We would all like to believe that we have some control over the way we live, by making choices and being defined by the choices that we make (if you do something of your own accord, it makes you feel good). In Happy Days, we could easily look at Winnie, buried in the ground and burned by the sun, and think she has very little say in how her life will progress. However, finding fulfillment from the choices we make can be found in the smallest of places... Don't you agree?
Questions About Choices
- How much does Winnie believe that her life choices are in the hands of others?
- How much truth is there in the statement: Willie does what he wants?
- We are informed early on that Winnie was not always trapped in the ground. What choices could have brought her to the mound in the ground?
- The bell, without fail, causes Winnie to open her eyes every time she closes them. Why does she never choose to ignore it?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
At the end of play, Willie "chooses" not to pick up the revolver and shoot his wife.
Winnie chooses not to live "for now"—she is literally buried in her memories.