CLOUD 9 – caryl Churchill

Cloud 9 is a two-act play written by British playwright Caryl Churchill, workshopped with the Joint Stock
Theatre Company in late 1978 and premiered at Dartington College of Arts, Devon, on 14 February 1979.[1]
The two acts of the play form a contrapuntal structure. Act I is set in British colonial Africa in the Victorian era,
and Act II is set in a London park in 1979. However, between the acts only twenty-five years pass for the
characters. Each actor plays one role in Act I and a different role in Act II – the characters who appear in both
acts are played by different actors in the first and second. Act I parodies the conventional comedy genre and
satirizes Victorian society and colonialism. Act II shows what could happen when the restrictions of both the
comic genre and Victorian ideology are loosened.
The play uses controversial portrayals of sexuality and obscene language, and establishes a parallel between
colonial and sexual oppression.[2] Its humour depends on incongruity and the carnivalesque, and helps to
convey Churchill's political message about accepting people who are different and not dominating them or
forcing them into particular social roles.

Synopsis[edit]
Act I
Clive, A British colonial administrator, lives with his family, a governess and servant during turbulent times in
Africa. The natives are rioting and Mrs Saunders, a widow, comes to them to seek safety. Her arrival is soon
followed by Harry Bagley, an explorer. Clive makes passionate advances to Mrs Saunders, his wife Betty
fancies Harry, who secretly has sex with the servant, Joshua, and Clive's son, Edward. The governess Ellen,
who reveals herself to be a lesbian, is forced into marriage with Harry after his sexuality is discovered and
condemned by Clive. Act 1 ends with the wedding celebrations; the final scene is Clive giving a speech while
Joshua is pointing a gun at him.
Act II
Although Act II is set in 1979, some of the characters of Act I reappear – for them, only 25 years have passed.
Betty has left Clive, her daughter Victoria is now married to an overbearing Martin, and Edward has an openly
gay relationship with Gerry. Victoria, upset and distant from Martin, starts a lesbian relationship with Lin. When
Gerry leaves Edward, Edward, who discovers he is in fact bisexual, moves in with his sister and Lin. The three
of them have a drunken ceremony in which they call up the Goddess, after which characters from Act I begin
appearing. Act II has a looser structure, and Churchill played around with the ordering of the scenes. The final
scene shows that Victoria has left Martin for a polyamorous relationship with Edward and Lin, and they are
sharing custody of their son Tommy. Gerry and Edward are on good terms again, and Betty becomes friends
with Gerry, who tells her about Edward's sexuality.[2]

Interpretations and observations[edit]

Act I
Act I of Cloud 9 invites the audience to engage with Britain's colonial past, but does so by challenging 'the
preconceived notions held by the audience in terms of gender and sexuality'.[3] Churchill subverts gender and
racial stereotypes, using cross-gender and cross-racial casting: Betty is played by a man in act I, but by a
woman in act II; Joshua is played by a white; and Edward is played by a woman in act I and by a man in act II.
Churchill deliberately uses this cross-gender,-racial and -age casting to unsettle the audience's expectations. In
the introduction to the play, Churchill explains why Betty is played by a man in the first act: "She wants to be
what men want her to be ... Betty does not value herself as a woman." Michael Patterson confirms this, writing
that "Betty is played by a man in order to show how femininity is an artificial and imposed construct".[4]James
Harding suggests that by cross-casting Betty and Edward in Act I, Churchill is also playing it safe: It makes
same-sex relationships visibly heterosexual and normative.[5]
The black servant, Joshua, is played by a white man for similar reasons. He says, "My skin is black, but oh my
soul is white. I hate my tribe. My master is my light"; Amelia Howe Kritzer argues that "the reversal exposes the
rupture in Joshua's identity caused by his internalization of colonial values".[6] Joshua does not identify with his
"own" people; in act I, scene 3, Mrs. Saunders asks if he doesn't mind beating his own people and Joshua
replies that they are not his people, and they are "bad."
Act II
The second act is set in London 1979, but for the characters only twenty-five years have passed. Churchill
explains her reason for this in the introduction: "The first act, like the society it shows, is male-dominated and
firmly structured. In the second act, more energy comes from the women and the gays." In Act II, British
colonial oppression remains present, this time in the armed presence in Northern Ireland. Michael Patterson
writes that "the actors ... established a 'parallel between colonial and sexual oppression,' showing how the
British occupation of Africa in the nineteenth century and its post-colonial presence in Northern Ireland relate to
the patriarchal values of society"[7] Churchill shows the audience different views of oppression, both colonial and
sexual. She amplifies social constructs by linking the two periods, using an unnatural time gap. Amelia Howe
Kritzer argues that "Churchill remained close to the Brechtian spirit of encouraging the audience to actively
criticize institutions and ideologies they have previously taken for granted".[6]
There is a great deal of difference between the two acts: Act II contains much more sexual freedom for women,
whereas in Act I the men dictate the relationships. Act II "focuses on changes in the structure of power and
authority, as they affect sex and relationships," from the male-dominated structure in the first act. Churchill
writes that she "explored Genet's idea that colonial oppression and sexual oppression are similar."[6] She
essentially uses the play as a social arena to explore "the Victorian origins of contemporary gender definitions
and sexual attitudes, recent changes ... and some implications of these changes."[6]

