, song lyrics, or other environment cues are specifically directed at him/
her. (2003: 299)
Delusions (Criterion A1) may have a strong effect to an individual perception
and belief, it’s called bizarre delusion. Although bizzare dellusions are considered to
be especially characteristics of schizophrenia, “bizzareness” may be difficult to judge,
especially across diferent cultures. Delusions are deemed bizzare if they are clearly
impleusible and not undertandable and do not derive from ordinarry life experiences.
An example of bizzare delusion is a person believes that a stranger has removed his or
her in ternal organs and has replaced them with someone else’s organs without
leaving any wounds or scars. An example of non bizzare delusion is a person false
belief that he or she is under surveillance by the police. Delusion can be said as a
bizarre when it express loss of control over mind and body among an individual;
these includes person belief that his or her tought has been taken away by some
outside force (tought withdrawal), that aliens tought have bees put into his or her
mind (tought insertion), or that his or her body or action is being acted or manipulated
by someone outside force (delusions of control). If the delusions are judged to be
bizzare. Only this single symptom is needed to satisfy Criterion A for schizophrenia.
In another word, this symptom is an enough evidence to judge a person to be a
schizophrenic. (2003: 299)
Sigmund freud also has a notion about this kind of schizoprenia’s symtomp. In
The most important of all explanatory and exonerating consederation remains the
facility with which our intellect decides to accept an thereby (and this generally meets
with two little acceptance). How easily and frequently intelegent people give reaction
of partial feeble-mindedness under such psychological constellation, anyone who is
not too conceited may observe this in himself as often as he wishes and aspecially
when some of the thought processes concerned are connected with unconcious or
repressed motives. (1956; 74)
Hallucination (Criterion A2) may occur in any sesory modalltiy (e.g.,
Auditory visual, alfactory, gustatory, and tactile), One hallucination which is most
common having by people is auditory hallucination. Auditory hallucinations are
usually experienced as voices, whether familiar or unfamiliar, that are perceived as
distinct from the person’s toughts. The hallucination must accurs in the context of
clear sonsorium; Those that occur while falling asleep (hypnegogic) or walking up
(Hypnopompic) are considered to be within the range of normal experience. Isolated
experiences of hearing ones name called or experiences that lack the quality of an
external percept (e.g., a huming in ones head). Should also not be considered as
symptomatic of schizophrenia. Or any other Psicotic Disorder. Hallucinations may be
a normal part or religious experiences in certains cultural context. Certain types of
auditory hallucinations (i.e., two or more voices convicing with one another or voice
maintaining running commentary on the person’s tought and bure of behaviour) have
hallucination are present, then only this single symptom is needed to satisfy criterion
A. (2003: 300)
Disorganized thinking (‘formal thought disorder”) has been argued by some
people as the single important feature of schizophrenia. Because it is still difficult to
developing the objective definition of “thought disorder” so, the conclusion is also
difficult to be drawn. Besides, the primary source to define a definition is based on
the individual’s speech. However, the American psychiatric association called this is
as Criterion A3. This is the speech of individual with schizophrenia may be
disorganized in varieties ways. The person may “sleep of the track” from one topic to
another (“derailment of loose association”). The individual will obliquely related or
completely unrelated when he/she answering a question (tangentially). And rarely,
speech may be severely disorganized that it is nearly incomprehensible and resembles
receptive aphasia in its linguistics disorganization (incoherent or word salad). This
disorganized speech is common and non-specific. Andreasen draws that the symptom
must be severe enough to substantially impair effective communication. Less severe
disorganization thinking or speech may occur during the prodromal and residual
periods of schizophrenia. (2003: 300)
The next symptom is grossly disorganized behavior (Criterion A4). An
individual will do a variety ways of attitude, ranging from childlike silliness to
unpredictable agitation. The problem of this symptom can be noted in varieties form
of behavior; difficulties in performing activities of daily living such as preparing a
disheveled, may dresses in a usual manner, or may display inappropriate sexual
behavior (e.g, public masturbation) or unpredictable and untriggered agitation.
