Essay Questions

Why does Hans Christian Andersen imprison Marjory?

Ultimately, Hans imprisons Marjory because he needed someone to write novels for him. Evidently, kidnapping and imprisoning pygmy's like Marjory so that they can write novels is a big business (it is revealed in the play that Charles Dickens has a pygmy who does the same thing for him).

What is the significance of Marjory's imprisonment?

At the surface level, Marjory's imprisonment is significant because it forms the basis for the events of the entire play. However, more significantly, Marjory's imprisonment provides a key insight into the play's major theme: colonialism. Much like the citizens of the countries who are enslaved and exploited for their labor by other, more powerful countries (the colonizers), Marjory is enslaved by a more powerful man who exploits her labor for his own gain. And much like colonialism, Marjory's imprisonment is insidious and vicious and terrible.

Why doesn't Marjory attempt to escape?

Marjory doesn't attempt to escape because she feels psychologically imprisoned -- as well as physically imprisoned -- by Hans Christian Andersen. She most definitely wants to escape, but she can't (much like the citizens of the countries which have been colonized cannot escape from the grasp of the colonizers).