Equus
Chapter 8
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Alan is repeating “’Ek’” (Shaffer 35) in his nightmare every night – same words each night
Chapter 9
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Dysart went into the room to check on Alan during his nightmare
Power struggle between Alan and Dysart – they ask and answer questions in turns
Alan does not admit to having a recurring dream – Dysart says he dreams of carving up children
When Alan is asked what Ek means, he starts singing jingles again – Dysart tells him he is through with him –
threatens to send Alan away
The first time Alan ever saw a horse was on a beach
Chapter 10
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Alan was 6 when a man on a horse rode up to him on a beach
The man puts Alan on the horse and walked him around on the horse – Alan loved it!
Dora and Frank flipped out – they are helicopter parents – too overprotective
Frank actually pulled Alan off the horse and caused Alan to fall to the ground
Frank comments that only snotty rich people ride horses – Dora’s family used to ride horses
Alan thinks the fact that the horse soaked the parents is hysterical – Frank is beyond pissed
Dysart tells Alan that when patients want to tell him something but don’t want to say it to his face, they use a
tape recorder – Alan says it is dumb but then takes the recorder
Chapter 11
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Dora shows up to speak with Dysart – she does not want to see Alan
The picture of the horse in Alan’s room replaced a picture of Jesus on his way to Calvary (bloody and graphic)
Alan’s father took the picture of Jesus down and replaced it with the one of the horse – the picture was taken
head on and it “’…comes out all eyes’” (Shaffer 45).
Dysart feels real alarm at this point
Chapter 12
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Dalton (the stable owner) admits Alan was a hard worker
He regrets that Jill brought Alan to him – Jill got him the job
Dalton thinks the horses were being taken out at night and riding them – horses were sweaty in the morning and
the stables were cleaner than they should have been
Alan’s first words on the tape recorder were “’It was sexy’” (Shaffer 47).
Chapter 13
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Alan’s first experience seeing the horse (through the eyes of a 6 year old) was “sexy”
The horse had so much power – Alan asked the horse if it hurt and the horse said…(Alan stopped)
Frank ruined this experience for him – never forgave Frank for pulling him off the horse
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Alan feels dressing up horses is insulting to the horse – cowboys are the only ones who treat horses correctly –
Alan wants to be free like cowboys
“’ God sees you, Alan. God’s got eyes everywhere‘” (Shaffer 49).
Chapter 14
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Frank shows up to talk to Dysart – Dora does not know I am here
Frank walked upstairs and saw Alan standing in front of the picture of the horse “chanting” or praying to the
picture (talking about horses as gods creating other gods)
Alan kneels down in front of the picture and says, “’Equus’” (Shaffer 51). Equus is Alan’s god
Alan bridles himself with string (places the string in his mouth) and holds it back like the reigns and beats himself
with a wooden hanger
Frank witnessed this, coughs, which causes Alan to scramble back to bed – Frank never spoke to Alan about this
– pretend like nothing happened
The night Alan blinded the horses, he was out with a girl
Chapter 15
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Alan did like his job at the electrical shop
Alan meets Jill at the shop – she recognizes him as the kid who comes to the stables on his lunch hour every day
– she offers to get him a weekend job at the stables
Chapter 16
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Dalton showed Alan around the stables – main idea is to have fun and ask if you need help
Jill will be Alan’s teacher
Before Dalton and Jill walked into the stables, Alan was about to kneel and touch the horses’ feet (sign of
respect)
Dysart asks about Jill – Alan gets uncomfortable – he starts to rage – says Dysart is nosy like Frank
Chapter 17
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Alan is ticked off at Dysart for asking questions about Jill so Alan asks Dysart about his wife
Alan starts asking really personal questions about Dysart’s marriage – he could be saying it to be annoying OR he
knows there is a strained relationship with Dysart and his wife
Alan gets under his skin – he knew exactly what questions to ask – made Dysart vulnerable
Dysart gets mad at himself for falling for it
Chapter 18
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Dysart and his wife are very antiseptic – there is no fun-loving connection – they do not connect at all on any
level anymore
Dysart feels almost superior to his wife
Hesther never thought they were compatible – tells him to focus on the Strang case
Dysart says, “’He is trying to save himself through me’” (Shaffer 62). Alan is relying on Dysart to figure him out
and help him.
Chapter 19
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Dysart has hypnotized Alan to make him talk
When Dysart speaks to the audience about “normal” he means the normal makes everyone similar – he is trying
to make his patients “normal” and like everyone else – he is taking away their individuality (who they are)
Equus is like Jesus to Alan (Equus is in chains)
Chinkle-chankle is the metal bridle that goes in the horse’s mouth
Alan can telepathically talk to Equus
Stables are the church (cleans the horses, dotes on them)
Alan was riding the horses at night every three weeks (Equus told him to ride)
All horses are the embodiment of Equus (he lives in all horses)
Alan is taking all of God’s personality traits and applying them to Equus
Chapter 20
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Alan goes into the stables and takes Nugget – he places “sandals” on Nugget (sacks that go around the horses’
hooves – sign of respect)
The horse is reluctant to go but Alan drags him out
Alan puts the bridle into his own mouth before he gives it to the horse
Chapter 21
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Alan stands in front of Nugget, strips naked, because he wants to be one god with the horse (horse and man
were one being, one god – that’s what Alan wants)
Nugget’s hairs that stick into him is punishment for his sins
His mother told him the most spiritual experience was being intimate – that is the closest he will ever be to God
– Alan has the spiritual relationship with Equus (not a woman)
Everything Alan did was a religious “ceremony” (last supper, taking away sins)
Alan is confusing his mother’s religious stories