(2003:300)
The next symptom of schizophrenia is catatonic motor behavior. This
symptom is affected to a person reaction to the environment. A schizophrenic who
has this symptom will be late to gain a reaction during a conversation with others or
environment. “Catatonic motor behavior includesa marked decrease in reactivity to
the environment …” Andreasen explains further that this symptom has some kinds of
subtypes;
a. It sometime reaches an extreme degree of complete unawareness (catatonic
stupor).
b. This is also includes a rigid posture and resisting efforts to be moved
(catatonic rigidity).
c. An active resistance to instructions or attempts to be moved (catatonic
negativism).
d. The assumption of inappropriate or bizarre postures (catatonic posturing).
e. The last, a purposeless and unstimulated excessive motor activity (catatonic
excitement).
Here catatonia had been historically associated with schizophrenia, although
clinicians decline that catatonic symptom is not specific, it also may occur in others
mental disorder such as Mood Disorder with Catatonic features, Neuroleptic Induced
As the positive symptom had been discussed, next symptom is the negative
symptom of schizophrenia (Criterion A5). Nancy Coover Andreasen characterizes the
negative symptom as an account for substantial degree of the morbidity associated
with the disorder. There are three symptoms that are supposed as negative, among
others are: affective flattening, alogia, and avolition. (2003; 301)
Affective flattening is especially common and is characterizing by the person’s face appearing immobile and unresponsive, with poor eye contact and reduced body language. Although a person with affective flattening may smiles or warm up occasionally, his or her range of emotional expressiveness is clearly diminished most of the time. It may be useful too observes the person interacting with peers to determinate whether affective flattening is suffiently persistence to meet the criterion. (2003: 301)
Affective flattening is a kind of immobile reaction toward the society and the
individual may react slowly or zero reaction toward what happens around. The second
negative symptom of schizophrenia is Alogia (poverty of speech). Here Andreasen
describes it in the next sentences at the same paragraph in the book.
Alogia (poverty of speech) is manifested by brief, laconic, empty replies. The individual with alogia appears to have a diminution of thought that is reflected in decreased fluency and productivity of speech. This must be differentiated from an unwillingness to speak, a clinical judgment ma require observation over time and in a variety situation. (2003: 301)
An ability to think will decrease when a person has an Alogia. The effect is
that he or she will speak straightly (one single word) moreover, the person will not
reply during a conversation. The person may lose his/her ability to share what they
have in their mind, this is because the person can’t react and his/her brain does not
record what happens around. It seems the person does not understand what happens
must be noted that Alogia is different from unwillingness to speak, Andreasen and her
team did some observation to judge it.
The third of negative symptom of schizophrenia is avolition. She states this
symptom in DSM-IV briefly.
Avolition is characterized by an inability to initiate and persist in goal-directed activities. The person may sit for long periods of time and show little interest in participating in work or social activities. (2003: 301)
Andreasen clarifies avolition as a laziness syndrome. The person may sit in
a stage and does not do something meaningful; moreover, the person does not know
what he/she has to do. Automically, the person will not include himself to social
activities. Ironically, this individual may enjoy the condition and does not understand
that he/she is being in that kind of condition. The individual just attempts himself in a
single place and being perfunctory. He/she does not care about the environment
around. The person takes no interest, it seems that the individual falls into selfishness.
(2003: 299 – 301)
Thedore Lidz in Schizophrenia and the family mentions that a family is a true
small group with an organic life and unity of its own, and with a set of imperative
function which must fulfill in order to raise a new generation. The welfare
measurement of the family requires that each member give an unspecified degree of
precedence to the needs of the family above his own needs and those of outsiders.
