Reviews for Saved

The average rating for Saved based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2016-05-07 00:00:00 John Cuneo The Significance of the Title of the Play, Saved On the surface, the title of the play has nothing to do with what dramatically happens. Moreover, "saved" implies a kind of religious salvation, but ironically no one achieves such a salvation. In fact, no one can expect such a salvation because no one prays, no one cares about God, and whenever characters invoke God, it is either a situation of indignation or impatience. Therefore, the play implies some sort of moral skepticism, and we can't observe morality among the majority of character. Pete, Collin, Fred, Mike, and Barry are absolutely devoid of morality. Even in case of Pete, not only does he erupt the attack on Pam's baby, but also he is proud of his first degree murder of child, and seeks the praise of the other that is unsurprisingly granted to him. What is saved in one sense is the family that I consider as a microcosm of working-class society, and the savior, the working class Christ figure, is Len. If so, the final scene is notably crucial to this sense of the title. In the final scene, we can see that Len has forborn from his decision to abandon the family, and is fixing a chair. Symbolically, the chair stands for the family. It has three firm legs and one loose one, and Len is the fourth leg of family without him the family can't be secure. Repairing the chair and correspondingly the family, Len saves a family on the brink of disintegration. Pam is seen, reading her 'Radio Times', and she has a completely different mood from the previous scenes in which she wanted to kill herself. Mary is cleaning the table after the dinner that the family have had. Harry is filling his football bet which he left unfilled in scene 9. Moreover, there is no argument in this scene. Another sense of the title is the survival of hope. In a note on the play, Edward Bond asserts that the only realistic thing to do is clinging at "straws" of hope. Again the ending scene bestows the title its significance. All of the characters are positive and optimistic even meagerly. Pam is reading her paper, and however such an act is a simple yet it is a beginning. Mary "wipes the table", and keeps herself neat, taking her apron off and folding it neatly. Harry is filling his football bet; it is, on the one hand, a futile act, but on the other hand a gesture of hope. The focuses of the scene, Len and chair, are the last important hint of the survival of hope. The only dialogue expressed in this scene is "Fetch me 'ammer" -- Len asks Pam. Although Pam does not bring him the hammer, Len does not quit. If no one helps him, again he continues his work. The hints of optimism are, as bond says, straws, but they are wise.

Review # 2 was written on 2014-01-08 00:00:00 Todd Ostrokolowicz I just don't like reading stuff like this. I'm not saying it isn't important or well-done or thought provoking, I just didn't enjoy reading it.