Brian Clark manipulates the audience by using language to persuade the audience to agree with Ken's point of view about euthanasia. We are introduced to Ken and the other characters that are on Ken's side, before we meet opposing characters so then Clark knows that the audience are persuaded to like Ken and are going to follow his views later in the play. Clark uses a variety of characters both male and female and at different stages of their professions to touch different members in the audience; the language used by the characters also influences the audience to agree with Ken.In the first scene of the play we are manipulated to like Ken because of his funny and sarcastic mannerisms and remarks, "Have me on the floor Sister please, have me on the floor.
" Ken is using sexual connotations as a way out of his embarrassment with the young nurse. When the Sister says, "If you go on like this Mr Harrison I shan't be able to send my young nurses in here. " Ken replies, "They're perfectly safe with me Sister. " Ken has an underlying frustration because he knows he can't do anything with the nurses other than flirt or joke around.
He has lost all physical movement so he finds it very demeaning not to be able to use his body. His male pride has been greatly effected. Brian Clark changes the atmosphere at the point when the audience find out that Ken's illness is serious and he will never get better. This makes the audience feel guilty because in the last scene they were laughing with and at him. It is interesting how Brian Clark does not include family members as it would become complicated and weaken the audience's belief in Ken's views. Also it gives the audience the feeling that Ken is alone.
When the Nurse, asks if he will get better the Sister replies, "No. " This has a strong impact on the audience as it is just a one word answer and the audience would probably go silent. This is a complete contrast to the humour present at the beginning of the play. When Ken is talking to John he is more relaxed because he is not flirting with the women anymore. In this section of the play we find out more about Ken and his feelings. "I'm sorry.
.. feeling sorry for myself this morning. Can't even say I got out of the wrong side of the bed. " This really shows that Ken is depressed.
All through this scene Ken compares himself to a plant that should be on the compost heap (this has an emotional impact on the audience). This is metaphorical language, "You must be in charge of the compost heap. That's where I should be. " This is the first mention that Ken wants to die. When a plant is put on a compost heap it dies slowly and rots and that is what Ken feels is happening to him because he is not allowed to legally die now.
Dr. Scott is a kind and passionate doctor.She talks to Ken as an individual, similarly to john. "You're bright and chirpy this morning.
She says this even though she knows he is depressed, to try and make the atmosphere a little lighter. When Ken replies he speaks in a sarcastic tone "It's marvellous you know. The courage of the human spirit. " We know as the audience that Ken is depressed and has no courage because he has been lying in a hospital bed for four months already and will be in a hospital bed for the rest of his life. You can tell by the scenes before the audience meets Dr.
Emerson that he does not like him. "I suppose he will sweep in here like Zeus from Olympus," showing that Ken thinks Dr. Emerson is powerful and aloof.The audience also have a picture of Ken before they meet Dr. Emerson so they know the difference when they see him react to what Dr.
Emerson is saying. Ken becomes more polite but he is still sarcastic. After Dr. Emerson asks, "How are you? " Ken replies, "As you see, racing around all over the place.
" Brian Clark knows now that the audience have been persuaded to believe Ken is right and the audience will not like Dr. Emerson's detachment from Ken. Although very professional he does not seem to really listen to him.Brian Clark shows the audience that Ken is frustrated with the doctors for acting as if he is going to get better when he knows very well that he is not. Ken just wants the doctors to tell the truth, "Are you ever going to discharge me? " "Well you'll certainly be leaving us soon, I should think. " The doctors is trying to avoid telling Ken he will never get better or leave the hospital.
The doctor will not admit it until Ken forces him to, Dr. Emerson is worried what Ken will do if he told him, "Do you believe I will ever walk again? " "No. " "or recover the use of my arms? "No. "Ken is now glad that Emerson has told the truth but must be scared inside because now he's had clarification that he will not be able to move for the rest of his life.
Ken's views on the tranquilizers are that they are going to spoil his conscious mind as well as his movement. "My conscious mind is the only thing I have. " "When you tell Dr. Emerson, impress on him I don't need it. " Ken knows he can trust Dr. Scott to try and help him.
The audience realise that it is Dr. Emerson's unreasonable behaviour that is making Ken want to end his life. Dr. Emerson goes ahead and administers the tranquiliser without permission.
