JUMPERS by TOM STOPPARD
SUMMARY
An entertainer named Dorothy falls in love with her philosophy professor, named George Moore, at University, and Dorothy and George become married.
Years later, Dorothy becomes well-known in her community as an entertainer. The night before Dorothy has a show, the Moores host a party in their home, and many acrobats come. One of the acrobats is named McFee, and McFee is killed in the ballroom of the Moore's home, but his body is not discovered immediately.
The next night, Dorothy is the singer of a show where acrobats also perform. Part of Dorothy's act in the show is to deride the acrobats and insist that she is the superior talent. After the show, Dorothy, and her husband, George, return to their apartment. George begins to talk about philosophy with Dorothy, focusing on the question of the existence of God. George believes that people can not speak on the will of God because they can not define what God's existence is comprised of, and juxtaposes the certainty of many people regarding God's will to the confusion many people experience concerning basic facts.
Inspector Bones arrives at the Moores' apartment to investigate an indecent exposure claim made by someone who watched Dorothy dance around nude through the Moores' window. Bones professes his admiration for Dorothy's work and George takes the blame for the indecent exposure charge. George tells Bones that George phoned the police as a ruse in order to embarrass George's wife, Dorothy, during an argument. Bones begins to inspect the apartment.
Archie, a psychiatrist, comes over to the Moores' apartment for a routine evaluation of Dorothy. Archie unpacks a dermatograph which he uses to read Dorothy's skin for psychological discomfort. Bones finds McFee's body in the other room.
At length, Archie explains McFee's death as a suicide. Still, Bones asks to speak to Dorothy alone. Outside the bedroom, Archie and George discuss philosophy, until Dorothy's cries are audible from the hallway, and Archie and George run into the Moores' bedroom. Dorothy is crying, and indicates that Bones tried to force himself on Dorothy, which George vehemently denies. Bones decides to accept Archie's explanation and George puts the ultimate conclusion to his philosophical argument to his audience.
ANALYSIS
George's message is stated very clearly: he does not see how humans can anticipate the behavior of a being which they do not fully understand. This is a very Catholic mentality, it seems to me, as it implies that the common man cannot communicate with God. Personally, I agree, but I'm a Catholic, so my perception is definitely biased.
A sexual analysis of this piece is interesting. While Dorothy is treated as intellectually inferior and prone to sexual temptation by her husband, she is also cleansed of wrongdoing by assuming the pose of a sexually abused woman, taking advantage of Archie and George's sympathies for woman in a presumed ruse. Given Dorothy's voiced contempt for the acrobats who steal her attention, and the fact that such an acrobat was found dead in her home, it is not unreasonable to presume that she may have had a role in McFee's death.
SOURCE
Stoppard, Tom. Jumpers: A Play. New York: Grove, 1972. Print. Book about a dead body found in a performer's home.
SUMMARY
An entertainer named Dorothy falls in love with her philosophy professor, named George Moore, at University, and Dorothy and George become married.
Years later, Dorothy becomes well-known in her community as an entertainer. The night before Dorothy has a show, the Moores host a party in their home, and many acrobats come. One of the acrobats is named McFee, and McFee is killed in the ballroom of the Moore's home, but his body is not discovered immediately.
The next night, Dorothy is the singer of a show where acrobats also perform. Part of Dorothy's act in the show is to deride the acrobats and insist that she is the superior talent. After the show, Dorothy, and her husband, George, return to their apartment. George begins to talk about philosophy with Dorothy, focusing on the question of the existence of God. George believes that people can not speak on the will of God because they can not define what God's existence is comprised of, and juxtaposes the certainty of many people regarding God's will to the confusion many people experience concerning basic facts.
Inspector Bones arrives at the Moores' apartment to investigate an indecent exposure claim made by someone who watched Dorothy dance around nude through the Moores' window. Bones professes his admiration for Dorothy's work and George takes the blame for the indecent exposure charge. George tells Bones that George phoned the police as a ruse in order to embarrass George's wife, Dorothy, during an argument. Bones begins to inspect the apartment.
Archie, a psychiatrist, comes over to the Moores' apartment for a routine evaluation of Dorothy. Archie unpacks a dermatograph which he uses to read Dorothy's skin for psychological discomfort. Bones finds McFee's body in the other room.
At length, Archie explains McFee's death as a suicide. Still, Bones asks to speak to Dorothy alone. Outside the bedroom, Archie and George discuss philosophy, until Dorothy's cries are audible from the hallway, and Archie and George run into the Moores' bedroom. Dorothy is crying, and indicates that Bones tried to force himself on Dorothy, which George vehemently denies. Bones decides to accept Archie's explanation and George puts the ultimate conclusion to his philosophical argument to his audience.
ANALYSIS
George's message is stated very clearly: he does not see how humans can anticipate the behavior of a being which they do not fully understand. This is a very Catholic mentality, it seems to me, as it implies that the common man cannot communicate with God. Personally, I agree, but I'm a Catholic, so my perception is definitely biased.
A sexual analysis of this piece is interesting. While Dorothy is treated as intellectually inferior and prone to sexual temptation by her husband, she is also cleansed of wrongdoing by assuming the pose of a sexually abused woman, taking advantage of Archie and George's sympathies for woman in a presumed ruse. Given Dorothy's voiced contempt for the acrobats who steal her attention, and the fact that such an acrobat was found dead in her home, it is not unreasonable to presume that she may have had a role in McFee's death.
- performer has a party during which a man is shot
- the next night performer returns home after a play
- a detective arrives and finds the body
- performer accuses the detective of sexual assault and escapes blame in the killing
SOURCE
Stoppard, Tom. Jumpers: A Play. New York: Grove, 1972. Print. Book about a dead body found in a performer's home.
