Essay Questions

How is the title relevant to the narrative?

“No Man’s Land” has long been a metaphorical term used to denote territory which is dispute between at least two parties over the issue of ownership. In World War I it was specifically applied to that exposed battlefield separating the opposing armies fighting from within the buried protection of trenches. To venture into “no man’s land” for even the briefest period of time mean almost certain death. This metaphorical battleground in which exposure risks harm is relative to the narrative because it framed as a war fought between Spooner and the two younger men with the spoils of victory being the ability to exploit the wealth of Hirst. None of the three men dare risk exposing their true selves due to the risk of losing ground in this war.

What message does the play send about the fame and material success?

Hirst enjoys a life that is typically described as “comfortable.” He has enjoyed the benefits of celebrity including wealth that makes the day-to-day struggles of most no longer applicable. Despite all the appearances of comfort, however, the daily existence of Hirst is hardly the portrait of comfort. He is lonely, isolated, and ultimately revealed to be at the mercy of two men he unwisely invited into his home precisely for the purpose of filling that emptiness. The portrayal of everyone else in his life is one of scheming exploiters offering only false companionship for the purpose of reaping that benefits of the “comfortable” life offered within Hirst’s domain. The message is that fame and wealth serves to make life more uncomfortable because it both isolates people and makes them question the ulterior motives of those who could possibly decrease the sense of alienation.

What is the significance of the imagery of curtains in the play?

One of the precise details about Hirst’s home is that the curtains on the windows are “heavy.” At several points during the play, Hirst will draw open these curtains and look through windows to the light outside before letting the curtains fall back into place. The only time he actually speaks while dealing with the curtains is near the end of the play when he describes the world outside as so gloomy as to barely qualify as daylight at all. He describes this atmosphere as “distasteful” and announces he is closing the curtain, asking that the lamps be turned on. The imagery of curtains become a primal symbol of Hirst having given up on ever connecting with the world outside. He has sequestered himself within his domain of isolation and alienation to the point that it is actually preferable to the distasteful potential of something even darker existing beyond the “comfort” of his present circumstances.