In this play, there are three main girls in Billy Fishers life Essay Example For Students

In this play, there are three main girls in Billy Fishers life Essay In this play, there are three main girls in Billy Fishers life. Barbara, who is the old fashioned type who believes in a perfect future with two children and a lovely cottage in Devon, Rita, who is a loud mouthed girl with a sluttish appearance and Liz, who can never rest in one place but is very similar to Billy in her thinking. We are led to believe by the writer that Barbara is a very slow thinker. There are quite a few points in the play where we see this but I think the most obvious one is when Rita comes into the Fisher household and starts shouting about what she and Billy have been doing down at Foley Bottoms. Even though it is plainly obvious what she is talking about, Barbara still says to Billy Billy, have you been having relations with this girl? . This is emphasized even more when the stage directions say; finding the right words at last. We are also shown that Barbara is afraid of physical contact, especially from Billy. She is very old fashioned with her morals about sex and marriage. She thinks it very indecent of Billy to be anywhere near her. This is shown when Billy says to Barbara; I love you darling, and the stage directions taking her in his arms and Barbaras answer I love you, and the stage directions moving away. This stage direction is very precise and helps to get a clearer picture of what is happening in the scene and also adds to the impression that we get of Barbaras character. We are encouraged to think that Barbara is very dreamy and is always thinking about the perfect future for herself and Billy. She talks about little Billy and little Barbara and even has in her mind what the curtains in her imaginary home are going to be made out of. She says to Billy, Oh, Ive seen the most marvellous material to make curtains for the living room. Honestly, youll love it. Its a sort of turquoise with lovely little squiggles like wine glasses. Barbara respects the family unit and does her best to fit in and not cause to much disturbance within the Fisher household. She tries to help Mrs Fisher when Florence has one of her dos. She says, even though the proposal is a little bit stupid considering what is happening, Would she like an orange, Mrs Fisher? . She also insists on helping Mrs Fisher in washing up the pots. She has the most respect for the family out of the three girls but then again I think she feels the most comfortable in a family environment. She is portrayed as being very quiet. In the whole of act 2 she says little to Rita even though she is shouting lots of things at her fiancÃÆ'Â ©e and at her which are hurtful. There is one part where Rita says to Barbara Oooh Billy will you kindly tell me? Aw, go take a long walk on a short pier, you squint eyed sow, youre nothing else. And Barbara just stands there and says nothing. Barbara is also shown to be a perfectionist by the writer. She has a perfect future planned for herself and Billy. She is very blinkered and cannot see that the world is different from what she thinks. She has it planned right down to the last detail. She even knows what material she will be using to make the curtains in the living room, and says to Billy; Oh, Ive seen the most marvellous material to make curtains for the living room. Honestly youll love it. Its a sort of turquoise with lovely little squiggles like wine glasses Barbara is the kind of person whose idea of a perfect future involves her with her husband and the children in a little cottage in Devon. She wants the children to be called little Billy and little Barbara. Cause and Effect in My Life EssayBilly tells Liz about the little country he imagines and Liz says, Do you do that? I knew you would. Why are we so alike, Billy? I can read your thoughts. This shows the similarity between them. Liz is written as a person who does not like to be tied down to one place for too long as she is always travelling around the country. Her character comes across as a very strong personality and a free spirit. She likes the uncommitted aspect of her life. This is emphasised when she says, Its this town. Its the people we know. I dont like knowing everybody or becoming a part of things. She is shown by the writers to be very impulsive. When she is talking to Billy she takes the opportunity to persuade him to go to London as soon as it arises. She is also a very persuasive person with the way she makes Billy say he will go to London with her. This is shown when she says, Thats a bit vague. Soon. Why not now? We are made to believe by the writers that Liz doe s not think about what the consequences will be if she goes to London with Billy. She does not care that Billys Grandma has just died and what he might be feeling like. She is slightly insensitive. When she is persuading Billy to come with her to London she does not once ask him whether he is feeling fine with that and if he really does want to go. This is shown when she says But we can, Billy! We can! What is there to stop us? Throughout the play we are told that Liz is a very scruffy person but when we actually reach the part where she is in the play, the description of her is quite different from what we have been told. It says that she is wearing the infamous skirt that we have heard so much about but it is not as dirty as we had been led to believe. This makes us think that the impression that we have got of Liz from others is somewhat different and this suggests that they maybe do not like her very much and so are twisting the truth to let us think that she is not a very nice person. When Billy talks about something Liz doesnt want to talk about she changes the subject. This is shown when her and Billy are talking about the letters she writes to Billy and rips up. She says, Hows Everything with you? Hows the script-writing? Hows the book coming along? and the stage directions changing the subject. This shows that she does not like talking about things that she has done and is almost embarrassed by them. If I was asked which girl I would think Billy would be more likely go with I think I would have to say Barbara because she is the one that forgives him when he lies and is easier to please than Rita. Although Liz has got qualities, like having a lot in common with him, she cannot be depended on a great deal because she is always moving around, and Rita is very demanding of Billy and I dont think she would forgive him if he lied. Barbara offers Billy the most security out of all of them and this is why I think he will pick Barbara.