THE REAL INSPECTOR HOUNDBY: TOM STOPPARD

Tanner A., Maria C.,

Gabby K. & Izzie M.

What is Post-Modernism?

“a form of literature which is marked, both stylistically and ideologically, by a reliance on such literary conventions as

fragmentation, paradox, unreliable narrators, often unrealistic and downright impossible plots, games,

parody, paranoia, dark humor and authorial self-reference.”

(Study.com)

Play Summary• Play within a play; entanglement• Centered around two critics

– Moon: novice critic; understudy– Birdboot: well-known critic; adulterer

• Setting: Muldoon Manor– “there are no roads leading from the

Manor, though there are ways of getting to it”

• Higgs, Simon, Mrs. Drudge, Felicity, Cynthia, Magnus & Inspector Hound

• Who is the real Inspector Hound?– the mixture of fiction and reality

• Puckeridge overthrows all of his superiors– SPOILER ALERT: Moon & Birdboot

die

Author’s Choices

● Parody● Repetition● Deus Ex Machina

Parody• Whodunits and Agatha Christie’s The

Mousetrap– Many instances within the text comedically

parallel certain aspects of The Mouse Trap• The setting of Muldoon Manor is quite similar to

the setting of Monkswell Manor– Cut off from the world in it’s location– Dangerous and isolating weather

• Perpetrator’s description revealed in radio broadcast– The Mousetrap: “ … a man seen in the vicinity, wearing a

dark overcoat, light scarf, and a soft felt hat. “– The Real Inspector Hound: “…the man has been seen in

the desolate marshes around Muldoon Manor. (Fearful gasp from Mrs. Drudge.) The man is wearing a darkish suit with a lightish shirt…

– The Real Inspector Hound has three separate identities

• Mocking the undercover identities that the detectives take in most whodunits

Parody is an imitation of a particular writer, artist or a

genre, exaggerating it deliberately to produce a

comic effect.

Repetition • Overuse of certain lines of dialogue – Birdboot’s “Are you suggesting…” and

“Where’s Higgs?”– Moon’s constant ruminations about killing

Higgs• Repetition of the scenes

– the scenes play over again once one of the critics have entered the play

– reinterprets scenes and presents them in a new light

• Repeated yet vague reference to Puckeridge

– allows development of the plot– gives Stoppard freedom to take the

character wherever needed

As a rhetorical device, it could be a word, a phrase or a full sentence repeated

to emphasize its significance in the entire

text.

Deus Ex Machina

• Puckeridge– He is a divine and implausible character

• First: unmasks himself as The Real Inspector Hound

– Placing himself as the most powerful Character“Magnus: I now reveal myself as.Cynthia: You mean -?Magnus: Yes!- I am the real Inspector Hound!”

Pg 44• Second: unmasks himself as Albert

– Rising from the dead, positioning him as a Christ figure. “Magnus: Yes! - It is me, Albert!’Pg 44

• Moon recognizes him as Puckeridge– It wasn’t an occurring thought to the audience

that Puckeridge would be involved at all, this makes him an implausible character

– He resolves the main conflicts as well as procuring an interesting ending

The term deus ex machinarefers to the circumstance

where an implausible concept or a divine

character is introduced into a storyline for the purpose of resolving its

conflict and procuring an interesting outcome.

Lenses

• Marxist• Feminist• Psychoanalytic

Marxist Lens

• Hierarchies of power are shown through the interactions of the characters

– Most clearly shown through Moon’s interactions with Birdboot and Higgs

– Birdboot is able to exemplify his social standing through his interactions with the female actresses

• “I don’t want to put words into your mouth but a word from us and we could make her”

– Within the house, the characters’ interactions also signify their societal standing

• The power systems within the play are similar to those within the real world at the given time period

• Puckeridge systematic climb to power– Originally at the bottom, but then

eventually gains more power

Themes

1. The interactions (or lack thereof) and dialogue between characters exemplifies their social status and how they use it to manipulate others.

2. The focus of the characters on gaining power throughout the play, and what kind of power they try to gain, is necessary for their characterization.

Feminist Lens

• Women in the play are viewed as purely sexual and emotional beings

– The sexualization of female actors by Birdboot

• He uses his power to launch women’s careers as a male critic and exploits them for dates/sex

– The role of Felicity and Cynthia in Muldoon Manor

• Their roles are centered around the other male characters

– Simon, Magnus, Albert

– The dialogue of women is very emotion based, not as logical/confident

• The idea that women belong to men– Cynthia can’t be romantic with other men

because of her “deceased” husband, Albert• The women get shorter lines of dialogue

causing their syntax and diction to be less developed

Themes

1. The lack of development of female characters demonstrates their purpose as a plot device to develop the story and other male characters.

2. The portrayal of women as sexual beings is indicative of the gender roles of the time period and diminishes their power in the play.

Psychoanalytic Lens

• Birdboot’s actions can be explained by his emotions

– He initially gets involved in the play because of his infatuation with Cynthia

• “But I can’t live without her!” (39).

• The Neon Review symbolizes Birdboot’s obsession with appearances

– Also shown through his denial of adultery• “How dare you. Don’t you come here with

your slimy insinuations” (9)• “a critic of my scrupulous integrity” (10)

• Moon’s internal conflict within the play stems from his lack of identity

– “It is as if we only existed at one time [...] my presence defines his absence, his absence confirms my presence” (6)

• Moon only defines himself in comparison with Higgs

Themes

1. The identity of the characters stems from the appearances that they uphold as critics and how the public sees them.

2. The emotions of the actors has a grave impact on their interactions with others and the conclusion of the play.

Video Clip

Discussion Questions

Besides through the interactions of the characters,

in what other ways is the hierarchy of power between

the characters shown?

How is the entanglement of reality and fiction

symbolized within the work?

How much creative license did the directors of the

play have and in what ways did this influence the play

itself?