Sixteenth International Conference on New Directions in the Humanities

Abstract

Family’s struggle to cope under gruelling circumstances in “Keep Tom Nice” and “Mourning Dove.” Focusing on the disabled characters, we tend to neglect the constant suffering and stress of their families and friends. The disabled person does not suffer alone; his (her) family as well as their friends live in grief, pathos, and helplessness or even guilt. The negative effects of these emotions affect their own lives greatly. They are totally devoted to their child’s needs, satisfying him/her, but they are not spiritually satisfied. Their family affairs are not at ease. Despite their best intentions, their family structure becomes weak and vulnerable. “Keep Tom Nice” and “Mourning Dove” are two examples of families at stake. “We keep Tom nice,” says the mother, Winnie. “We always keep Tom nice.” Her words are so expressive. Through them we see that these people are sincere, but frail. They are fatigued from twenty-five years of caring for their severely disabled son. “Mourning Dove” is about a father’s decision to end his twelve-year-old daughter’s constant pain by ending her life. The play offers a glimpse into how a family copes with the care of such a child and the effect the child’s illness has on the family. The play doesn’t set out to answer the unanswerable question of what any of us might do in the same situation.