Poof! Literary Elements

Drama/dark comedy play

English

The present in a kitchen.

Being a play, "Poof!" lacks a central point of view, the story is told mainly from Loureen's perspective/story.

The play starts out tense but is punctuated with moments of humor. The middle section of the play then becomes pensive with slightly lighter humor. The ending is hopeful but the relationship between Loureen and Florence is left with some unspoken tension.

Loureen is the protagonist and Samuel is the antagonist.

The major conflict in the play is Loureen's relationship with her husband Samuel. Loureen's main concern throughout the play is what should she do with Samuel's ashes. This is mainly what Florence and Loureen discuss through "Poof!".

The climax of "Poof!" occurs with Loureen and Florence discussing their "pact" and their husbands. Loureen eventually rejects Samuel after looking through the photographs leftover in his jacket. Loureen is able to overcome Samuel but she cannot help Florence with her husband Edgar. This closes the play on a complex note between Florence and Loureen, whereby Loureen is now free but Florence's situation has not changed at all.

Florence makes constant references to her husband Edgar, her kids, and "dinner" to Loureen. Later on, it is revealed Florence has her own issues within her marriage with Edgar. Florence is not able to solve all of Loureen's problems for her because Florence has her own issues in marriage. It proves that their relationships have always been defined by their husbands.

Florence's under-reaction towards the incredibly odd nature of Loureen's husband being turned into a pile of ash. For most of the play, Florence is in disbelief that Samuel simply went "Poof!" and turned into a pile of ash. Florence's question of if Loureen is "smoking crack" shows how absurd she thinks the situation is. This perspective clashes with that of Loureen, who witnessed her husband's death and is taking the situation deadly serious.

While never outright stated, "Poof!" makes several allusions to the Bible. The event of Samuel being turned to ash is very similar to being "smited" by God in the Bible. A man is reduced to a pile of ash as punishment for his sins. This is reinforced by Loureen's image of herself as a "Saint" who preformed the miracle of her husband's destruction. The conflict between a husband and wife adds to this where God literally intervenes as a "deus ex machina" in the relationship like a Biblical parable.

Loureen's description of herself as "Saint Loureen" during her panic. It is the image that only she by supernatural power can saved abused housewives from their dire situations. It is as if Samuel's combustion was a holy miracle preformed by her will. The supernatural event is left without explanation so Loureen can only make her own conclusions about the event. Samuel's "miraculous" death by this divine intervention has freed Loureen from her situation.

The main paradox of "Poof!" is Loureen's refusal to escape her abuse. She knows she had to leave Samuel to save herself but was never able to abandon her husband. Against her better logic, Loureen kept herself in this abusive relationship with her husband. Despite all this abuse, Loureen's memories shows she did love Samuel. Loureen held herself hostage with Samuel due to a combination of both love and fear. It is the paradox of an abusive relationship which is common to many victims of abuse.

Loureen and Florence's own relationships to their husbands Samuel and Edgar. Loureen and Florence seem to be in very similar situations at first, but, by the climax of the play, it becomes clear they are very different. While they are both housewives, Loureen and Florence's married lives are quite different. Loureen suffered constant physical abuse by Samuel but still loved him. Florence is emotionally distant to her husband and resents him. They are two very different people who are united by similar situations as housewives.

Samuel's ashes and glasses which, in the play, are made to represent Samuel (or what is left of him in memory). Samuel's ashes represent his own actions as a husband which define his character in relation to Loureen and Florence. To them, there is now nothing left of Samuel but his memories. Memories which are literally swept away as Loureen hides her incinerated husband's ashes under the carpet by the end of the play. This action shows that Loureen has decided to forget her husband. Samuel, in character and memory, has been literally "swept under the rug."

Samuel being turned to ash—the event which starts the play—is a literal Deus ex machina. It is as if God intervened in the play to reduce Samuel to a pile of ash or made him go "Poof!". Loureen even compares the supernatural accident to a miracle in a story. Loureen imagines that it could have been God (or the Lord) who smited Samuel, which would make her "Saint Loureen." The main conflict of the play is created by what literally seems to be an act of God.