Emotion and New York Essay Example for Free

Emotion and New York EssayIn proof, there is a contrast presented between the abstract and tangible aspects of life. Claires life revolves around everything that is serviceable while Catherine relies more on things that are theoretical. These choices cause problems in each sisters life in that they are both disconnected from the real world and uncomplete can relate to other people, including each other.Catherine focuses on the theoretical, letting her life revolve around things that are not tangible, things that other people cannot necessarily see. earlyish on in the play, Catherine figures out that the number of days she has wasted because of her depression is a mathematically significant number. Math is a very abstract acquirement and this scene shows how mathematically minded Catherine is. It also shows how easily she is able to think abstractly. Her father helps her mathematically manipulate this number right before he admits that he is, in fact, dead at the time of thi s conversation. Again, Catherine is relying on something intangible, the mental representation of Robert. While Robert was ill, Catherine stayed with him to take mete out of him emotionally. She did not typically wash dishes, clean the house, or pay bills, Catherine was taking care of her fathers emotional state. In her mind, she was making sure he stayed well by having someone to rely on for the intangible aspects of life.Because Catherine lives in the abstract, she is unable to relate to people who live in the real world. Because of this and other reasons, she has no friends. She tells her father, in order for your friends to take you out you generally subscribe to have friends. Most 25 year olds would go out with friends on their birthday the fact that she has no friends is odd and causes the audience to worry. In the end of enactment 1 Scene 1, Catherine calls the cops to keep Hal from stealing one of her fathers notebooks even though, as she admits in the beginning of Scene 2, she didnt really want them to come. The cops come back the next forenoon and are not happy. This shows that she does not relate well with the unimaginative world and its consequences.Unthe likes of her sister, Claire is overly practical, completely engrossed in material aspects of life. While Catherine is at home with their father,Robert, Claire moves to New York to continue her education, get her own place, and have a job. She pays all the bills from New York, but does not involve herself with other aspects of taking care of their father besides encouraging Catherine to put him in a full time care situation. Bills are very material and concrete, showing how much Claire relies on tangible aspects of life and how well she can deal with these things. When Claire is visiting Catherine for their fathers funeral, she tries to get Catherine to try a conditioner she likes. When Catherine asks Claire for some scientific facts about the Jojoba in the conditioner, Claire replies, it make s my hair feel, look, and smell out good. Thats the extent of my information about it. Claire doesnt know any scientific information about the Jojoba, only how it physically affects her hair.Claire values material objects over immaterial things like emotions, which makes it difficult for her to connect with people and deal with them appropriately. At the party after the funeral, Claire tries to out drink the theoretical physicists and fails miserably waking up with a monstrous hangover. Claire does this because she believes, incorrectly, that she is better than the theoretical physicists based on their lack of grounding in the practical world. At the end of Act 1, Claire tells Catherine, its not your fault. Its my fault for letting you do it. This implies that Claire thinks she can realise Catherine. Claire believes she can control people like she can control things. Claire also decides she wants Catherine to move to New York so she can keep a better eye on her. She tells Catheri ne it would be much easier for me to get you set up in an apartment in New York again showing how she wants to control Catherines life and does not show regard for Catherines emotions such as Catherines desire to stay in her home town and her sense of belonging there.Due to Catherine and Claires different priorities, they do not relate to each other and have a disconnected relationship. This is established early on in the play when Catherine says to her father, she is not my friend, she is my sisterAnd I dont like her. It is clear from this statement that Catherine does not feel connected to Claire. At one point Claire goes so far as to accuse Catherine of macrocosm insane, claiming that Catherine has made upHarold Dobbs. She later meets Hal and does not even apologize to her sister. Sadly, this is not the only thing Claire does to show complete disregard for her sisters feelings. When Hal shows up in Act 1 Scene 2, Catherine makes a big scene and Claire completely ignores her.CATH ERINE Okay? I really dont need this, Claire. Im fine, you know, Im totally fine, and then you swoop in here with these questions, and Are you okay? and your soothing tone of voice and Oh, the poor patrolmen I think the police can handle themselves and bagels and bananas and jojoba and Come to New York and vegetarian chili. I mean it really pisses me off, so just save it.(Beat.)CLAIRE (smoothly to HAL) Im Claire. Catherines sister.Clearly Claire is ignoring Catherines emotions and chooses to not try to deal with her sisters fit. This is also an example of how Catherine inappropriately deals with her own emotions and her sisters attempts to help. Claire cannot be there for Catherine if she wont deal with any emotions and Catherine chooses not to fight back calmly to Claires assertions.Neither sister has found the best way to live their life, they need to find a happy medium between the practical and theoretical aspects of life so that they can function properly in the real world a nd relate to the people living in it.Works CitedProof by David Auburn