Comparison of Ur-Texts & Points of Interest to Everybody
Structure of Everybody
In the section of the chart that is in the bolded box, we see three triptych pieces.
The dark purple highlight represents scenes that occur when a 'chorus' is speaking with voice-over distortion. These scenes all seem to be points where Everybody has a collapse of belief, and goes into a depressed state. These monologues give a sense of heavy distortion from reality, as if we are inside Everybody's head.
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The dark blue sections represent points where allegorical characters are presented. Friendship, Kinship & Cousin, and Stuff are presented as significant pieces of Everybody's life but all deny Everybody's request to aid in the journey.
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In dark green sections, conversations in the dark are held with Everybody and unseen Somebodies. These scenes sound candid, as if you could be overhearing someone else's conversation as you walk down the street. These scenes cannot be seen by the audience, a tactic that separates the words the auidence hears from their source.
Character Name Alignments
Vocabulary & Reference Chart
“HERE BEGINNETH A TREATISE” p. 7
A treatise is a document written in a formal, systematic way. A guide on how one should do something ‘properly’. Another meaning is: to account for a tale. This word along with BEGINNETH was probably chosen because it sounds dramatic and from a middle-English origin.
Interesting to note that, although this title is written in all caps, in a faux-formal tone, BJJ says 'a' treatise. Not 'the'. Maybe saying: here’s one cool way this thing could be done, you don’t have to do it like we did though.
“PRESENTED IN THE MANNER OF A MORALITY PLAY” p. 7
Straight from the good old THEA 315 textbook we have ‘a play using allegorical devices to explore the human condition in terms of christ’s values’. The purpose of these pays was to reinforce Christian values and lessons. These were usually to warn people how not to live their lives, such as what could happen to you if you live sinfully.
We definitely see the exploration of Everybody’s condition and the allegorical characters: Friendship, Family, etc. BJJ takes a less Christian more interpretively open spin on what ‘values’ the play represents.
“And my apologies to anyone I may have offended with some sort of medical condition.” p. 8
Fidgeting is a symptom of several medical conditions such as ADHD, PTSD, OCD, and thyroid conditions such as Graves’ Disorder.
“TO APPREHEND THIS MINOR PLANE OF MATTER AND ILLUSION” p. 11
“AND THIS WORLD WAS ONLY A WHIM
-ONE EXPERIMENT OF MANY-” p. 12
“HOW CAN IT BE
THAT OF ALL OF MY PRODUCTIONS,
IT IS YOU WHO HAVE DETERIORATED…” p. 13
Across these three lines, GOD seems to imply the existence of multiple dimensions and planes of existence. Further, it seems part of GOD’s frustration comes from the fact that this plane is the only one that is messed up this badly.
This link lists a couple of the current theories of multiple universes.
https://www.space.com/18811-multiple-universes-5-theories.html
This could also be a comment along the lines of metatheatricality of the director or playwright as a god figure, as in the creator of the world of the play.
“...paying so much attention to the details of your life was a sign of Narcissistic Personality Disorder,” p. 22
Narcissistic Personality Disorder, or NPD, is recognized by health professionals as someone who has ‘an inflated sense of their own importance, a deep need for excessive attention and admiration, troubled relationships, and a lack of empathy for others’. This personality disorder is ambiguous to diagnose as these traits can be seen in the majority of people at times and can be situational. https://tinyurl.com/y2q6dc95
“Is it Global Warming?” p. 23
The gradual rising of temperature across the globe which is directly connected to the melting of the polar ice caps, rising sea levels, and increased severity of natural disasters is the phenomenon referred to as Global Warming. This issue is debated in politics but validated by scientists who say we have limited time to make large-scale changes which could slow the effects of Global Warming.
“Did you hear that we are in a Golden Age of Television?” p. 23
The first Golden Age of Television is thought to be in the 1950s, when home TVs were first popular. Today, it seems from the 2000s to now we are in a second Golden Age. Shows like The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, and more have been critically acclaimed and viewed at record numbers and becoming cultural phenomena.
https://www.ft.com/content/68309b3a-1f02-11e7-a454-ab04428977f9
“...there’s some sort of Object Relational Thing in your programming that I exploit…” p. 38
In Object-Relations Theory, the object can be any person or thing to which the subject has a possessive relationship. This relationship was studied primarily in mother-child interactions but could also be applied to people or things to which the subject feels they have ownership of such as Stuff.
http://web.sonoma.edu/users/d/daniels/objectrelations.html
This article cites a study that says loneliness and feelings of lack of control are the primary reasons people become attached to their material possessions.
http://business.time.com/2011/07/26/the-reason-youre-in-love-with-material-possessions-loneliness/
“It’s based on another play from the fifteenth century called Everyman, which…”
“...it was, in all likelihood, itself an adaptation of a slightly different, Dutch play called Elckerlijc…”
“...was itself based on a Buddhist fable…” pgs. 7-8
Here the Usher gives a quick history lesson on where Everybody came from. These three ur-texts mentioned are quite ancient material which all share a similar storyline, characters, and message.
