An Experiment On A Bird In The Air Pump

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The play An Experiment with an Air Pump by Shelagh Stephenson is written in two different eras, Stephenson had added a 1799 story and a 1999 story that link back together. In the beginning, an art piece is shown by Joseph Wright, this piece is called An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump (1768). This piece of art can be related back throughout the play by Stephenson. Throughout this essay, I will identify the significance to the name on the play and also show how the piece of art and Robert Boyle’s Experiment 41 are shown in Stephenson’s play. An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump applies to the play in the first scene. This scene has multiple pictures of the art work hung up fully across the front stage and the actors are also acting out the picture. Stephen says, “Chiaroscuro lighting up on a slow revolve tableau involving the whole cast (except Susannah/Ellen), which suggests Joseph Wright’s painting “An Experiment on a Bird in …show more content…

This staging helps show the reader what is happening in the beginning and through the prologue. The art work can be applied to many different places within the play An Experiment with an Air Pump. With the references to Joseph Wrights art piece An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump in mind, there can be similar points shown throughout Stephenson’s play. The most obvious similarity is the use of the bird in the art piece and the experiment with Isobel can be related. Throughout the 1799 story line, Isobel is used as an experiment as Armstrong wants to see her back without clothing on. He convinces Isobel that he loves her as a strategy to get her undressed, Armstrong says, “Oh for god’s sake man, I get her into the sack which means she takes off her clothes” with that Roget replies, “not necessarily.” Armstrong replies quite convinced, “I make sure she takes them off, that’s the whole point because then I get to examine her beautiful back in all its delicious, twisted

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