Based on his research of seventeen families, he notes that not one family of a
Maslow and Mittlemen state in Kesehatan Mental by Moeldjono Noto
Soedirdjo dan Latipun that a criteria of a healthy mental is efficient contact with
reality. This contact is contain of three aspects, these are physic world, society, and
individual or internal-self. This condition is signed when (a) there is no excessive
fantasy, (b) Having a realistic view and wide view to the world, (c) An ability to
changes when external situation can’t be modified. (2007;34)
The writer adds a theory of denial mentioned by Sigmund Freud. He
mentions that denial is process by which a concious mind insist on believing
something that can not be so, or refuses to believe something that must be so. By “can
not be so” and “must be so” refers to an obvious case for consensus about something
that, for obviously unconcious reason, a person caan not participate it. Think of
someone who is emmotionally attached to someone else who has just died that they
can not allow themselves to believe that the person is actually dead. The idea is that
the person is in denial if other people, if they were present, would have consensus
different from the belief of the person who is in denial.
(www.psikoloji.fisek.com.tr/freud/genel.com)
C. Theoretical Framework
Theory of conflict will helps the writer to analyze what is the conflict in the
play in term of literary works. Among others are Robert Stanton in his Introduction to
Fiction, Holman and Harmon in A Handbook to Literature, Laurence Perrine in
October 21 2002. The writer uses the theories as a base to define conflict. Those will
contribute a basic understanding about what conflict is. Therefore, whatever the
writer says in the analysis is not merely as an individual assumption. Further, the
writer can decide what the conflict in the play is.
The theory of characterization is provided to understand how Sam Shepard
directs the characters in the play. The writer uses the theory written by Holman and
Harmon in A Handbook to Literature, Laurence Perrine in his book titled Literature;
Sound, Sense, and Structure. The writer also gives a criteria of healthy mental by
Maslow and Mittlemen to support an idea that Shepard characterizes Dodge as a sick
person. Further, the writer will analyze some of dialogues that have a significant
effect to defining the characterization of each character. By considering the
characterization of Dodge, it will be easier to define the conflict in the story. It will
help the writer to answer the questions number 1 and 3 in problem formulation. The
writer will see the process from characterization becomes a conflict.
The writer also uses the theory of schizophrenia to get a better understanding
about this psychological disorder. In order to answer the question 2 and 3 in the
problem formulation, the description about the main character “Dodge” as a
schizophrenic will get in maximum way. Here the theories used are a theory by
Sigmund Freud and by Nancy Coover Andreasen in her article entitled Schizophrenia
and Other Psychotic Disordersin the book entitled Diagnostic and Statistical Manual
25
A. Object of the Study
The object of the study is Sam Shepard’s play entitled Buried Child. It is a
piece of theatre that was published in San Francisco in 1978. One year after the
publication, Buried Child won the 1979 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and launched
Shepard to be declared as a fame of national playwright. Sam Shepard has already
wrote some literary works such as Great Dream of Heaven, and he has also written
the history of collection Cruising Paradise, Two collections of prose, Motel
Chronicles, and Hawk Moon, and Rolling Thunder Logbook. A Diary of Bob Dylan’s
1975, Rolling Thunder Review tour, etc.Buried Child is a piece of theatre which is a
fragmentation of American society when it was written. The 1970s rural economic
condition of America brought a content of disappointment with American mythology
and American dream. This was the intention of Shepard to write this work. He
replaced the Buried child to represent American society including in his view. The
frustration, which had dominated the atmosphere at that time, had inspired him to
launch this work.
Buried Child is decorated by the symbols in the realistic framework of a
family drama. In relation with the target readers such as American farming family,
Shepard was using the invisible garden in the backyard in order to be easily
through the use of surrealism and symbolism, besides Shepard also decorates his
work by a common plot as ordinary work; introduction – rising action – climax –
resolution – ending.
This play was about a family that had a secret. The secret was the main
problem that influenced the theme of this play. It was an unwanted baby from the
family to be born. The baby was exist, then lived, and grew up in the family. Dodge
felt that the baby was not belonging from him and it was not supposed to belong to
the family. So, he killed the baby and buried its skeleton in the backyard. After the
accident, Dodge tried to hide what he had done from the family. This was the main
cause of Dodge’s psychological disorder named schizophrenia. In another hand, the
members of the family did not have any evidences to reveal what had happened in the
family. The secret was still became a secret. The secret had been dominating the
family for about 35 years until Dodge’s grandson (Vince) came back from New
Mexico. Vince tried to reveal the secret. Finally, before Dodge went to death, Dodge
confessed the truth about what he had done to the baby. After the revelation, the
family condition was totally changes, they know what had happened and the family
turned back ordinarily.
