Dee:
The Shape of Things, a play by Neil LaBute, (A) expands on the central themes of society's distortional emphasis on appearances, and art as a potentially limitless and human-sculpting instrument. Linearly structured in three acts, the plot closely follows the problematic evolution of a student couple from a Midwest university. Starting as a discrepant match, Evelyn and Adam develop an oddly unequal relationship, as the former increasingly impacts major changes in the apparel and psychological onset of her partner, who complies with every single suggestion out of innocent devotion.
The public clarification scene from the third act has a great potential for theatricality due to the fact that it comes across as a bitter surprise and a ruthlessly planned humiliation, yet admittedly it challenges the cultural and ethical boundaries concerning art and the human being as object for art. The reason why a large part of the audience exhibits revulsion at every stage of the presentation is that they perceive a major disregard of personhood in Evelyn's stealth and methodic sculpturing of another individual. Specifically, Adam had not been aware that he was being manipulated as case study, and harbored genuine feelings for his girlfriend which caused him to overlook the continuous mutations that she diligently inflicted. Furthermore, as Evelyn proceeds to unveil her carefully designed project, she exposes the underlying truth behind society's endorsement of attractiveness standards: that they are just as misleading as they are unquestionably favored.
Allegory can be identified in many instances throughout the play. For instance, the two main characters' names are strikingly similar to the primordial biblical couple, Adam and...
Alternatively, their relationship bears a resemblance to that of Frankenstein and his creator, as depicted by Mary Shelley in her work. Moreover, the name Mercy College may just as well be Adam's final cry, as it alludes to Evelyn's blatant lack of delicacy and the trauma that her heartless endeavors inflict on his life.
(B) Evelyn's illuminating presentation is the climatic part of the play, highly dramatic, and it presents a great potential for theatricality. Specifically, the manner in which she presents her before-and-after observations on Adam's transformation has a shocking effect on the unknowing audience. It is this scene that demands reflection and raises the most questions, such as how or when people are willing to change and compromise during a relationship. The most notable cinematic element in The Shape of Things could be the sharp ongoing dialogue. In addition, the incipit scene where Evelyn defaces the museum sculpture for being, in her perception, untrue, is an excellent foreshadowing technique that anticipates her pursuit of the same authenticity afterwards with Adam.
Overall, Evelyn's actions are consistent with what she considers to be the artist's mission, namely to uncover the truth and challenge the falsehoods that hide it. From this point-of-view, her approach is somewhat convergent with Tolstoy's idea of art's function in our times, which he described as primarily showcasing truth without aiming for aesthetics or enjoyment, because beauty is subjective (Allen 15). On the other hand, Evelyn's thesis project departs from Tolstoy's prerogative that art ought to be grounded in…
