Smoke Screens
Herold Brighouse
Lucy the mother of Primrose is the
central character of this one act play ‘Smoke Screens’. She is a divorced lady
and a successful businesswoman. She runs the business of Taxi-cabs. All the
focus of her activities is on her only daughter Primrose. She wants to give her
well education.
Susan, the sister of Lucy, is
enjoying a happy matrimonial life. Her husband is very cooperative and looks
after her and her two sons well. Primrose is a modern type of girl. She smokes cigarettes
and often remains out of her house late at night. She has developed a negative
thinking in her mind due to her mother s’ divorce. To her all handsome men are inconstant.
This is why she is going to marry an ugly footballer named John.
Susan the aunt of Primrose objects on
Primrose s’ this life style. She wants to talk to her but Primrose does not pay
any heed to her. Susan Says to Lucy that she has not brought up her only daughter
well. Lucy agrees to it saying that she has given most of her time to her
business and has ignored her daughter to some extent. Lucy wants to get
Primrose married to a rich person but Primrose does not agree to it. She wants
to marry John an ugly footballer who runs an advertisement business.
She further says tat Primrose wants
to marry a person who is very caring and loving. One day primrose sends her
friend Clarice who is to tell that Primrose and John are going to marry. Hearing
this Lucy and Susan lose their temperament. After some time, Primrose comes
there and breaks the news of her marriage with John. Primrose and Lucy go on
talking on this issue for quite some time. At last Primrose wins the battle and
is successful in convincing her mother that in marriage physical charm and
attraction is nothing against true love. She quotes the example of her mother
and father s’ unsuccessful marriage. At last Lucy agrees to her daughter and
allows her to marry John.
This play is about generation gap.
The older generation is unable to impose their decisions on the younger generation.
This play tells the impacts of broken marriage on the mind of the children.
The Character of Primrose
She is the central character of the play.
She is young, beautiful, attractive and modern type of girl. She is a type
character and represents the modern girl of this age. She plays her role very
well in this one act play. She is outspoken and even a rude girl. She behaves
roughly with her aunt and even calls her mother with her name Lucy. She smokes cigarettes
and goes to night clubs.
She is of the view that all the
handsome men are inconstant and disloyal in love. When her aunt stops her from
going out and hides her purse, Primrose speaks very roughly, “Will you get up,
or must I spill you on the floor?”
She is very pragmatic girl and is not
an emotional fool. Her mother is be fooled by the physical charm of her husband
but she decides to marry an ugly man John. She is a good mind reader and sensible
girl. She has the ability to read the mind of her aunt Susan. She has the
critical vision to judge the character of her mother. She appreciates the
positive points of her mother s’ character but does not follow her blindly.
Rude Primrose is a smoke screen of loving and intelligent daughter.
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