The play “Proof” review
Introduction
The play “Proof” by David Auburn contains various characters, as demonstrated by the writer. The main character, who is also the protagonist, is Catherine. The antagonist in the play is Hal, but my essay will focus on Claire. Claire is Catherine’s sister, and she can be said to be practical and unimaginative. She lives in New York City. She had come to take care of her sister Catherine after her father, Robert, died. Claire is not as smart as her sister, and they have never quite gotten along. The essay will analyze Claire by looking at what she believes in, what she does her significance in the play, and her desire to help her sister Catherine.
Claire is caring, and this can be seen throughout the play, “I think Ney York would be really fun and … safe…place for you too.” Claire comes back from Ney York after her father died, and she wanted to take care of her sister and therefore asks her to go with her to New York with Claire’s husband. “Stay with us for a while. We would have so much fun.” She is more practical than her sister, and Claire believes that Catherine and their father should have been institutionalized. She has a fear of the unknown, and that can’t be predicted, such as mental illness. Claire would rather have her sister, and their father took care of by someone else. However, she still cares for her sister Catherine a lot. Claire is always acting from a pure-hearted and well-intentioned place. Although her desire to assist her sister and her care to Catherine is intrusive and blunt, she is well-intentioned. Claire pathologized her differences with those of her sister and decided for her, although Catherine can decide for herself instead of recognizing that they want different things. “Chicago is dead. New York is so much more fun, you can’t believe it….The fun thing is not really where my focus is at the moment.” She was also wanted Catherine to get a better life with more life and career opportunities since she was concerned about her mental sanity. However, Claire wants to assist Catherine to get better, although her techniques are unwelcome and aggressive.
She is also cold-hearted, as demonstrated by her actions. Her career and intelligence reflect on her connection with other people and her character. However, Claire’s technique of tough love and surface emotions shows her as cold-hearted. It can be seen that she loved Robert, but they had little in common, developing a distance and tension between her and her father. She struggled with relating to her sister and would apply condescending tones to make her sister feel mentally unstable. She thought that her sister moving to New York would relieve her guilt for not being there for Robert’s death. She doesn’t also want Hal to interfere with her plans to take Catherine to New York. The threat posed by Hal presents Claire’s hostile attitude. “Bullshit. I have to take care of her. It’s a bit harder with you jerking her around…. Jesus, you fucking mathematicians.”
Conclusion
From her reactions, actions, and behavior, it is clear to see Claire’s characters and what she believes. She is a driven woman holding robust opinions and views on what she believes is right “you know what she is like. She is fragile, and you took advantage of her… You did.” She is caring as all that matters to her after her father’s death is taking care of Catherine. She is also cold-hearted, as can be seen in the discussion above. Through her objectives, one can see who Claire is throughout the play.