General Introduction
The Sea by Edward Bond is a notable play of its kind. The Sea came long after Waiting for Godot. Therefore, this play is quite different from the theme of meaninglessness prevailing in Waiting for Godot. Instead of showcasing the meaninglessness of life, The Sea emphasizes on the discovery of truth. Different characters in the play hold different opinions on truth and attempt to find the truth in their own ways. Let's discover how they find their own version of the truth.
Truth for Mr. Hatch
The apparent antagonist of the play, Mr. Hatch believes in his truth that aliens are about to attack the people living on the planet earth. He fears that his people shall be captured and manipulated by the aliens. But people do not believe in his 'theoretical truth'. But in order to prove his assumption, Hatch resorts to the means of violence. For instance, he attacks Mrs. Rafi through knife when she refuses to purchase the curtains for Hatch to put his whole shop at stake. Similarly, he molests the dead body of Collins thinking of him as an alien monster,
The army knows you’re here. The whole country’s turning out. We’ll smash you [the aliens].
Moreover, Hatch believes in the 'fact' that,
People will rally round the truth. You’ll see many signs and wonders in the days to come.
Thus, he is hopeful that the other people shall realize the existence of aliens. But the play signals that we humans are the aliens Hatch is so fearful of because his description of the conflict between the aliens looks exactly like the two grand conflicts humanity has suffered from.
Truth for Mrs. Rafi
Mrs. Rafi, the protagonist of the play, is the voice of authority and power. It is difficult for a ruler to realize the truth of the immortality of his authority. But Mrs. Rafi, despite many flaws in her character, believes in the immortality and temporal nature of her authority over other town's people.
They wheel you where they like. ‘Take me there.’ ‘You went there yesterday. We want to go the other way.’ ‘Take me down to the beach. I want to see the sea.’ ‘You don’t want to see the sea. You saw the sea yesterday. The wind’s bad for your head. If you misbehave and catch a cold we’ll shut you up in bed. You’ll stay there for good this time.’
And her assumption is affirmed by her own niece, Rose, as she reveals,
She’s a bully and only the weak ones like being bullied.
Thus, Mrs. Rafi's assumption is true about her authoritative self.
Truth for Evans and Willy
Evans' views on truth are rather cynical while Willy is philosophical in the pursuit of truth. The nature of their truth is revealed during their final conversations after dodging the attack of Mr. Hatch on them. Evans version of truth centres around the violent nature of humanity. He asserts,
Where there’s life it kills, after all.
Thus, Evans' version of truth suggests that the ultimate fate of a civilization is death and it is very likely to happen sooner or later.
As far as Willy's philosophical quest for truth is concerned, he is of the view that one must plunge into the sea and look for the truth which is wanting for the one concerned about,
The truth’s waiting for you, it’s very patient, and you’ll find it.
Conclusion
Conclusively asserting, the quest for the truth stands true, both literally and figuratively, be it Hatch's assumption, Mrs. Rafi's foreshadowing and Willy's philosophical remarks.
Source
- Text of The Sea
