August: Osage County

Through The Looking Glass The scene inside a snow globe is typically simple, peaceful and orderly – until its turned upside down. Authors employ literary devices within their writing to transmit emotion and fully involve a reader in the story. Often, contrast among characters perspectives is necessary in a drama to properly interpret intended themes. Different angles of interpretation allow a reader to avoid getting lost in one apparent mindset, and to think more critically of each character and event. In the drama, August: Osage County written by Tracy Letts, Johnna's character, a Cheyenne American hired as a the Weston's caretaker is the silent witness to the dramas tragedies. Johnna is holding a snow globe in her hands, in it a scene of the Weston family while their world is flipped upside down.Using Johnna as an allegorical Interpretation of the Weston family, Letts utilizes characterization, foil, and juxtaposition establishing Johnna's position. Johnna arrives at the Weston home as patriarch Beverly Weston rehashes the failures of his family and covenant marriage to wife Violet. The house has become dysfunctional -their children have moved out, duct tape has been placed over the shades in the windows, Beverly and Violet each struggle with their own vices; pills and alcohol. Johnna accepts the job as the live-in care taker; creating a classic foil between her and Violet Weston. The foil becomes apparent as early as the introduction of Johnna and Violet, where Violet curtsies to Johnna in a mocking manner. “Like...this? (curtsies again) Like this... (curtsies lower, stumbles, catches herself) (Letts 14).Typically Johnna would be expected to curtsy to Violet as Johnna is the guest, and Violet the employer. Violet curtsying to Johnna shows the simple fact that Violet is beyond delirious at all times, and can consequently act disrespectful. Violet does not do house work, pay bills, or partake in any conventional routine, because Violet has cancer she takes pills and sleeps. Johnna's ability to accept responsibility for the home and chores highlights Violets inability to do so. As the tragedies unfold for the Weston family including Beverly's disappearance and eventually his death, Violet is the source of most tension. Violet adds to, if not invokes most complications in her family. Johnna is the constant contradiction to Violets disturbances, because she is providing Violets children and family members with a clean home and cooked meals. This compassion towards the family highlights Violets hostility towards them. As a Cheyenne Indian tradition Johnna wears a necklace encasing her umbilical cord, Johnna explains "Because if we lose it, our souls belong nowhere and after we die our souls will walk the Earth looking for where we belong" (Letts 45). This is ironic because Violet is part of the living dead, high on pills and devastating her family. Johnna's charm is more of a need for Violet then for herself. Johnna's character is not a stranger to personal struggle or family tragedy. Johnna is designed to have faced her own trials, specifically the deaths of her Mother and Father. Johnna's value of family obviously stems from her Cheyenne roots, whereas the Weston's family illustrates the more 'modern' take on family, lacking in value. Unlike the Weston daughters who fled from their parents and childhood home, Johnna remained close with her parents until they were taken from her by their deaths. Johnna's tranquility, grace and bravery in the face of misfortune sharply contrasts to the Weston family response after the loss of Beverly. “The house has been manifestly refreshed, presumably by Johnna's hand. The dull, dusty finish has been replaced by the transparent gleam of function” (Letts 57). The Weston couple Beverly and Violet successfully drown out the light of the world, until Johnna. Johnna sheds light on the Weston's darkness, she opens the shades. Because Johnna is a kind and giving character she restores the home to a place where one can live, and she was able to do this because she is an outsider living on the inside. Johnna's character knows – like a reader does, that the ways of the Weston's are not of 'normal' American routine. Letss uses her personality, free of family ties and opinions, to give the reader a model of how they would feel if they could be there themselves. Without Johnna meandering around the house, a ghost in the attic character, a reader could be easily lost in the flaring tempers, game of family favorites, and overall dysfunction at the Weston dining room table. Johnna knows – like the reader does, that the ways of the Weston's are not of 'normal' american routine. Letts juxtaposes Johnna's character, by placing a character free of family ties and opinions into the mayhem, providing the reader an inside witness. “You couldn't come home when I got cancer but as soon as Beverly disappeared you rushed back-” (Letts 41). This is one of the most tense scenes, where Violet's daughter Barbara is finally confronting her about being high on pills, and Violet succumbs to tears. A reader could easily get lost in the logistics of the family feud, Violets argument and what it means to the plot, however Letts immediately flashes back to Johnna,
“Lights down on the dining room, and up on the attic, where Johnna is reading” (Letts 41). This juxtaposition reveals that the drama is not about what exactly Barbara is fighting her mom on, it is about the simple fact that there is so much fighting. Johnna involves herself in tasks, as well as going beyond her duties just to keep herself from the drama downstairs. This Johnna-in-the-attic serves to portray the Weston family as very tense,climatic, practically comic characters. Without Johnna present in the Weston household Letts would not convey the metaphor of the work, the allegorical reading of the drama would be lost. The poem at the opening of this novel “All The Kings Men” by Robert Penn Warren explores the term love, “I am merely pointing to something which is different from love but which sometimes goes by the name of love” (Warren 6-8). There is so much deep rooted stress between each of the members of the Weston Family, however families are supposed to “love” one another. But which love is it? The concept of this family's love is depicted by Johnna. Johnna is portrayed more as a visitor at a zoo than a guest in a home. The zoo is this modern take on family, this love which is not love. This family does not care for one another, their tragedies and struggles are ones to laugh at, because they themselves are being melodramatic, tense, and absurd.

The feelings between the Weston family members is more of a standard, acquired feeling though birth and Johnna highlights this fact. Knowing this the reader becomes aware of the dark comedy in the work. The characterization, foil and juxtaposition Letts creates in Johnna of August: Osage County is a parallel to William Gibson's portrayal of Anne Sullivan in the play The Miracle Worker. Just as Johnna served to be a point of contrast highlighting the dysfunction of the members of the Weston household, Annie proves to be the same outsider to the members of the Keller homestead, her too shining light on the chaos and dysfunction of the family. Annie Sullivan a 20 year old outspoken woman from the North is an obvious contradiction to the southern ideology of the time, when children were seen not heard and women were delicate flowers. Just as Johnna is welcomed by Beverly Weston and instantly judged by Violet Weston, Anne is welcomed by Kate Keller and an immediate foil to Captain Arthur Keller. Annie Sullivan utilizes her history of partial blindness, time living in an asylum, and experience taking care of her brother to change the way in which Helen Keller disturbs her family; despite the fact that Annie's style disagrees with the family's adopted habits. As a result of Annie's presence in the Kellers' lives a degree of order is restored to the home. Just as Johnna goes above and beyond the duties of her job extending her compassion to the other characters at their time of need, Annie Sullivan angelically goes beyond teaching Hellen Keller, and saves the Keller family. A snow globe is a transparent sphere enclosing a miniature scene usually small enough to hold inside two hands. By flipping a snow globe upside down the inside becomes much more chaotic, the small world inside disturbed. If one were inside of a snow globe they would be completely submerged in their own world, and their entire life would be upside down. However if holding this world inside the chaos can be captured for what it is in reality. Johnna is able to interpret the tragedies from the outside, highlighting the allegory of the Weston Family.