Cloud 9 Themes
Misogyny and Racism
These two mindsets are presented as the same problem throughout the book. Churchill goes to great lengths
to link Clive's misogyny and racism by making character pairs. For instance, Clive disapproves
of Joshua for his latent native sympathies in the same manner that he criticizes Edward for his effeminate
characteristics. He despises both of his sons for being weak. Doubtless Clive suffers from an immense
amount of self-imposed pressure to be decisive and strong, considering those attributes the predominant
indications of masculinity. He demands respect from all of his household, even though he often doesn't
deserve it thanks to his adulterous habits. Men who express such obvious preoccupations with overt
masculinity often turn out to be gay but unable to admit it to themselves which is why they behave
hatefully toward people who seem to have embraced these qualities within themselves. It's jealousy more
than anything.
As Clive runs his household, he places himself in the ultimate position of authority. He has no respect for
ideas which differ from his own, so he easily ignores the entreaties of his wife and children when they
disagree with him. He rules with an iron fist, denying his inferiors any pleasure if he can help it. In the
bedroom, he allows neither his wife nor his mistress to climax. He even chastises Betty for her affair,
while he is still carrying out his own affair with Mrs. Saunders. He doesn't respect the women's need for
validation, appreciation, and consideration. In his world, everything revolves around his will. In the same
way, he makes fun of Joshua for being African. When push comes to shove, he makes Joshua fix the
family's problems, often treating the boy more like a servant than a son. He considers Joshua a threat
because he's strong willed just like himself. Clive's dominion over his family is painfully maintained by grit
and abuse. None of them respect him or agree with his selfish ideas, but they obey him out of fear for
personal safety. Doubtless because of his gender identity troubles, he is terribly insecure. This is why he
chooses minority groups -- people within his power -- on whom to take out his anger which is actually self-
hatred.
Sexual Repression
Every single one of these characters is sexually repressed. They all express secret desires to engage in
taboo behavior which is often the result of sexual boredom. Children like Edward and Victoria who grow
up in strict households where they are not taught sex ed usually experience a sort of impulsive euphoric
sexual rebellion in adulthood. This makes sense when Edward takes a male lover, and Victoria has an affair
with her female friend. Regardless of sexual orientation these people should feel comfortable with who
they are and free to pursue sexual satisfaction within ethical boundaries. Edward and Victoria, however,
were raised by the dominating and insulting force of their father, Clive, who refused to admit his own
identity confusion. While Act I presents each of the characters in a repressed light, they have all found new
courage by Act II. Betty joins her children in rebellion to Clive and leaves him. Each of them next pursue
nontraditional romantic relationships, some of which are more successful than others. By embracing their
sexuality, Betty and Victoria both find new confidence in themselves and a renewed sense of purpose.
They become excited about life once again. Gone are the days of repression under Clive's selfish rule.
Betrayal
By leaving Clive, each of his family members (and friends) eventually betrays him. The question is not
actually should they have done that, but why they didn't do so sooner. Whether they verbally expressed
loyalty to him or not, they remained with him. Betty in particular expresses a sense of duty to Clive which
is why she never allows herself to pursue relationships to which she's attracted like with Ellen the maid.
Since Clive is such an abusive husband and father, he doesn't deserve the loyalty of his family. In fact
Joshua, who is not a blood relative nor treated like one in his family, plays a sort of traitor. He knows how
much Clive despises the local culture and people, but he is African and fully embraces these people.
Several times he undermines Clive's authority in order to participate with his people. Each of Clive's family
members stay with him out of duty but eventually find greater meaning for their lives. His extreme restraint
over their lives has crushed their spirits until they can longer bear it. True they are betraying him --
especially Betty who breaks her marriage vows, but Clive had long ago broken his as well -- but he
shouldn't have been surprised. A tyrannical rule is bound to be overthrown sooner or later. He should be
grateful they all left as peaceably as they did. The abuse he's dished out over the years is more than enough
to inspire true hatred in people.

