Dramatic Monolouge Analysis- Bed Amongst the Lentils

1. Which techniques has Bennett employed to make this sound like spontaneous speech?

Throughout the monologue Bennett employs techniques to make his speech very spontaneous and to sound as though he is writing as he thinks. For example on page 32 Bennett talks about Susan's daily routine. "I top off a thrill-packed morning by taking round Meals on Wheels... somehow-'and this to me is the miracle', says Geoffrey." In my opinion this is very spontaneous speech as Bennett uses ellipses to make it seem as through he pauses implying he is writing spontaneously. Alan Bennett also includes lots of hesitation where he writes ... and fillers such as 'well'. He also includes long pauses or a rapid change in subject as the writer thinks of something else to include in the monologue. For example Susan talks about Ramesh Ramesh and then she would suddenly change the subject and go back to talk about him a couple of paragraphs later.

2. Read the opening stage directions. What key information do we learn about Susan?

The opening stage direction simply states 'Susan is a vicar's wife' this gives the reader a picture of how this women is presented. The first thing that came to my head personally was that she is very well mannered and very well dressed lady. Who has a respectful attitude and is someone younger people can look up to. However following the opening stage direction, Alan Bennett continues to describe her appearance 'she is thin and nervous and probably smokes.' This portrays a completely different image of Susan, that she is the opposite of everything a vicars wife should be. The reader now has an image of little old lady who doesn't look after herself very well and smokes. It may make the reader assume she is quite timid and that she has had something go wrong in her life.
'She sits on an upright chair in the kitchen. It is evening.' Overall the opening stage directions imply Susan is quite a shy old women who can also be extremely stubborn. She may have had something go drastically wrong is her life which could be why she smokes and is thin and nervous.

3. What does Susan's language reveal about her age, social class and attitude?

Susan uses more middle class sort of language, with complex words and with quite a stubborn attitude. She acts as though she is better than everybody else especially her husband Geoffrey who is a vicar. She is extremely discriminatory towards the Christian beliefs, which makes her social class very low and shows she has a childlike attitude. 'Geoffrey's bad enough but I'm glad I wasn't married to Jesus.' From initial thoughts Susan seems like an older women however her frame of mind and how she talks to her husband gives her a very young age mentally. In my opinion she likes to think she is an upper class, older lady however Alan Bennett presents her as quite immature with a lower social class.