Gender uquals SEX ? - Part 2 - "Notebook of Trigorin"

Now I want to describe a scene from the performance „Notebook of Trigorin” that I want to consider in the presented point of view. I have chosen that scene mostly because of issue that it raises and the way of presentation of it. The scene took place in the second act of the play. The characters that appear in that scene are Trigorin and Arkadina. On the stage audience could see an arranged room. In the centre of the stage stand round table with couple of chairs near by. Behind the table stand small cabinet with frame on it but without any mirror. On the left side of the stage were placed double doors sloped to the audience in the way which gives it opportunity for anyone in the audience to see without any problems anybody who stand in the doors. The exactly the same doors are placed on the right side of the stage sloped to the audience in the same way. This scene is the only one in the play in which homosexual or rather bisexual proclivity of Trigorin are verbalized and presented straightforward to the audience but lets take a look how it was presented. During the whole play we can not notice anything that may suggest the sexual preferences of Trigorin. At the beginning we can see intensive interest Trigorin of Constantine but nothing is going beyond something that we can call mentors interest because Trigorin as experienced play writer try to support the young Constantine in his first experiences with play writing. The way how Trigorin behave in that scene do not give a simply answer how audience should perceive the subject. When Trigorin confess his sexual preferences he was very upset. The observatory may interpret his confession as an attack on Arkadina. The intention of his confession seems to be hurting feeling of Arkadina who is in love in him. The words he spoken are provoked by her. But after a while we can see that Trigorin realized what he done and we can see some kind of uncertainty on his face. The words were spoken and he cannot turn it back but he is not sure is this what he done was a good idea. If we look at the history context declaration like this in the XIX century was unusual and not to safe. The proclamation of own sexuality orientation is still perceived in society as a some kind of faux pas. What is interesting until 1990 homosexuality was enlisted by WHO (World Health Organization gathering 193 countries) on a International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) and recognized as a deviation and psychological personality disorder and even now in open western societies which are perceived as the most liberal in issue of human sexuality declarations like this sometimes arouse the controversies. Trigorin who realized what did he said can not stand the look of Arkadina turn around and walk away. When he sit on the trunk closer to the audience spectators can see his confusion and afraid of consequences of that declaration. Reaction of Arkadina is also an interesting. She declares that she is an actress and worldly woman so she understands his desires. She also mentioned that she know that fact for a long time. From that statement spectator may perceive Arkadina as a reflection of present feminist. Arkadina seem to understand complexity of human nature and sexuality but from the way the actress who played Arkadina pronounce that statement we can got slightly different impressions. The mimic of face and weak and uncertain voice suggest us to interpret that statement as a desperate try to keep Trigorin close to her. Arkadina occur as a woman who need Trigorin to reinterpret and increase her own self esteem. Her close relationship with Trigorin proves her self that she is still a full valuable. Her rundown relationship with her own son makes her felt as a bad mother and she cannot find herself in that role. The role of actress and worldly woman helps her to build her self-confident. But to achieve that she need Trigorin who can prove and remind her value in the artistic world and help her to forget about her senescence. The suppression - rejection of distressful events and facts - seem to be her live strategy. She tries to convince her self that problem do not exist and focus her thoughts on other aspects. Her acceptation of Trigorin declaration is nothing more then rescuing her self from negative consequences of alone live. To achieve a success in the artistic world that time mostly dominated by men cost her lot and Trigorin became her support. Trigorin take her statement with visible relief.