Resistance to Sexist and Classist Ideologies in Caryl Churchill and David Lan's A Mouthful of Birds

Abstract

This thesis examines female’s resistance to sexist and classist ideologies in Caryl Churchill and David Lan’s play A Mouthful of Birds. The play revolves around the seven characters: Lena, a mother, Marcia, a switchboard operator, Derek, an un-employed, Yvonne, an acupuncturist, Paul, a businessman, Dan, a vicar, and Doreen, a secretary. The actors play ensemble roles in all scenes other than their own. Dance sequences are at the center of the episodes involving the pig and his lover, the schi-zophrenic and her hallucinated tormentor, and the serial killer. The play’s perspective on mental illness and sexuality is strongly influenced by the work of Michel Foucault, who also wrote a monograph on the life of Herculine Barbin, as well as David Lan’s own anthropological work on possession and non- western religions. The play has an unusual structure; it is a series of seven independent vignettes each focusing on a different character. It mainly shows the violent nature of females to resist the patriarchal norms and values. Appearing violently to resist the oppressive male and the society, violence is the main weapon the female characters use in this play. Here, the male characters are shown with the weaker qualities whereas, the females are encouraged to resist against the sexist and classist ideologies. Therefore, the female characters come with the sense of resistance against the ideologies.