Cloud 9 Character List

Clive
Clive is a British colonial administrator and father to a family of four, whom he takes with him to a British
colony in Africa while there for work. His entire identity is centered around Queen Victoria, England, and
his work in colonial establishments. Clive represents patriarchal authority coupled with unchecked imperial
pursuits – he is overbearing, domineering, and dismissive of women. Additionally, his position in Africa
and his racism fosters a perception of himself as ‘father to the natives’ as well. He adheres strongly to
traditional female roles and ideals of heterosexuality, disapproving of Edward’s preference for dolls and
asking Betty if she’s had any fits of hysteria. He is extremely disgusted when he learns that Harry is a
homosexual and immediately starts to ‘fix’ the situation. Though he frequently comments on the
importance of his family, Clive is a hypocrite when he becomes upset with Betty for kissing Harry while
having an affair with Mrs. Saunders.
Betty
Betty is married to Clive and mother to Edward and Victoria. Act I Betty is played by a man, representing
the male ideal of what femininity and womanhood should look like. Betty thusly spends much of Act I as
indecisive and suppressed, completely dependent on Clive to give her direction and purpose in life.
However, her desire for a relationship with Harry indicates her desire for and capability to live a life of her
own. Yet she remains restricted by her sense of duty to her family and to Clive. Her reliance on men and to
the old way of life has persisted into Act II and her old age as she remarks on the quality of men’s company
versus women’s, but her newfound independence in her separation from Clive marks the extent of her
growth from Act I. She often speaks through lengthy lectures and unwanted commentary, and nervously
courts her independence which she finds both exciting and frightening. Where romance initiated Betty’s
liberation in Act I, her sexual renewal solidifies it in Act II as masturbation gives her the strength to break
away from the hold of Clive and Maud.
Joshua
Joshua is the family's black servant. Like Betty, Joshua is played by a white man to represent the white
male standard. The defiance he displays to Betty and his obedience to Clive indicate not only the Victorian
ideal of race, but gender as well. Joshua appears dutiful, honest, and loyal, forsaking his own people to
serve in Clive’s household, yet his loyalty is not sincere and seems to operate solely to his personal gain.
He names Clive as both his mother and father, but when his biological parents are killed by British soldiers
Joshua turns the gun on Clive.
Edward
Edward is the son of Betty and Martin. In contrast to Betty and Joshua, Edward as a nine-year-old boy
played by a woman in Act I is an outward display of inner tendencies and gender incongruity. He discovers
his preference for feminine things and his attraction to Harry, yet he attempts to suppress his desires and
grow into the man Clive wants him to be. Embracing his sexuality does not directly translate into liberation
for Edward. Instead, he determines his identity through exploration of his sexuality, similar to Victoria and
Betty. Though he struggles to be the man he wants to be, Edward eventually finds his niche in the role of
mother and housekeeper. He becomes the opposite of Clive and the person Clive meant to mold him into,
and therefore represents the failure of Clive’s traditional and repressive system of values.
Harry Bagley
Harry is a friend of both Clive and Betty. He is similar to Clive in his superficial representation of the
British empire, yet his aberrant nature is revealed despite the acclaim he has garnered as an explorer. He
harbors the same sense of duty to Britain, though to a lesser degree than Clive, and considers his work to be
important. Harry also demonstrates more sympathy for the natives than Clive does and therefore is
portrayed as a more decent man than Clive. Yet his arrival at the family home marks the beginning of the
family’s disintegration, bringing out the masked sexual desires of the other characters. However, Harry is
as much subject to the arcane Victorian ideals as he is forced to relinquish his solitary freedom to avoid
maltreatment for his homosexuality.
Maud
Maud is Victoria's mother and serves as the female counterpart to Clive’s traditionalism. She encourages
women to behave as she does and warns of the consequences of female independent agency, represented by
Mrs. Saunders. Maud holds strongly to the notion that women are meant to serve and support their
husbands by looking after the home, not by enjoying themselves or even finding pleasure in domestic life.
Maud spends much time often insisting that she knows best whenever characters do not uphold her
expectations. She is well-meaning in her roles as mother and grandmother, but her cherished values seem
dated and obsolete since no one adheres to her guidance.
Ellen
Ellen works as the governess to Edward and Victoria in Act I but she does not truly care for them. She is in
love with Betty and confesses her feelings multiple times, always to be rewarded with Betty’s indifferent
dismissal. Ellen is loyal to Betty alone, not the whole family, and even tells Betty that she hates children
and doesn’t want a husband. Similar to Harry, Ellen would not be able to sustain herself unless she fulfilled