B. Approach of the Study
Schizophrenia is a psychological disorder. Therefore, it will be appropriate in
using the psychological approach to get a deeper discussion about the topic.
locate and demonstrate certain recurrent pattern, but from different body of
knowledge that is psychology. This approach uses the psychological approach to
explain human motivation, personality, and behaviors patterns in literary objects.
This approach will be focused on the main character Dodge as the main
character of the play. As what is said by Rohrbrger and Woods that psychological
approach explain human motivation, personality, and behavioral pattern in literary
objects, the discussion will show how Dodge is characterized and his psychological
condition that presented at the story. Furthermore, in the analysis the writer will
explain about the psychological disorder (schizophrenia) possessed by Dodge and
how the schizophrenia has a strong influence to the play.
C. Method of Study
The writer used library research to do this paper. In this section, the study is
done by reading and understanding some sources in relation with the title of this
paper. Here the writer collected some related data in order to get more information
about the analyzed literary work from the books and articles. The writer browsed
many websites to get more information in relation with this subject. The data was
taken from websites that were selected according to their accuracy, relevance,
validity, and appropriateness.
Play text Buried Childwas a literary work that is used as the primary source.
Besides, there were some articles and comments about this literary work that stand as
discussed about this work. Others secondary sources were theories and studies
needed; there were theory of characters, theory of conflict, theories and case study
about schizophrenia which has taken from any related books and websites, among
others were; Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense by Laurence Perrine,
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder (DSM-IV) by American
Psychiatric Association, Schizophrenia case study in www.academon.com,
Freudian’s theory of schizophrenia in www.medlineplus.com, an Introduction to
Fiction by Robert Stanton, Fourth and fifth edition of A Handbook to Literature by
Holman Hugh and William Harmon, Melissa Miliano’s (A rector of a university in
England) lesson on October 21 2002 in www.questia.com.
In order to discuss the subject further, there were some steps the writer did.
The first step was reading the play to studying and understanding the work, so here
would be found the details of the story. The next was deciding the topic. Buried Child
contains of conflict caused by a kind of psychological condition called schizophrenia
of the main character in the play named Dodge. Therefore, it would be necessary to
discuss the relationship between schizophrenia and the conflict.
The next step was collecting information related to the subject such as
theories, study about the work and schizophrenia, comments, and views to criticize
Buried Child. Then the information above would be used to analyze and answer the
problem formulation. The main character was analyzed by using the theory of
characterization, and theory of schizophrenia to analyze his attitudes and whatever he
understanding deeper about the conflict happens in the play. After the problem has
answered and the analysis has surely comprehended, the next step was drawing a
30
A. The Conflict in the Buried Child
Buried child is dominated by a bad relationship among the members of
Dodge’s family. In this play, Shepard shows the absence of love in the family. The
conversations are dominated by unhealthy atmosphere, and the characters show bad
emotions such as anger, worries, suspiciousness, etc. It creates horror situation.
Milly S. Baranger in Understanding plays argues that Sam Shepard’s scenes
in Buried Child represent illness, incest, adultery, personal violation, and spiritual
emptiness. Shepard imitates these realities by showing the absence of the normal
touchstones of love, family, and fidelity.(1994: 11)
The condition which is showed by Sam Shepard in his play is a complex word
to descripe a problem. That is the current condition of the play, which stand as the
basic atmosphere as the effect of “conflict” inside.
To get a better understanding about “conflict”, the writer elaborates a theory
by Holman and Harmon and Melissa.
Holman and Harmon in A Handbook of Literature state that conflict is
struggle that grows out of interplays of the two opposing forces. A conflict provides
interest, suspense and tension (1986:107). Besides, Melissa (Rector English 9) states
no matter in daily life or literature can be declared as a conflict
(www.questia.com/literary criticism/London,2002).
Both theories suggest that conflict and struggle are the same thing, it means
whenever a struggle happens, there is a conflict there, no matter in daily life or in a
work of literature. Struggle or conflict may happen between men versus himself or
with others, no matter it is one or more opposing person.