“...doesn’t that sort of depend on your definition of “real”?” p. 16
Death references the question that comes from the field of philosophy, specifically the branch of epistemology. Among the views and explanations that exist which serve to propose a definition for what is real, the Thomas Theorem from sociology comes to mind which states: “If men define situations as real, they are real in their consequences.” Subjectivity when refining ‘reality’ is a resonant concept. The question of what is ‘real’ comes up in the audience’s experience with the play as well when the elements of chance, pulling actors out of the audience, the tonal shifts with the conversations in the dark are brought in.
“Is it still the election?” p. 23
Although this line is written ambiguously, likely to ensure that it remains relevant as time goes on, it was written shortly after the 2016 election. The 2016 election overshadowed daily life and caused tensions in America to rise. In addition to dreading going on social media for an entire year, the election had lasting effects on healthcare, psychological health, and global health. Additionally, rates of hate crimes and bullying in schools went up. https://globalhealth.unc.edu/news/feature-stories/2016-election/
“Is it the impending threat of Nuclear War?” p. 23
Many countries hold nuclear weapons, enough to burn the world hundreds of times over.
https://www.nti.org/learn/nuclear/
The United States, Russia, the UK, France, China, North Korea, India, Pakistan, and Israel all have nuclear weapons (93% of the weapons held by the US and Russia). With tensions rising among countries, nuclear war is a very real threat. 75% of Americans say they consider nuclear war to be a top priority concern.
“Maybe the way I talk when I’m not around you is ‘normal’ and when you’re around I put on an ugly fucking accent so you won’t feel so bad about how stupid you sound?” p. 35
“What does our being friends have to do with whether or not you’re a cryptoracist?” p. 39
Cryptoracist is intended to mean someone who is secretly racist.
“XIII. LA DANSE MACABRE” p. 46
La danse macabre translates to: ‘the dance of death’. First seen as a way to help people in Europe cope with the mass death of the Black Plague, this dance has been represented in fables, artwork, and music. The main idea is of death as the final social equalizer. Representations of la danse macabre usually show skeletons leading people of all types to their graves.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/danse-macabre-david-pumpkins-art-history
“If you can hear me, clap once.” p. 7
This technique is used as a method to refocus the attention of the room in theatrical as well as educational settings. It serves as an unexpected way to have everyone feeling connected early on as well as adds the first tally on the running list of meta jokes in this script.
“AND FROM IT I SEE IT IS YOU, LAFFER-” p. 11
// “IF YOU INDEED EXIST-
WHO ARE UNSEEING-
PUTTING SUCH ESTEEM IN YOUR EARTHLY VISION,
LIVING IN SUCH ARROGANCE AND PRIDE,
SUCH SMUG SELF SATISFACTION,
SO PLEASED WITH YOURSELF
AND SO VERY DEFORMED FROM MY…
DREAMS
FOR YOU.” pgs. 11-12
Spoken, this word sounds like ‘laugher’ as in, someone who is laughing. However, BJJ has written LAFFER. Two interpretations for this word are ‘laffer’ as in Variety magazine slang for a comedy show, (https://variety.com/2001/tv/news/comedy-central-vetoes-laffer-bush-1117850681/#!) or as in Arthur Laffer, the economist who proposed the Laffer Curve theory of tax margins and government revenue. This sounds like an unlikely interpretation, but modern economists seem to think that “Laffer has performed one of the blackest comedies of twentieth century” https://www.dissentmagazine.org/online_articles/the-black-comedy-of-arthur-laffer his theory of economics is that keeping the rich richer benefits the working class and speaks to the plight and frustration of wage earners. This is supported by the next couple of GOD’s lines which now seem as they could be screams into the void in a bout of rage against the unseen iron cage of capitalism.
“IV. A CHORUS” p. 21
The use of a chorus comes from ancient Greek theatre. These groups varied in size but served the purpose of commenting on the action of the play. These chorus sections seem to be verbalizations of the Everybody’s thoughts.
“Is it the weather?” p. 23
Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, occurs during the fall/ winter months when the sun is out for less time during the day resulting in the body producing higher levels of melatonin and lower levels of serotonin. This and a couple possibilities listed in the link below could be reasons people are affected by the weather.
“Is it identity politics?” p. 23
Defined as: “politics in which groups of people having a particular racial, religious, ethnic, social, or cultural identity tend to promote their own specific interests or concerns without regard to the interests or concerns of any larger political group”. Identity politics comes into national conversation as public figures are accused of pandering to specific groups for popularity.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/identity%20politics
“Your great tchotchke collection slash collections.” p. 36
A fancy word for decorative, functionless trinkets.
“Whiteness is a performance, friend, not a genetic truth.” p. 40
The majority of biological researchers and medical professionals today argue that classifications of race in science should be discontinued and “encourage the use of alternative variables to study human genetic diversity and to rationalize their use”. They do not argue that race should be ignored because we live in a society that has long used race to discriminate, but they do say that race should only be studied as a social construct, not as something that has scientific, genetic basis.