Les Belles Soeurs Essay Questions

How does Tremblay make use of soliloquies throughout the play?

Tremblay uses soliloquies to share important information about who the characters are. Pierrette describes her frustration at having to start over after Johnny left her with no money. Lisette talks about her distaste for their social circle. Angéline shares how much authentic happiness she has found at the club, in contrast to the church-basement socializing of her peers. In these moments, and others, the soliloquy is used as a means of conveying the characters' private and deeply revealing thoughts.

What best describes the tone of the play?

The play is a comedy, so much of the tone is humorous. However, beneath the jokes there is a strong sense of bitterness. The characters constantly trade barbed comments and nearly come to blows several times throughout the story. They are quick to cut each other down or take offense at a sharp remark. In this way, the play draws a great deal of its comedic tone from the charged atmosphere and simmering tensions between the characters. The characters’ jokes all have a strongly sour undertone.

How are parent-child relationships described in the play?

The mothers in the play describe being exhausted all the time and receiving no gratitude for their domestic labor. The chorus moment effectively highlights this unfair tradeoff between parents and children, as the mother commiserates about the constant output of effort that is required of them each day. In contrast, the children, like Linda, feel that their parents have outdated ideas and are stuck in their ways. Linda sees her mother as constantly blowing up over nothing and fixating on minor things.

Which character shows sympathy for other characters in the play?

Pierrette is essentially the only character in the play who shows sympathy for other people. She tries to comfort Angéline and, later, Germaine. She says she will help Lise get a safe abortion and tells Linda she can move in with her if she's having a hard time at home. This generosity is made all the more striking by the fact that she is the most reviled character in the whole play. She has the lowest social standing but demonstrates the most compassion of anyone present in the kitchen.

What drives the main conflict in the play?

Class and the stamps appear to be the main sources of conflict in the play, however, personal issues also play a major role. Women begin stealing Germaine's stamps after they are offended by the oblivious offensiveness of her asking for their free labor when she has just come into something of great value. At the same time, some of this seems driven by their personal dislike of her, as she offends various people throughout the play. In the end, the conflict essentially arises because Germaine has little self-awareness.