In the Buried Child, the struggle happens throughout the play, since at the
beginning of the act one until almost at the end of the story. This play provides a high
tension as a reflection of its conflict. As what happens at the conversation between
Dodge and Halie in the act one, the conversation does not go smoothly. Dodge does
not answer or responding what Halie said and Halie still tries hard to get more
communication with Dodge.
HALIE VOICE: Dodge?
Dodge just stares at the TV. Long Pause. He stifes two short coughs.
HALIE VOICE: Dodge! You want a pill, Dodge?
He does not answer, Takes the bottle out again and takes another long swig. Puts the bottle back, stares at the TV, pulls blanket up around his neck.
HALIE VOICE: You know what it is, don’t you? It’s the rain! Wether. That’s it. Everytime. Everytime you get like this, it’s the rain. No sooner does the rain start then you start. (pause) Dodge?
He makes no reply. Pulls a pack of cigarettes out from his sweater and lights one. Stares at the TV...(1994: 14, Act I)
During the play, the conversation happens similarly. The struggle happens all
over during the conversation especially between Dodge versus his family, Dodge
explanation about the topic, the writer would like to elaborate the relationship
between some significance characters of the family by its high tension as a reflection
of the conflict.
1. Dodge and Halie
They are husband and wife, but there is no harmony in their relationship.
Their conversation is not well balanced like a married couple. Dodge does not have
any interest to get a communication with Halie, and Halie still takes care of his illness
but only in the scope of his illness. It can be seen at the very beginning of the play.
They have a long dialogue and a strange atmosphere can be felt there. Almost half of
act one, the conversation is between Dodge and Halie.
Holman and Harmon define conflict as a struggle between two opposing
forces (1986: 107). In this case, the two opposing force are Dodge and Halie, and the
struggle happens in their conversations. As what happens at the quotation above, the
conversation between Dodge and Halie is not like what a couple supposed to be. It is
very bad, Dodge does not answer or respond what Halie says, even the question is
belonging for him.
At the next of their conversation, Dodge gives a respond to what Halie says.
HALIE VOICE: You should see it coming down up here. Just coming down in sheets. Blue sheets. The bridge is pretty near flooded. What’s it like down there? Dodge?
Dodge turns his head back over his left shoulder and takes a look out through the porch. He turns back to the TV. Pause.
HALIE VOICE: What? What’d you say, Dodge ?
DODGE: (louder) It looks like rain to me! Plain Old rain!
HALIE VOICE: Rain? Of course it’s rain ! Are you having a seizure or somethig!Dodge (pause) I’m coming down there in about five minutes if you don’t answer me!
DODGE: Don’t come down! (1994: 14, Act I).
Dodge gives a response at the conversation, but the word is not describing a
good thing. “Catastrophic”, is a word that describes a bad thing and it is said by
Dodge at the first of all his words. What does he means by that word? It does not
sound clear to Halie. Then Halie asks about the clearer word to Dodge. Then Dodge
answers differently, he is talking about the rain. Is the rain catastrophic for Dodge or
he just wants to avoid Halie to think about his word “catastrophic”?
Whatever Dodge means, it is strange to say a word like that at a beginning of a
conversation. When Halie talks about a thing, Dodge responds with a different thing,
even a bad thing. However, it proves that they lose their harmony. However, there is
an agreement among people in the world that a good couple should love each other. A
love can be reflected by a well-balanced conversation, no matter their spoken
language or body language. The conversation between Dodge and Halie is not well
balanced. It shows that there is a conflict in their relationship.
Nevertheless, it is different when they are talking about their past life. The
next of their conversation talks about a horseracing before they got married.
HALIE VOICE: What are you watching? You shouldn’t be watching anything that’ll get you excited. No horse racing!
DODGE: (louder) They don’t race on Sundays! HALIE VOICE: Well they shouldn’t race on Sundays. DODGE: Well they don’t! racing on Cristmast even. A big flashig Christmas tree right down at the finish line.