her societal roles of wife and mother, and therefore marries Harry while remaining unhappy.
Victoria
Victoria is Clive and Betty's daughter. She is unimportant in the first act because she is played by a dummy
and is even tossed around by Clive at one point. She is, quite literally, Clive’s puppet. Later she commands
a central role in the second act. Victoria has moments of self-reliance in the beginning scenes of Act II but
still automatically resorts to her dependence on Martin. Throughout the rest of the act, Victoria attempts to
both establish her own identity and be a good mother to Tommy. She is no longer a dummy, but her
relationship with Martin challenges her with another means of restriction as he makes her feel guilty for not
responding positively to his attempts at giving her sexual pleasure. Her homosexual relationship with Lin,
in contrast, gives her balance between freedom and love. On the other hand are Victoria’s shortcomings as
a mother, represented by her losing him in the park. This provides a second degree of separation from
Betty, who was always a dutiful mother, and forces an overturning of gender roles as Martin moves into the
role of mother to Tommy in addition to Edward.
Mrs. Saunders
Mrs. Saunders is another British colonial living near the family in Africa. As a widow, Mrs. Saunders
enjoys an independence denied to the other women of Act I who are expected to fulfill their duties as
mothers and wives. She does not shy away from her sexuality and expects respect from the men she
interacts with. Like Harry she also sympathizes with the natives and does not readily accept the punishment
dispensed by British colonialists. Consistent with the other characters, Mrs. Saunders also experiences a
complex and conflicted situation. Though she exhibits more agency as a woman in comparison to Betty,
she is still victim to Clive’s authority demonstrated in his denial of her orgasm.
Gerry
Gerry, a promiscuous homosexual, is Edward's lover who seeks only sexual satisfaction from his partners
rather than any true companionship. He prefers men not to talk during their short tryst, but only smile and
leave once they are finished. All his relationships, like his with Edward, presumably have failed due to his
lack of commitment. Gerry holds no shame in his homosexuality, but instead uses it to rebel against the
institution of marriage and the wife-husband dichotomy. However, at the end of the play Gerry asks
Edward out for a meal and it is implied that they resume their relationship. Earlier, when the stranger from
the train asked Gerry to dinner after sex, Gerry was disappointed and disinterested. Now it seems as if
Gerry has grown to understand that the benefits of having meaningful bonds outweigh the disadvantages of
losing his freedoms.
Cathy
Cathy is Lin's daughter, a five-year-old girl who is played by a man and portrayed as a somewhat abnormal
child. She knows many inappropriate words and phrases, likely mostly due to Lin’s unrestricted swearing
in front of her, and has no qualms about uttering them in front of her mother or other adults. Cathy is
difficult, willful, and aggressive, and her outbursts are motivated in part from fear that Lin will leave her.
Like Lin, Cathy also has more tender wishes displayed in her wearing a dress after The Dead Hand Gang
calls her a boy for wearing jeans.
Lin
Lin is a friend of Victoria's. As a lesbian, she is unafraid and demanding in her interactions with others. She
is not prone to the same dependence as Victoria having left her abusive husband, but still finds obligation
to the role of mother since she chose to raise Cathy alone. Yet beneath her bold exterior Lin is uncertain
about her capabilities as a mother and sensitive to commentary regarding child-rearing. She may be brash
and stubborn, but Lin is desperate for love and stability as much as any other character.
Martin
Martin is Victoria's husband, and most of his conversations revolve around sex and his inability to give
Victoria satisfaction. He largely blames Victoria for his frustrations and incompetence. Martin’s thought
process is vocalized and long-winded speeches are his preferred method of working out the changes to his
relationship with his wife. He often tries to think for others – Victoria, for example, does not have any lines
during his speeches but simply stands and listens, and he is supremely confident in his ability to write a
novel about women from the woman’s point of view. Perhaps because of his ‘support’ for women’s
liberation Martin does have a more forgiving, although flawed, side, demonstrated in his willingness to
care for both Tommy and Cathy while Victoria settles into her new life.
Tommy
Tommy is Victoria and Martin’s son. He never appears onstage and has no lines in the play, but is often
addressed and referred to.
Quotes
"This is my family. Though far from home
We serve the Queen wherever we may roam
I am a father to the natives here,
And father to my family so dear."
Clive
In this boisterous song, Clive explains how his dominion feels to him. He considers himself a magnanimous leader,
responsible for caring for the native Africans by extension of his British imperialism. The most important thing to
him is that everyone remain under his grasp. His subject's loyalty to him is his measure of self worth.

