heif who drifts in and out of her life as he pleases and her husband never really lovedher. She was unable to hold a steady job, and her life just seemed more of a hassle to bealive and exist than anything else. Her role around the small house she shared with hermother consisted mainly of being the housekeeper and/or caretaker, and she entered into alife of spiraling despair. One could safely assume that Jessie was at the mercy of herdepression before she took her life. The evening that Jessie tells her mother, the two havea very unusual conversation. The play opens with Mama rambling on about this and that,and then Jessies first words are spoken. Although open first glance, they seem randomand insignificant, one must look at the subtext of her words. We got any old towels? . . .Towels you dont want anymore. How about this swimming towel Loretta gave us? Beach towel, thats the name of it. You want it? (Norman 9-10). Jessie asks Mamawhere the gun is, and they go through some small talk about guns for a while. Thenfinally Jessie just comes out and says that she is going to kill herself. Jessie acts like thisfor much of the play. She dances around issues and then she finally realizes there is nopoint and to just say what she needs to say.Jessie: Im going to kill myself, Mama.Mama: Very funny, very funny.Jessie: I am.Mama: You are not! Dont even say such a thing, Jessie.Jessie: How would you know if I didnt say it? You want it to be a surprise? Youre lying there in your bed or maybe youre just brushingyour teeth and you hear this . . . noise down the hall?Mama: Kill yourself.Jessie: Shoot myself. In a couple of hours.Mama: It must be time for your medicine.Jessie: Took it already.Mama: Then whats the matter with you?Jessie: Not a thing. Feel fine.Mama: You feel fine. Youre just going to kill yourself.Jessie: Waited until I felt good enough, in fact.Norman 14At this point in the play, the roles are reversed. At first, Mam...