DODGE: No.
HALIE VOICE: Sometimes they did. DODGE: They never did!
HALIE VOICE: Before we were married they did! (1994: 15, Act I)
The conversation goes smoothly. Halie launches a statement and Dodge gives
an appropriate respond. It seems that the topic is interesting for them and they seem
anthusiast to talk about it. Ironically, the event that they are talking is about the past,
it was before they were married. They are talking about horse racing event that they
like to watch it every year. There is no clue whether the event is still exist or not, but
both do different activities than they watch the horse- racing. They watched the
horseracing in their past life, when they were young, and it was around thirty years
ago. The current condition is that Dodge only lies in the sofa in front of a TV.
Besides, they have sons, and the oldest is at the late forties. It is an evidence to prove
that the horse racing that they watched every year was happened many years ago,
when they were young. Now, Dodge is at the late seventies.
However, it seems strange that a married couple only get their harmony when
current problem. It shows that they ever had a happy life in the past and the happiness
had changed sometimes. It must be a question “What is the thing that able to change
their happiness?” or “Why their happiness had changed?”
2. Dodge and Tilden
Tilden is Dodge’s oldest son; he is fourties. He is the only person in that house
who can see the reality at that current time. Besides, he realizes that there is
something wrong in the house. Tilden feels a bad atmosphere in his family nor he
knows the cause but he does not have enough evidence to reveal it.
On the other hand, Dodge does not believe him at all. He always denies
whatever Tilden says to him especially when they are talking about corns at the
backyard. Moreover, Dodge does not want Tilden to stay in that house; it can be seen
when Dodge says to him for the sake to make a new topic of their conversation.
DODGE: (after pause) sure is nice looking corn. TILDEN: It’s the best
DODGE : Hybrid? TILDEN : What?
DODGE : Some kind of fancy hybrid?
TILDEN : You planted it. I don’t know what it is
DODGE : (pause)Tilden, look, you can’t stay here forever, you know that, don’t you? (1994:19, act I)
The conversation is talking about corn. When Tilden asks whether Dodge has
planted it or not, suddenly Dodge changes the topic and says unpleasant sentence to
him. “you can’t stay here”. It indicates unloved relationship between a father and his
son. A father will not say like that to his son when their relationship is normally
family who realizes that they have a garden in the backyard.
At the beginning of Tilden’s appearance in the play, his arm is full of corn
DODGE : There hasn’t been corn out there since about nineteen thirty five! That is the last time I planted corn out there. (1994: 18, Act I)
The mysterious garden is hidden according to Dodge. He cannot see. Only
Tilden can see that the garden still exist and there are many corns there. Tilden brings
the corns at the scene. By that, Tilden proves the existence of the garden, but Dodge
or we can say that Dodge does not acknowledge that they still have a garden in the
backyard.
In this case, the conflict occurs when there is a disagreement between Dodge
and Tilden when they discuss about the corn. Does Dodge not really believe in Tilden
or he pretends to recognize the corn-garden? The last Dodge’s sentence in the
quotation shows to the readers that Dodge realizes that there is a garden, Dodge has
planted corn there at 1935, “There hasn’t been corn out there since about nineteen
thirty five! That is the last time I planted corn out there.” So, the answer is already
clear that the garden is still exist, Dodge realizes it, there is corns on it, and Dodge
planted the corns long years ago at nineteen thirty five, but Dodge tries to deny that
current fact.
Robert Stanton in anIntroduction to Fiction mentions that one of the elements
of the plot in a story is a conflict. Each character has a desire. In every work of fiction
contains obvious internal conflict between two desires between a character, and
external conflicts; a conflicts between character and others character or its
environments. (Stanton, 1965: 16)
Related to Stanton theory above, another action to indicate their conflict is
when Tilden talking about a buried son to Shelly:
SHELLY : (pointing to Vince) This is supposed to be your son! Is he your son? Do you recognize him? I’m just along for the ride here. I thought everybody know each other.
Tilden stares at Vince. Dodge wraps himself up in the blanket and sits on sofa, staring at the floor.