"I live for Clive. The whole aim of my life

Is to be what he looks for in a wife.
I am a man's creation as you see
And what men want is what I want to be."
Betty
Sweet Betty has confused her role as wife with that of slave. She lacks her own identity, having long ago abandoned
it in sacrifice to her husband's desires. What she doesn't understand is that she's sabotaging her relationship by
abandoning her calling in life. Whatever she was supposed to accomplish for herself has been forfeited, and a
marriage cannot be successful between a man and a cardboard cutout of a wife.

"I hate my tribe. My master is my light."

Joshua
At the beginning of the play, Joshua expresses extreme loyalty to Clive. He's been adopted into this wealthy British
household on the condition of his abnegating loyalty to his native tribe. As becomes obvious later in the play,
forced loyalty is meaningless. Joshua is still an African who loves his people and his home and is proud of who he is.
No amount of swearing the opposite can nor should erase his heritage.

"I used to think Clive was the one who liked sex. But then I found I missed it. I used to touch myself when I was very
little, I thought I'd invented something wonderful."
Betty
Due to Clive's selfish and overbearing nature, Betty has never enjoyed sex. After she leaves him she realizes that it
was just him she didn't like. She has a wonderful time in her own company because she is allowed to really
embrace the pleasure.

WRITING STYLE
Mixture of High and Low
You're going to see a lot of polite British language in the first act of this play, like when Clive
opens the play by saying, "Ye who the earth's wide corners, from veldt to prairie, roam" (1.1.4-5).
But it only takes a few minutes for us to realize that Churchill is totally pulling our legs with all of
this highfalutin' language. We're not even finished the first scene before Clive (yup, same guy)
tells Mrs. Saunders, "I'd f--- your dead body and poison myself" (1.2.40-41). Oh yeah, Churchill
can write like a proper Victorian gentlewoman and a scummy filthy-mouthed sailor.
So by the time you finish this play, you've heard quite the mixture of high British high-tea parlor
talk and some brutally sexual profanity. Churchill is a master of contrast, and she uses this
contrast very effectively to show us just how much we tend to avoid reality by speaking in "polite"
terms. Although we'd rather have someone try to pick us up using stuffy Victorian lingo than by
saying they'd like to do unmentionable things to our corpse. Just sayin'.

SETTING
Colonial Africa/Modern-Day England
The setting of this play changes dramatically between Acts 1 and 2, taking us from Colonial
British Africa during the Victorian Era to modern-day England. Okay, so maybe
not totally modern-day, but 1979 when this play came out.
In the first act, Churchill hammers away at how sexism and racism are both basically caught up in
the same logic of patriarchy. Clive's belief that he is the father and leader of both his family and of
the local "natives" makes him convinced that he has the right to tell other people what to do and
how to act. Additionally, the rural setting of Act 1 also gives the characters lots of opportunities to
sneak into the wilderness and do some—how should we put this?—private things with one
another.
In Act 2, we make the jump to modern-day England. The shift of setting achieves several
contradictory things here: it shows us how much things have changed and it shows us how things
have not changed enough.
True, Act 2 takes place in a world where the sun does set on the British Empire—England is no
longer the colonial superpower it used to be. And thank goodness; about dang time. However, we
learn that there is still an English presence in Northern Ireland, letting us know that the British
Empire isn't quite a thing of the past.
And true, the world that the characters in Act 2 inhabit is way more sexually free-and-easy than
the Victorian Era, but hey: anything is more sexually free and easy than the notoriously uptight
Victorian Era. And things aren't completely equal. Edward worries that he will be sacked from his
job if his boss finds out that he's gay. Martin still tries to control Victoria. Lin was physically
abused by her husband. The struggle for equality ain't over 'til it's over, folks.

