I. For fifteen years Una thought that Ray simply used her and left her for herself in the hotel room that night. He left after they had sex telling her he'd be back, but he never came back for her. Ray kept this to himself all of this time, keeping it from everyone, until now when he was explaining it to Una, because, as he said, "The lawyer said it sounded better if I had left you there because it showed I knew the seriousness the awfulness of what I had done. That I ran from you. Never to to return. Because of what it would sound like to a jury be made to sound like That I was going back for for more." (p 65). He kept it from everyone to protect himself, but it tore him apart inside.
II. This secret is similar to Una's secret that she keeps from her significant other about her past relationship with Ray. She does not tell him for her own benefit because she does not think that other people will treat her like a normal person with a past like hers. She says on page 76 "I've never told him. I didn't want to. I liked him too much. " She did not want to tell him because she felt it would ruin their relationship and she really like him just as Ray kept his secret to protect himself. Both individuals keep their secrets to protect themselves from being hurt by another, Una would be hurt by her boyfriend (she thinks) in that he would not want to be with her and Ray would be hurt by the judicial system because if he said he were going back for her they would think, as he stated, that he was going back for more, which would result in a much greater punishment. for him.
III. I think understanding that Ray was truly going to go back for Una after he had time to get cigarettes and think about things because it showed that he truly cared for her and that he was not using her for sex and did not kidnap her against her will. It shows that they had a relationship of some sort. It helps you better understand the play, but I think that it also makes it that much more difficult to accept because it is something that I find very strange - a 41-year-old man having an intimate relationship with a 12-year-old girl and not putting an end to it even when he knew he should have.
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6 comments:
I definitely agree with the fact that Ray did want to go back to Una. Harrower does a good job of showing the lust that was there in the past, and the "love" that is there now (its hard to say thats its true love because of their past, but it's safe to say that he actually has feelings for her). However, I think he has a strong sexual attraction to truly younger women (I'm referring to the last few pages of the play where the girl walks out from the lockers) and natural emotions for older women. He is stuck in between what is considered right and wrong in today's society... not only wanting a polygamous relationship, but one with a 12 year old girl and a young adult woman. Harrower makes it seem like he has learned his lesson, but in actuality, he has just become a lot better at covering it up.
April makes a very good point about Ray's ability to cover up his true feelings, which seem to coincide nicely with his ability to keep secrets. Also as said, both of the characters do keep these secrets as a self-protection in a few ways. They keep it to protect them from the consequences associated with the law or current love affairs, but I think that they also are trying to protect themselves in a self-preservation way. Both of them know the magnitude of wrong-doing (according to the culture they live in)that they've committed, otherwise they wouldn't feel obligated to keep their love affair a secret. I think Una have been willing to keep going with the affair considering her feelings for Ray and her adolescent naivity, and Ray, also, considering his likings and his fondness of Una. By leaving her, however, shows Ray's ability to think in future terms and of the consequences he might face. But still, I think one of the biggest secrets is the one that each character tries to even keep from themselves: the fact that they wanted more involvment. But aching at this desire is only confusion and division within the self.
This is a pretty strange play. Harrower makes it almost sound like this relationship was a legitimate one. It's complete insanity to think that Ray is a normal loving person and that he really loved Una. He was sent to jail because he, a 40 year old man at the time, not only had sex with, but tried to have a relationship with a 12 year old girl. He seems normal at times and makes some pretty good arguments, like the whole he didn't get an erection thing so he's not a pervert and the fact that he read all those books to see if he was a pervert; however, it doesn't matter what he says because he has a serious problem. Anyone that's 40 and would even consider for a second having sex with a 12 year old should go to jail for a lot longer than 3 years. And then once he's in jail he masturbates to the thought of a 12 year old girl. Words can't describe how wrong that is. pg 80.
I agree with the orignial post. Una grew up in a very strange situation. When something like this happens to you this young it is hard to know what to do and once you have not done anything about it and get older you never say anything at all. Since Una has kept this a secret for so long she believes that society will not except her for what has happened when she was younger. She is excepted by society and her significant other and doesn't want to jeopardize that. I her relationship is good, she should have no problem telling what happened between her and Ray. People will understand that she was young and had no control at the time, especially with a 40 year old man.
I agree with what you are saying, that the major secrets is the truth about their sexual relationships, and emotional connection, although there was an age diffrerence. Una questions him about a photo, that he secretly keeps, of her in only shorts at the age of twelve, it shows that he had feelings for her, and for younger girls. Like April said in her comment, at the end of the book, it does show that he is affectionate for younger girls. Ray and Una hide the past from their current relationship together, basically like in "Open Secrets" sectrets are hidden about a relationship to avoid having a bad reputation among society. In Blackbird, it is the same scenario basically.
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