Not Two, But Three Viewings

A common subject besides death obviously, is the element of surprise. At the end of each monologue there is a twist at the very end. In the first monologue we find out Emil is actually married. Mac does not steal her grandmother's ring, and Virginia's husband, Ed, leaves her a note that says everything he loved about her. I think the element of surprise is important to take note of because these all stories related to death, but I think it is actually about who these people who died left behind and how much their deaths effect them, so much that their loved ones surprise you. The element of surprise is clear in the duration of each scene. Emil is so focused on Tessie that there is no change when he starts to mention how everyone keeps calling her Terri until the end when he mentions this again, and the fact that his wife is sleeping upstairs. Mac's character comes off as this self absorbed drug addict that no one really questions why until she talks about how she killed her family. And Virgina is so involved with everything going on around her that her dead husband is the one to break her away from everything and helps her remember the good times. Also this chick May-Margaret is featured in every monologue, so she clearly serves a purpose, but what exactly? Maybe she is the one who links all of these stories together.