PLOT ANALYSIS
Exposition (Initial Situation)

All in the Family

Caryl Churchill knows how to write herself a solid, structured play. When it comes to exposition,
she just does things the old-fashioned way and gets everyone onstage to sing about who they
are and what their whole deal is. This is the only old-fashioned thing about this play, mind you.
The play begins with Clive, who sings about being the father (and therefore leader) of his family.
One by one, his other family members chime in and talk about themselves, and from the very first
lines, we can tell that Churchill is setting up a very traditional, patriarchal British family that's living
in colonial Africa and exploiting and controlling the local people.

Rising Action (Conflict, Complication)

Trouble with the Locals and Sex Everywhere

If you like plays with straightforward, simple conflicts, then maybe Cloud 9 isn't right for you. If
you like tons of nutso conflicts, though, maybe Cloud 9is very, very right for you.
Moving forward from the initial exposition, Churchill shows us quickly that the real world is very
different from the one Clive thinks he's living in. First of all, his wife loves another man named
Harry Bagley (Clive's best friend). Second, Harry also likes to have sex with young boys,
including Clive's adopted son Joshua and his biological son, Edward. And did we mention that
Clive himself likes to have sex with a neighbor named Mrs. Saunders?
On top of all that, the local African tribes have decided that they're not too satisfied with British
people ruling over them. Huh. Wonder why? Clive actually wonders why, because he thinks he's
done so much by trying to make them civilized!

Climax (Crisis, Turning Point)

Uhhhh…
We could make a climax joke here (seeing as how this play is as full of wild sexytimes as Game
of Thrones), but we're gonna be classy and abstain.
There are actually climaxes in each of the two acts. In Act 1, the climax comes at the wedding of
Harry Bagley and Ellen the governess. Just as Clive gets up to give a speech about the bride and
groom, his adopted son Joshua raises a gun to shoot him. Clive's other son Edward covers his
ears and we all wait for the gunshot, but the lights go down before anything happens. We don't
know whether Joshua has pulled the trigger.
In Act 2, the climax comes when Clive comes onstage to confront Betty about the fact that she
has left him and is now inviting random men over to her place for dinner. Clive says that Betty is
not "that kind of woman. " Throughout this entire play, Betty has done everything she can to
make men like her. She has also been terrified of the idea of living by herself without the
protections of a man, so Clive's confronting her is a big deal.

Falling Action

Master Debater
In the end, Betty is able to accept herself for who she is and reject Clive as an overbearing,
misogynistic jerk. She's also able to overcome traditional gender morals by admitting that she
likes to masturbate and that she hopes sex will continue to be a part of her life.

Resolution (Denouement)

Self Hug
When Clive finally leaves the stage, Betty is left alone sitting in a park. Then another version of
herself shows up. It's the younger Betty from Act 1 in the play (who is played by a man). After
looking at each other for a moment, the two Bettys embrace. The moment seems to symbolize
that fact that Betty has finally taken control of her own life and has learned to accept herself for
who she really is, and not just for what men want her to be.

