LIB 200 .6502
Jason Chester
Professor Regan
9/17/09
Response to “New York”
David Rimmer’s play New York is a solid punch in the face. It is a play that subtly hits
you with the reality and gravity of the September eleventh terrorists attack. The play comes off
as honest, heart trembling, while funny with intelligent humor. Having the opportunity to view
the play and read it, I can clearly see the manifestations of Aristotle’s poetics shown through the
play. Aristotle describes the fable as “imitation of the action”, “Aristotle gives his notion of the
relationship between poetry and real life”. (Aristotle 76) In this play the after affects are clearly
shown, but the scenes which begin calmly, always explode into a bigger event as the day of
September eleventh. The writing itself is a metaphor of the day, as well as shows a poetic form to
the realization of the development of the story.
The play features the lives of many people who are dealing with the event of September
eleventh. The main focus is the relationship between the psychiatrist and the patients. Each
patient having a different problem but all suffering a loss in some way or another, it is clearly
shown how ubiquitous the hurt really is. My favorite character of the play is Steven he’s a man
who I believe was present the day of, but made it out. He states
“You work there enough, you meet so many people… Where’s Sally today? Did she get married
and move to New Jersey? Or did she come in the day? See, that what I gotta stop doin’. There’s
too many to – waiters, busboys, maids, janitors, assistant banquet manager.” (Rimmer p. 45)
He seems as a person who frequents Vigils. I empathize with this character because he is like
many people in the story who are hurting, but mostly he is hurting at the idea of lives being lost.
He didn’t personally know all of them, but his heart and good nature morns for them. The way
Rimmer writes is how Aristotle describes the fable should be written. Aristotle talks about
PRAXIS and PATHOS these elements of story telling shows about what a man does and what
happens to him.
“Cover the whole of a man’s life at any given time; and this is the sense it usually has in
poetics.”(Aristotle p.70)
Rimmer writes as a person who has lost close friends and relatives. He gives you several
individual lives and portrays them verbally and physically showing pain and regret. They all
regret the day, but more they all have something from their past that conflicts within as well, The
Officer who is struggling to find answers and understanding, The fireman blaming himself for
living while his friends perished. The pilot who’s disgusted with everything but still wants to fly,
or the young girl who’s more mature than her parents.
Rimmer’s play is moving and intelligent. The use of dialogue and action juxtapose to
reveal true emotion. All of Aristotle’s elements of poetics were shown through the writing. The
ideas and experiences although intended to be centered around one time, turned out to be more
universal and can be empathized by many in different ways. Everything composed together is a
beautiful piece to read and watch.
Works Cited
Rimmer, David. NEW YORK. New York
Samuel French INC, 2002
LIB 200.6502
Professor Regan
Response to David Rimmer’s
NEW YORK
By
Jason Chester