DODGE : You shut up about that. You don’t know anything about that! (1994:32, Act II)
Tilden has a desire to show to Shelly that there is a buried baby in the house.
The conversation hasn’t finished yet, suddenly Dodge interrupts their conversation.
“You shut up about that!” It seems that Dodge does not want Tilden to talk about the
baby. Here is the conflict happens, when there is a clash of two desires between
Dodge and Tilden. Tilden’s desire to open a secret about a buried son and Dodge’s
desire to hide it.
3. Dodge and Bradley
Bradley is the Dodge’s next oldest son, he is younger than Tilden and one of
his legs has alredy amputted. Halie asks him to take care of Dodge appearance. On
the other hands, Dodge hates Bradley. They never have any conversation because
Dodge does not want to communicate with him. Their struggle can be seen when
there is a communication between Dodge and Halie;
DODGE: Bradley is not getting in the front door!
HALIE : It’s his home as much as ours. He was born in this house!
DODGE : He was born in goddamn hog hallow! That is where he was born and that is where he belongs! He does not belong in this house! HALIE : I don’t know what is came ove you, Dodge. I don’t know what in
the world come over you. You’ve become a evil man. You used to be a good man.
DODGE : Six of one, a half dozen of another.
DODGE: He is not my flesh and blood! My flesh and blood’s buried in the back yard!
They freeze. Long Time pause. The men stare at her. (1994: 22, Act I)
As what is said by Holman and Harmon that a conflict is struggle that grows
out of interplays of the two opposing forces (1986:107). The quotation shows us that
there is a struggle between Dodge and Bradley. It shows how Dodge does not like
Bradley. He bawls Bradley out with such a bad words and at the last of Dodge’s
sentences he proclaims Bradley as he is not Dodge’s children. At his sentences
before, Dodge shows his desire to forbid Bradley to come entering the house.
In the opposite side, Bradley still comes to the house in order to cut Dodge’s
hair. He does it when Dodge is falling asleep.
Bradley : What in the hell in this?
He looks at Dodge’s sleeping face and shakes his head in disgust. He pulls out a pair of black electric slippers from his pocket. Unwinds the cord and crosses to the lamp. He jabs his wooden leg behind the knee, causing it to bend at the joint and awkwardly kneels to put the cord in to a floor outlet. He pulls himself to his feet again by using the sofa as leverage. He moves to Dodge’s head and again jabs his false leg. Goes down on one knee. He violently knocks away some of the corn husks then jerks off Dodge’s baseball cap and throws it down centre stage. Dodge’s stays asleep. Bradley switches on the clippers. Light stars dimming. Bradley cuts Dodge’s hair while he sleeps. Lights dim slowly to black with the sound of clippers and rain. (1994;26, act I)
Based on the quotation above we can conclude that Bradley is a rough person.
He enters the stage, states rude sentences, shakes Dodge’s head in disgust then cuts
Dodge’s hair.
Holman and Harmon defines conflict as a struggle between two opposing
their relationship. The struggle between Dodge and Bradley provides interest,
suspense and tension among readers. Dodge does not want to see Bradley and
Bradley treats him as if he is not his father. Bradley touches his head in disgust then
he cuts the hair roughly. Here, we can see that Bradley cuts Dodge’s hair without
love. However, What Bradley does to Dodge is not merely like a son to his father. A
normal son usually takes care his father with full of respect. In the opposite way,
Dodge’s attitude to Bradley does not reflect love between a father to his son. A father
will do something based on love and protection, even a respect to his own son.
4. Vince and The Family
Another significant character who is showing the conflict in the Buried is
Vince. The play central action is Vincent’s quest for his roots and identity. He is
Dodge grandson who returns to his family to discover his origin, along with the
family buried secret, in the play harrowing climax. Perrine argues what Vincent
discovers about his origins are bigotry (1994: 521).
As Stanton said that a conflict happens because a clash of desires (1965: 16),
Vince has a desire to find out what is the root of all those peculiarities of his family
and gets an acknowledgement that he belongs to the family.
His first appearance in the play shows a different intention before he meets
Dodge and Tilden inside the house.
