There's a lot of alcohol use all over this play, even though both of our main characters claim to have been on the wagon as of late. May's pretensions to being "on the wagon" go out the window pretty early on in Fool for Love, and she's drinking directly out of the bottle before you know it. Ah, well, the best intentions . . .
It really seems like May and Eddie's alcohol use/abuse increases the more they get back into their old groove, relationship-wise, which kind of suggests that their relationship is the real addiction at play in the, well, play—and the rampant references to alcohol are just there to draw attention to that incestuous hankering.
Questions About Drugs and Alcohol
- Why do you think May has been on the wagon, and why do you think she falls off so suddenly?
- Why does May feel the need to tell Martin that they've been drinking a little bit? Beyond just letting him know what he's in for, what does that information do?
- Why does Eddie lie to Martin when he says that May hasn't had a drop of alcohol?
Chew on This
The rampant alcohol use/abuse in the play highlights other bigger forms of addiction and compulsive behavior—like, Eddie and May's feelings for each other.
May tells Martin that they've been drinking to try to preemptively explain Eddie's behavior and perhaps discredit anything he has to say.