Amy Herzog seems to have taken advantage of motifs when
writing 4000 Miles. A repeated
pattern in the play that creates some interesting moments occurs in the
recurring misunderstandings between the characters, particularly between Vera
and Leo. There are many times in the play when one character thinks the other
is talking about something completely different than he or she is. There are
also times when characters search for words and cannot find the right ones to
say. For instance, Vera often forgets the names of common things and just
replaces them with “whaddayacallit.” This occurs frequently throughout the
play. Some other missed communications happen in the conversation with Leo and
Bec where they keep finding each other on totally different pages,
metaphorically. I think this motif of missed communication could actually be a
key to understanding the play. Although I’m still trying to wrap my head around
this play, I think one of the play’s themes is about people trying to get
through to other people and how difficult that can be sometimes. The motif does
seem to shift slightly in the last scene. Although there is no obvious dialogue
that leads me to believe this, there seems to be some mutual understanding in
the subtext between Vera and Leo in the last scene where Leo is practicing his
speech for Ginny’s funeral, a woman he never even met. I think Herzog was
trying to convey something about how a person you never even met could bring
you some perspective more than someone close to you.
I completely agree with what Caroline is saying here. The missed connections that Herzog writes about in this moment between Leo, Vera and Bec are representative of what is going on in Leo's life surrounding the action of the play. After the tragedy he encounters with Micah, he drops off the map and isn't connected to his family or friends any longer. I think Caroline is spot on saying that this is a key to understanding this "slice of life" play, because it alludes to a grander theme of finding oneself and forming new connections with unexpected individuals.
ReplyDeleteI like that you brought up the part in the end where Leo and Vera seem to reach some level of mutual understanding. I think it's interesting that they both seem to connect but only in a stressful, or heightened, situation. It wasn't just another day when Leo came home after a bike ride and turned on the TV. Leo was preparing a eulogy for a woman he had never met. Another example of this strange communication between Leo and Vera is when they are smoking pot. Again, another heightened situation, and yet, walls are broken down and for a while, the two can be open with each other. I find it pretty intriguing that Leo and Vera seem to communicate best when they are both in unusual circumstances. Maybe the fact that things aren't as they usually are allows both of them to forget their reservations because they're focused on something else (pot, or a funeral).
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