Art imitates life or
life reflects art?
In my early stages of therapy, and as painfully recorded in Paperdolls & Cowboy Boots, I often wondered if life imitates art or art emulates life:
My friend Jennifer is an actress in New York performing on the stage. She is talented. I am envious. She knows lines, can recognize roles, a script and her characters. I can’t. My roles blur into one. I play myself; I am a character devised by others. “Does art emulate life or life imitate art?” I imitate. An enduring performance, not a matinee or an evening. A life.1
I had read Oedipus Rex2 and Hamlet3, and knew Freud named “the Oedipus Complex” after that play.
Of course, I respect Freud. But, we must consider his analysis in the context of his time. And, it’s almost comical his perception of female hysteria. Given how abused women were, it’s not wonder they were “hysterical.”
Which brings me to our time. Well, the last 100 years of so, which is recent in the context of human development and civilization4.
In 1938, Patrick Hamilton wrote a compelling play called, Gaslight. The play is set in 1880s London, it explores themes of psychological manipulation and domestic abuse. This was a time when homes typically had candles and gas lighting.
The play was set during a time when men could easily place their wives in institutions— if they were hysterical or crazy. The play portrays a despicable husband who tries to get his wife committed. He intentionally turns down or turns off the gas lights in their home. When the wife notices, he says ridiculous things like, “Maybe it’s your vision.” They go to a doctor, and no, nothing is wrong with her vision. In time, he manipulates and abuses her to the point she starts to think she’s crazy. The character of the husband is horrific.
I’ve heard the term “gaslight” thrown about of late. I cringe when it’s applied to miscommunications or misunderstandings. It isn’t a term that should be cast about lightly. The origins come from an extremely abusive and manipulative story. The abuse depicted in this the play is horrific.
Gaslight is a play that emulates life. In the 2017 review of the play, Rewrite this Story: Award Winning Arts and Culture Website wrote: “The story of power, control and manipulation in a relationship, is as relevant now as it has ever been.”
Another powerful play that emulates life is, “Three Brutal Comedies” by Wendy Hammond. Last year, Wendy granted me permission to share the recordings “Three Brutal Comedies” from the Writer’s At Work5 conference in Park City, Utah in 1992.
I was moved just as much by this reading of “Three Brutal Comedies” as I have been reading Oedipus Rex, Hamlet, or even watching Gaslight. This is is an extraordinary artistic interruption that touches the heart and helps us remember, that with art, we are not alone.
Please take 30-40 minutes and listen to this incredible reading, graciously permitted by Wendy Hammond:
As I wrote in the introduction of the post (May 2024), Wendy was unaware the conference had recorded this reading. She didn’t not receive any royalties. If you decide to subscribe to Paperdolls.Today based on this gift fromWendy Hammond—she will receive those funds in their entirety.
Paperdolls & Cowboy Boots, page 60
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oedipus_Rex
Lots of threads in Hamlet from Oedipus Rex also
https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/hamlet/read/
Or lack thereof
Not affiliated with Sara Faye’s substack site.