Dehumanization Of Claire Character Essay

Claire’s character has the most prominent role in the progression of the dehumanization of all the characters in this play. Through comparing the antecedent action and the events that occur over the span of the play, there is a point of revelation that appears to connect both timelines. Though, not only is Claire affected; ultimately, she spreads her repressed spite to the towns people, ultimately resulting in Ill’s death and the foremost corruption of the town. The events that Claire had gone through in the past reflect her present actions, therefore making her the main proprietor of the systematic dehumanization of the town and its residents.
With Claire being announced to arrive in Güllen, the townspeople are shown to be already aware of
After Ill’s decision to marry Matilda Blumhard and Claire’s marriage to Zachnassian, they went their separate ways, wounding Claire emotionally, and Ill financially. Eventually, Claire’s wounds would come back to hurt Ill, through her possession of financial power. After leaving Güllen, she was forced to become a prostitute, which dissolved her self-worth and sense of humanity. This manifests in her artificial limbs, where she claims she has become “indestructible” (26). Having lost and replaced her limbs with prosthesis’, Ill claims that “everything about [her] is artificial” (26). With this claim, it becomes apparent that her financial success has taken her from living a content to contrived life. Alongside this, her value of humanity lessens as she goes through a sequence of short-lived marriages, which ultimately mean little to Claire. She had become more interested in the control and power that she has over others than having mutual human relationships. Through this decrease in humanity, the townspeople of Güllen call her a “man eater” (21). Claire also demonstrates an unawareness of her nature, where she asserts that “every one of [her] marriages is happy” (28). Although she does not recognize it, her happiness stems from her ability to manipulate her husband’s, therefore dehumanizing not only them, but