A Morally Ambiguous Character In Archibald Macleish's Play

In the thought-provoking play, J.B., Archibald MacLeish retells the story of Job in an interesting and modern way. He creates actors, Mr. Zuss and Nickles, to play the roles of God and Satan, but does not create their personalities to be as black and white as they are in the bible. The readers struggle to define if Nickles is good or evil, creating a morally ambiguous character in the play. This decision is pivotal in the play because it allows Nickles to bear qualities that make him seem more real and human to the readers. His ability to empathize yet still laugh in the face of another’s suffering adds another dimension to his character, and to the play as a whole. It forces readers out of their comfort zone and forces them to question and
Yet, when Nickles watches as Job and Sarah learn of the death of their eldest son he “wears a twisted grin” (60). He takes pleasure in watching as Job and Sarah’s perfect life falls down around them. Nickles seems to find pleasure watching them suffer and feel such intense pain. Even though Nickles snickers at the sight of pain he becomes enraged with anger when speaking with Zuss, arguing “You think it’s wonderful...I think it stinks! One daughter raped and murdered by an idiot, another crushed by stones...And all with God’s consent! Foreknowledge!” (93). Nickles cannot comprehend the purpose of slaughtering innocent children. He is disgusted by the sight of watching all the children die for no reason other than to prove a point. Nickles bounces from caring to cynical, one moment reveling in the face of pain the next enraged by the sight of it. Nickles views towards Job are rather interesting as well. He states that he is sickened by the sight of successful and happy Job, but questions “why must [Job] suffer then?” (48) when speaking with Zuss. He feels sympathy towards Job when he is forced through hardships and pain, but is disgusted by him when he lives contently, far from the face of suffering. But what makes