Themes
The Confusion of Gender
Churchill first demonstrates a sort of gender mismatch with her casting specifications. In Act I, the
gender confusion is literal: men play women, and vice versa. This theme is closely tied to the
comedy of the play. One cannot help but laugh at the male Betty's subservience to Clive.
Churchill complicates the gender confusion with a sexual confusion. Even those characters not
played by opposite-sex actors have nontraditional sexual orientations. Harry, for instance, has a
sexual relationship with a little boy.
This theme extends into Act II, with Edward insisting that he would rather be a woman. Churchill
argues that the placing of personalities and different sexual orientations in physical bodies is
almost random. The great challenge of life is learning to reconcile one's upbringing and one's
physical identity with one's true sexuality.
The Quest for Identity
In Act I, for the characters to act on their true feelings, they must do so in secret, at one point
during a game of hide and seek. Clive's value system calls for a covering of identity if that identity
disrespects England. Clive believes that nontraditional sexual identities are sicknesses that might
be cured. Churchill seems to suggest otherwise, that while gender can be rearranged, sexual
identity cannot be. In the second act, Betty, Edward, and Victoria, now distanced from Clive,
continue the difficult search for identity. Although they are now free of Clive's direct influence,
they face the new challenges of establishing an identity in a world far different from Victorian era
Africa.
The Haunting of the Present by the Past
Though Clive is not present in Act II, his value system still has effects on the characters. Betty is
still afraid of life without him, and Victoria is hesitant to leave a traditional marriage that is falling
apart. Churchill makes the influence of the past more tangible by bringing characters from Act I
back into the story of Act II. These characters reappear briefly, highlighting the differences
between past and present, but demonstrating that the characters still remember their past and
must come to terms with its influence.
The Oppressive Nature of Violence
To exert control over the natives, Clive must employ a variety of violent measures. He has
Joshua flog some of the tribesmen and his troops burn native villages. In his own home, Clive
has also created an atmosphere of violence. Betty punishes Edward by slapping him, and Clive
allows Betty to attack Mrs. Saunders when he and Mrs. Saunders kiss. Clive himself is not
actively violent, perhaps suggesting the hypocrisy of his oppression. He keeps his hands clean
by allowing others to actually carry out his wishes with violence. The violence of Act I reappears
in the assault on Cathy by the Dead Hand Gang. The "dead hand" of Clive's world strikes once
more to keep Cathy from playing with the boys.

Motifs
Singing
In Act I, Churchill uses songs to heighten the satirical aspect of the play. The first song, "Come
Gather," suggests a blind, comic loyalty to England. Later, Joshua sings "In the Deep Midwinter"
about a world he does not know. Clive's brainwashing has come as far to demand that an African
sing British Christmas carols. "Boy's Best Friend" is a contrast to how Edward truly feels about
being a dutiful son. Each song highlights the hypocrisy of Clive's Africa. In Act II, the song "Cloud
Nine," is a bit more truthful, depicting the characters as they learn to enjoy their world of sexual
confusion.
Embracing
In her stage directions, Churchill uses the act of embracing repeatedly as a physical means of
demonstrating love or a lack thereof. Ellen embraces Betty as she expresses her love for her.
Conversely, Edward rejects Betty's offer to embrace when he becomes ashamed for scolding
Joshua. Churchill never instructs Clive and Betty to embrace, perhaps suggesting the
superficiality of their relationship. At the end of the play, the two Bettys embrace, showing that
Betty has finally grown to love herself.
Seasons
In Act II, Churchill writes that the seasons change from scene to scene. These seasonal changes
parallel the journey of the characters in many ways. Act II opens in winter. Like the climate, the
characters are cold and their sexuality is dead in many ways. When spring arrives in Act II,
Scene two, people begin to come out of sexual hibernation and begin challenging the status quo.
Gerry and Edward break off their relationship, and Victoria and Martin begin to argue about the
terms of their marriage. With summer comes sexual liberation. Lin, Victoria, and Edward hold an
orgy in the park, and Betty rediscovers masturbation.

Symbols
Betty's Necklace
Betty's necklace, the one that Edward steals in Act I, actually physically reappears in Act II. In Act
I, the necklace represents Edward's secret defiance of his family in seeking Harry's love. In Act II,
the necklace symbolizes Betty's connection with the past. She offers the necklace to Cathy,
suggesting that she still holds on to some traditional notions of femininity. Cathy's acceptance of
the necklace suggest that even the daughter of a lesbian can be influenced by society's
standards of what women are supposed to be.
Guns
Guns are first used as an indication of the violence of Clive's world. Clive's system of control
turns on him when, at the end of the act, Joshua raises a gun to shoot him. Ironically, the system
that Clive sets up eventually brings about his demise. Guns remain a symbol of power in Act II.
Lin arms daughter Cathy with toy guns to give Cathy status that Lin never had as a little girl. Lin
mentions that her mother never gave her guns. Even amidst the sexual liberation of Act II, the
threat of violence is necessary to represent control and status.
Dolls
In Act I, dolls become a symbol of submissive femininity. Just as dolls are crafted by a doll-
maker, Clive's children, especially Victoria (who is played by a doll/dummy in the first act) have
been formed out of Clive's idea of who they should be. Clive and Betty periodically catch Edward
playing with Victoria's doll, foreshadowing his later desire to play a submissive role in a
homosexual relationship.