The idea of facades across a range of texts

The poem ‘The Ballad of Calvary Street’ by James Baxter, the film ‘American Beauty’ (directed by Sam Mendes and released in 1999), and the play ‘An Inspector Calls’ written by J.B. Priestley and performed at Circa Theatre in 2005, are all texts that share a similar theme. Although these three texts are different in terms of authorship and the medium through which the significant messages are communicated, what the texts do have in common is that they all convey ideas about how facades and superficial images of family life only lead to soullessness and domestic disorder. The unique approach that each text takes to this issue heightens the impact of the texts in every case, and allows the discussion of facades to become more pertinent in a time when domestic problems still mar our society.

Baxter’s poem, ‘The Ballad of Calvary Street’, satirises the concept of facades and fake family life by ironically using religious imagery, and by utilising figurative language and clever diction to develop a rounded depiction of the sad characters at the heart of the poem. The poem discusses firstly the trellises that line Calvary Street (an image which conventionally would symbolise happy domestic life), and mentions the flowers that bloom “as bright as blood”. In addition to being an insidious suggestion that there is violence beneath the veneer of this seemingly respectable society, this phrase also alludes to the crucifixion of Christ. This is confirmed by the line that later describes the house as “an empty tomb”. This evocative metaphor hints that the house is a place of depression and emotional soullessness, and again links this home to the story of Christ; however, Baxter is comparing this house to Christ’s story only ironically. Through the use of religious language, Baxter is able to sardonically indicate that the values of forgiveness and compassion so often connected to The Bible and religion are nowhere to be found in this unhappy home. To emphasise that religion plays no role in this distorted version of family life, Baxter intersperses the religious language with mundane descriptions (for instance, he writes, “the afternoon goes, goes by, while angels harp above a cloud …”) to show that spirituality – and indeed, all ideas of ethics and morality – are forsaken in this barren location.

Baxter tells in the poem of how “two old souls go slowly mad”, and const...

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...ley play ‘An Inspector Calls’ all scrutinise the nature of domestic life, and the facades that are developed to hide the true problems of our society. ‘The Ballad of Calvary Street’ looks at the manner in which individuality and excitement are suppressed by the maintenance of such a façade, and emphasises that domestic relationships are devoid of any spirituality or ethical framework. ‘American Beauty’ focuses on the advantages of breaking free from the constraints of the façade, and emphasises the freedom and openness that can be achieved once the duties of the façade are forgone. ‘An Inspector Calls’ analyses the way a façade can crumble when there is pressure and confusion to reveal people who are not as respectable as they seem. The issue of facades is very relevant to our society, at a time when, in New Zealand at least, domestic abuse and divorce are still pernicious problems. The issue is often explored across a range of texts and could even be argued to be a cliché in current times. However, the uncompromising and honest manner in which these texts address the issue makes the concept of facades so intriguing and fresh, and causes these texts to gain added power and impact.