49 pages • 1-hour read
The Humans
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Symbols & Motifs
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of illness.
Lightbulbs
Throughout The Humans, the set plays a large part in Karam’s efforts to draw out the tension of the Thanksgiving dinner. Sounds contribute to the anxiety of the characters, with the mysterious thuds from the apartment above and the unsettling sound of the garbage compactor on the other side of the basement. The loss of light contributes to this sense of unease as well. At different points in the play, lightbulbs burn out, reducing the amount of space the characters can comfortably be in and pushing them closer together, hurtling toward the final revelation of Erik and Deirdre’s economic instability. The lightbulbs are therefore a symbol that represents the Blake’s inability to hide from each other.
The first lightbulb goes out upstairs after Aimee reveals to Brigid that she will need surgery for her ulcerative colitis and the two discuss their suspicion that their parents are struggling: “No, yeah, do you think it’s because…he hasn’t been sleeping right? The light fixture above them burns out” (83). The lights continue to burn out, drawing the family closer and closer until Erik finally reveals his affair and the loss of his job. Afterward, with everyone outside coordinating their ways home, Richard is left alone in the apartment when the final light bulb goes out: “All the downstairs lights flicker out. Complete darkness” (144). With his secret unveiled, all the lights go out, and Erik is alone.
As these lightbulbs fade, the set shrinks, and the audience is left with only one room and one character, drawing more focus to Erik, the decisions he made, and the consequences that follow them. This suggests that, with the family’s revelations over dinner, they can now find new ways of moving forward.
The Smashing Pig
The smashing of a peppermint pig is a Blake family tradition in which every member of the family expresses what they are thankful for. It is an odd tradition to Richard but one that the Blakes are eager for: “BRIGID. “[W]e each pass it around, say what we’re thankful for, then we smash the pig… / AIMEE. And then we each eat a piece of peppermint for good luck” (119). The two components of the tradition, the smashing and then the shared eating, represent a unifying experience meant to draw the family closer together. The tradition is a motif that reflects the theme of The Volatility of Familial Relationships.
As the different family members share what they are thankful for, their own fears and challenges emerge, along with their gratitude for their supportive network: “In a year where—I lost my job, my girlfriend, and I’m bleeding internally…really a banner year…I’m thankful for what’s right, okay? I love that in times like this I have a home base, a family I can always come home to. Thanks for giving us that” (122). Aimee is forward with the burdens she carries while highlighting her support network. Not only does this speak to the family dynamic of the Blakes, but it also speaks to Aimee’s perception of her family. She is the eldest daughter and tries throughout the play to make peace between her parents and Brigid, trying to maintain the family as a supportive base for everyone.
Brigid’s own admission of thanks also reflects her character and her perception of her family:
[I]f anything were to ever happen to me, like an accident or whatever—and it won’t, but: I’d want to be cremated—I know it’s weird to talk about but you guys’d do open-casket so…I’ve been trying to find a way to bring it up that isn’t morbid or weird (121).
Whereas Aimee’s speech highlights her trust in her family, Brigid’s focuses on her anxiety that stems from the distance she feels from the other Blakes. She does not trust her family to act how she would want them to in case of an emergency, unless she gives them explicit instructions, knowing that they have different views. Additionally, her willingness to discuss such an unsettling topic demonstrates her own perception of being different and antagonistic, acting out as the younger child.
The Virgin Mary Statute
The statue of the Virgin Mary that Deirdre gifts to Brigid is a symbol of the tension between the older and younger generations in the family. While Deirdre is a big proponent of her family’s Catholic faith, her daughters stray from it, rejecting their mother’s insistence that it can be a positive influence in their lives. Despite this, Deirdre continues to push her beliefs on her daughters, insisting that it will assuage her worries about them and their safety: “I know you guys don’t believe, but she’s appearing everywhere now not just in Fatima but in West Virginia and—just keep it for my sake, in the kitchen or even if you just put it in a drawer somewhere, okay?” (53). Deirdre expects that Brigid likely won’t change her mind because of the statute but knows that she will feel better if Brigid keeps the statue.
Deirdre’s concern for her daughters’ safety and the need to feel as though she has a hand in it reflects the effect that the September 11th terrorist attacks had on the Blakes. Their relief of Erik and Aimee’s survival does not calm the fear that persists in Deirdre. As the play ends, with the tension of the day putting a strain on her relationship with Brigid, Deirdre’s final act in her daughter’s apartment is to leave the statue: “She takes one last look around, gets an idea: she quietly removes the Virgin Mary statue from her purse and places it in the windowsill. She exits” (144). This moment, in which Deirdre carefully places the Virgin Mary on the windowsill, is a final act of love and care for her daughter. Despite the arguments and the hurtful comments, Deirdre’s priority is Brigid’s safety. This simple action is how Deirdre believes she can best protect Brigid and demonstrates how she seeks to quell her worries.
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