Ken is totally powerless; Dr. Emerson takes advantage of this to get what he wants. Dr. Emerson shows his authority when talking to Dr. Scott by using subject specific lexis. "When he came in shocked to hell, did he protest about dextrose - saline? Or when he was gasping for breath he didn't use some of it to protest it to protest about aminophylline or the stat dose of cortisone.
" Dr Emerson has no right to say, "He can't know enough to challenge our clinical decisions" because he doesn't know how much Ken knows.All he cares about is his medical status and keeping the patient alive for his records. Dr. Emerson is detached from his patients. The vallium would make Ken sleep; Dr.
Emerson is not treating Ken as an equal. Ken is very rational when he tells Dr. Emerson he doesn't want to stay alive Ken knows exactly what he wants. At the moment when Ken first lets the audience know how he feels about life in this situation, shows how he has given up and is frustrated, "I've decided not to stay alive. " This implies that he must have been thinking about it for sometime as he says it with purpose and with no emotion.Mrs Boyle is a social worker and is introduced be sister as, "a very nice women.
" When Mrs Boyle comes in she is very cheerful and bright. She changes the subject when ever she feels uncomfortable, she is another example of the medical profession who has decided how Ken should behave and therefore cannot cope when he acts differently to other patients. The audience leave for the interval with Dr. Scott's words "We bring him back to life...
We give him back his consciousness, then ... what do we do? We put him back to sleep. " This summarises what the rest of Ken's life is going to be like.It will give the audience a lot to think about and continue to feel sympathy for Ken.
Act two opens with a serious conversation between Ken and his solicitor, Hill. Ken shows his true feelings, "I'm almost completely paralysed, and I always will be. I shall never be discharged by the hospital. I have coolly and calmly thought it out and I have decided that I would rather not go on. I therefore want to be discharged to die. " Hill speaks to Dr.
Emerson who states clearly his feelings. "It's my duty as a doctor to preserve life. "This shows that Dr. Emerson is not a bad man but has lost his feelings for patients over time because he treats them as his job and not as human beings. Dr.
Emerson is trying to manipulate the situation. "Try and find an old codger like me who believes in something better than suicide. " Dr Travers at the beginning does not believe that after six months he will not be mentally unstable. Dr. Emerson really wants to win so he's doing everything he can to make it happen the way he wants it to. So he gets a catholic psychiatrist to come in so he knows he will be on his side and sign the paper to admit him under The Mental Health Act.
Ken is enjoying the fight and he has finally got someone to listen to him at last, "For the first time in six months I feel like a human being again. " Emerson is now manipulating different members of staff to make sure that he wins. He uses Sister to report back to him with any information that she hears. Act two ends with the court case and Ken wins. This is sad in a way because the audience has fallen in love with the character Ken and the audience are also glad because he has got his way. The audience has been influenced all the way through the play to agree with him.
When Ken is talking to the judge he shows that he already thinks he is dead. "Nor do I wish to live at any price. Of course I want to live but as far as I am concerned, I'm dead already. I merely require doctors to recognise the fact. I cannot accept this condition constitutes life in any real sense.
" The judge finally makes his decision, "I am satisfied that Mr Harrison is a brave cool man who is complete control of his faculties and I shall therefore make an order for him to be set free. " Ken says thank you this shows he is truly happy about dying.Brian Clark makes you feel glad about what is happening. When Ken is talking to Dr.
Emerson at the end you find out the Dr. Emerson offers Ken a chance to stay. "We'll stop treatment, remover drips. Stop feeding you if you like. You'll be unconscious in three days, dead in six at the most.
" Emerson still hopes that he will win as Ken may still change his mind. Brian Clark does manipulate the audience to side with Ken because you are swept along with the moment of the play; you are persuaded to think and believe Ken's decision.When the play ends you are made to stop and think about what you have been thinking. It scared me because at the end of the play I realised that I had been manipulated to believe Ken should die, even though I really liked him as a character. Throughout the play you learn more and more about what happened before Ken had the accident and this shows you about how happy he was and it makes you believe there is no way he could get back to his normal life, now he is paralysed. 'Whose Life is it Anyway? ' is a powerful play and it provides a good argument for euthanasia.
The play makes you consider a situation you would not usually think about. Brian Clark shows the audience a different point of view of a situation that most people would be against in the first place but then change their mind completely. The play was written and first performed in the 1970s where it was becoming a more topical subject with the increasing freedom of speech. The play is clever as even now it is relevant as often we read of people going abroad to countries where it is legal to have an assisted death. Until euthanasia becomes legal this play will always be effective.
