Wednesday, October 20, 2004

"Recklessness" The Rich Man's Got The Power

Recklessness is just marking time. A kind of exercise for O'Neill in making a melodrama. I guess, though, it is the first time we see a servant named Mary.

Millionaire, Arthur Baldwin discovers his wife cheating on him with the chaeuffer and sets up the driver's death just in time for the cops to bring the body to the door for the wife to see.

In the end Mrs. Baldwin shoots herself and O'Neill adds on a Checkovian or Strindbergian end line:

"Mrs. Baldwin has just shot herself. You had better phone for the doctor, Mary."