'Night, Mother

Considering the Major Dramatic Question of Marsha Norman’s ‘Night, Mother is no easy feat. The question of whether Jessie will kill herself would seem to be the obvious choice. However, in my opinion, ‘Night, Mother is more than a play about suicide: it’s a play about a mother and daughter’s struggle to make a connection. So, I propose that the major dramatic question of the play could be, “Will Jessie and her mother make a connection?”

Making a connection can entail several things. First, this includes Mama’s struggle to understand why Jessie has to leave. At first Mama can’t fathom why Jessie would plan to kill herself if she feels fine and rational. Mama later blames herself, still not understanding her daughter’s rationale. However, at the end of the show, Mama seems to have a clearer understanding of why Jessie did it. She says, “I didn’t know! I was here with you all the time. How could I know you were so alone?”

Making a connection can also include the Mama’s struggle to accept Jessie’s wishes. At first Mama is vehemently opposed to Jessie’s plan. Until the end Mama does everything in her power to make Jessie stay. However, after Jessie kills herself, Mama obeys Jessie’s last wishes by calling Dawson and grabbing the chocolate pan that Jessie wanted her to wash. Earlier in the show, Mama refused to wash the pan, but at the end, she seems to obey Jessie in resignation.

In my opinion, Mama’s struggles to understand Jessie’s decision and accept her wishes are the emotional core of the 'Night, Mother. These two struggles show the MDQ at work and drive the show forward. The entire purpose of Jessie’s telling her plan to her mother is to make a connection with her. Jessie says, “It’s private. Tonight is private, yours and mine, and I don’t want anybody else to have any of it.” Without this desire to connect, the play would be significantly shorter or not exist at all.