Insanity in Equus
One of the main themes of the play Equus is insanity. It all starts when Dr. Martin Dysart, after being convinced to do so, decides to talk to Alan Strang, in order to know why he blinded six horses in one night. The problem is that he can’t, because the only thing that Alan does is sing. Why does he do this? Is he insane? What’s the reason for this insanity?
The insanity of Alan started when he was very young. His parents were in part the cause of this insanity. His father because he held him back in so many ways and never let him watch television or even have one in the house. His mother because she brought so much religious influence down on him at an early age, he could never really distinguish between a healthy worship and a destructive one. This statement suggests that Dora’s excessive bible teachings have been poured down Alan’s throat since he was young. Dora’s husband believes that because of the intense ways that Alan was subjected to
bible stories the way he acts is all the bibles as well as Dora’s fault. Dora does not care if Alan goes to school; she is not bothered by the fact that Alan does not know how to write his name, how he is not familiar with mathematics or science and how he has no friends. All that Dora cares about is how her son responds to her stories of God and of the bible.
Alan is left confined, within, his parents, his own mind, and the doctors and nurses that are treating him. Because his father essentially rejects Alan, his mother becomes the dominant figure for him to look up to and seek guidance from in his life. In fact, his lack of a relationship with his father strengthens the Oedipal tie between Alan and his mother, and gives her more power over him. Alan visits his field of "Ha Ha" as a means of feeling both a transcendental or spiritual and a sexual form of oneness with Equus, which is in turn with God, and in turn with his mother. Just as Prince is faithful only to his master, Alan feels he must be faithful to Equus, which is why his having sex with Jill would have been an act of such unmitigated heresy for him. For Alan, doing so would have been a betrayal of Equus, God, and his mother. In actuality, this act represents Alan’s growing up and his becoming independent and autonomous. Mrs. Strang obviously does not want Alan to grow up, whether she admits it or not. When Alan sensed Equus watching him with Jill, it was a symbol of the constant maternal authority looming over him. By blinding the horses, Alan was inherently trying to free himself from the grip of his mother. He was fighting for his own development, independence, and his right to grow up.
One of the main themes of the play Equus is insanity. It all starts when Dr. Martin Dysart, after being convinced to do so, decides to talk to Alan Strang, in order to know why he blinded six horses in one night. The problem is that he can’t, because the only thing that Alan does is sing. Why does he do this? Is he insane? What’s the reason for this insanity?
The insanity of Alan started when he was very young. His parents were in part the cause of this insanity. His father because he held him back in so many ways and never let him watch television or even have one in the house. His mother because she brought so much religious influence down on him at an early age, he could never really distinguish between a healthy worship and a destructive one. This statement suggests that Dora’s excessive bible teachings have been poured down Alan’s throat since he was young. Dora’s husband believes that because of the intense ways that Alan was subjected to
bible stories the way he acts is all the bibles as well as Dora’s fault. Dora does not care if Alan goes to school; she is not bothered by the fact that Alan does not know how to write his name, how he is not familiar with mathematics or science and how he has no friends. All that Dora cares about is how her son responds to her stories of God and of the bible.Alan is left confined, within, his parents, his own mind, and the doctors and nurses that are treating him. Because his father essentially rejects Alan, his mother becomes the dominant figure for him to look up to and seek guidance from in his life. In fact, his lack of a relationship with his father strengthens the Oedipal tie between Alan and his mother, and gives her more power over him. Alan visits his field of "Ha Ha" as a means of feeling both a transcendental or spiritual and a sexual form of oneness with Equus, which is in turn with God, and in turn with his mother. Just as Prince is faithful only to his master, Alan feels he must be faithful to Equus, which is why his having sex with Jill would have been an act of such unmitigated heresy for him. For Alan, doing so would have been a betrayal of Equus, God, and his mother. In actuality, this act represents Alan’s growing up and his becoming independent and autonomous. Mrs. Strang obviously does not want Alan to grow up, whether she admits it or not. When Alan sensed Equus watching him with Jill, it was a symbol of the constant maternal authority looming over him. By blinding the horses, Alan was inherently trying to free himself from the grip of his mother. He was fighting for his own development, independence, and his right to grow up.
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