Lady of Letters

1591 Words7 Pages
A Lady of Letters ‘You’re funny you, Irene. You don’t mind being in prison.’ You don’t hear or see very often someone enjoying himself or herself in prison but for Miss Ruddock in “A Lady of Letters” that’s exactly what we do see. It’s a monologue by Alan Bennett and it’s well known due to how well Bennett exploits the comic genre. In this essay I will analyse Bennett’s use of structure, characterisation, theme and humour. I will also comment on the relevance to modern society for example, loneliness and isolation. Bennett’s techniques show his mastery of comedy in its exploitation but also in the characterisation of Miss Ruddock. The story of Miss Ruddock is a dramatic monologue- she is the only speaker. It starts with Miss Ruddock writing letters and seeming happy, although still lonely. Later in the play, her before ‘happiness’ becomes loneliness and obsession over the ‘kiddy’. “I keep wondering about the kiddy opposite”. Still Miss Ruddock believes there is abuse or cruelty going on in the house and even tells the doctor about it. Her loneliness and obsession of the ‘kiddy’ build up, until we reach the climax to find Miss Ruddock has been writing ‘poison pen’ letters. “… Who was it that wrote to the chemist saying his wife was a prostitute? And who was it that gave the lollipop man a nervous breakdown?” We also learn that the ‘kiddy’ has died of Leukemia and that the ‘couple opposite’ were actually going to visit him in the hospital every night. She then is given a suspended sentence and has to get regular visits from social workers, both of whom Miss Ruddock doesn’t like. You would think Miss Ruddock would redeem herself, instead Miss Ruddock continues to write letters this time to report the policeman whom she thinks is having an affair with the woman in ‘no. 56’. The final scene shows us Miss Ruddock in prison, where, on her previous opinion of it, we’d
Open Document