I really enjoyed reading Intimate Apparel because Lynn Nottage was able to fully grasp my attention throughout the entire play. Although Nottage’s play was taken place in 1905, I believe it depicted many similar ways of what women go through till this day.
One example is from the character Mrs. Van Buren who is seemed to be an attractive white woman in her early thirties, who believes that she is not good enough for her husband. It seems as if Mrs. Van Buren is always trying to be up to date with the latest styles and fashion to keep her husband interested. She tries different things and changes up her looks to catch her husband’s attention which most of the time ends up failing anyway. I feel that she relates to many women in our society today, because I think a good amount of women up to this day are still so insecure with themselves and are always trying to impress our men because their eyes are so easily distracted.
Another example is from the character Esther who just turned thirty-five and is pretty much ashamed of herself for not being married or seeing anyone since she’s always so taken up with working. It also seems as if she has very low self-esteem and doesn’t think that anyone would want her but mainly because she’s always been working since the age of seventeen. She feels like it’s a disgrace and too late because she’s getting older and no one will really be interested in her. I believe this issue relates to women of today in some ways but not all. Some women today, just like Esther begin to give up once they reach a certain age because they feel they are not worthy enough anymore meanwhile other women of today don’t care how old they are, they’re still out there meeting people on social networks, dating and having fun. I feel that Esther hasn’t had much of an opportunity to meet anyone she’d be interested in other than George that wrote her because she had always locked up working.
The effect that I have of reading a play is much clearer and easier to me rather than just reading a regular narrated story. It’s much more simple for me to put the characters together and picture a scene of whom it is and how they’re acting in my head.
I definitely agree with the comparisons you made between the attributes of the characters and women today. I think that both characters had a self-esteem issue. For Mrs. Van Buren to feel the need to try different things to impress her husband shows that she doesn’t have confidence that her natural beauty is enough to keep him interested in her. As for Esther, I feel that once she realized that show spent so much of her life working she felt as if it was too late for her to find someone to be with. Her solution is to continue to hide behind her work and accept a life of loneliness because the odds of someone being interested in her are slim. They both depict a lack of self confidence that can still be seen in women today, especially younger women. It doesn’t help that society has a view of beauty, and if young girls don’t fall in line, they don’t consider themselves beautiful. As far as Esther’s situation of passing the age of ‘being married’, I think that issue isn’t as big as it used to be, primarily because of the age to be considered ‘old’. Back then, women would get married in their early 20’s and by 40, they were considered old. These days, women are getting married much later, so the worry normally wouldn’t come until later in their lives
I really liked the format of the play as well because as you said, the visualization really sets the backdrop for the scenes. Your blog made me realize how Esther and Mrs. Van Buren are similar in the way that they really wanted to hang onto their men. Mrs. Van Buren’s method was to buy sexy intimates that were trending, and Esther’s method was to cook dinner’s and give George her hard earned money.
Their reasoning was different, i believe. I think Mrs. Van Guard was more for appearances and “keeping up with the joneses” type while Esther really wanted affection and “to be held” as she states.
I would like to just say one thing about Esther’s character. She has a strong character and when George turns our to be little more than an opportunist who takes all her savings for the long-sought-after salon and squanders them on drink, gambling and prostitutes. The one true love of her life Mr. Marks who actually reciprocates the same feelings towards her lies behind and cultural and racial divide, thus making the relationship impossible. However rather then taking these setbacks as defeat. Esther starts over again this is also where the play ends at a new beginning. All this just goes to show that Ester is someone who does not give up.
Gregory, thanks for your input. Maybe I didn’t make it clear but I agree, Esther does have an extremely strong character. I didn’t get into much detail about George, only because I was relating how women of today are more independent on working towards their goals in life just as Esther was. I feel that sometimes our career and jobs get in between of our own social life as it did for Esther in the beginning. Eventually she did meet George, whom she thought she knew but ended up being her worst nightmare. I believe Esther and Mr. Marks would have actually been a great match apart from their misunderstandings.
I agree with everything that she said. I found it interesting because in terms of men, I guess that the times don’t really have anything to do with it. Women definitely care more about keeping themselves looking young and attractive for men. Its interesting because Mrs. Van Buren was said to be beautiful, but she doesn’t see it herself. I also agree with the fact that women try hard because men do get bored and maybe this is a reason why women are so insecure with themselves when it comes to this. The issue with age and not finding the right guy is another thing that we are seeing a lot today.