ACT III SC. I

Everything as Usual

Several months pass. A Sunday evening once again and the whole sitting in identical to the opening scene of Act I. Jimmy and Cliff are reading newspaper, Jimmy is reading out some news and criticising people. Alison’s personal belongings are replaced by that of Helena. And even Alison place in the household has been taken over by Helena, who just like Alison is weaving clothes, Cliff and Jimmy are engaged in a mock fight like earlier.

Cliff’s Decision to Leave

Cliff decides to leave the sweet stall and start something on his own. He reveals his decision to Jimmy and Helena. He also expresses his desire to marry and settle down. Both Jimmy and Helena are upset by his decision. Jimmy praises Cliff as a loyal, generous and a good friend in front of Helena.

Jimmy’s Attack on Women

Jimmy is of the opinion that there is no good and brave cause in the present day world. All good causes according to him came to an end in the thirties and forties of the century when Jimmy had been a child. Jimmy criticises the fairer sex because they always try to blind men to death. As man ‘has no alternative they allow women to exploit, perse cute and butcher them’.

Alison’s Unexpected Return

A tender and loving scene between Helena and Jimmy takes place. Jimmy appreciates Helena for showing her affection for him. They get physically intimate and he pleads her to make sure that nothing goes wrong between the two. She assures him of her love and says that she always wanted him. He makes a suggestion that he will close down the sweet stall and start a new life. Just then the door opens and Alison comes in.

ACT III SC. II

Alison Regrets her Coming Back

On seeing Alison, Jimmy goes out of the room without speaking to her. Alison apologises to Helena for coming back as she has no right to interfere in Jimmy and Helena’s life. Helena however replies that Alison had every right to come here as she was Jimmy’s wife. Alison says that she had lost faith in everything including the sanctity of marriage and says that a marriage can survive only if the two partners can adjust themselves to each other. If a women tries to dominate over her hus- band she is sure to be discarded like herself.

Helena Admits Her Guilt and Decides to Leave Jimmy

The sudden arrival of Alison seems to affect Helena’s mind. She realises that she has been wrong in living with Jimmy as his mistress. Though she had been living in the “mad house” for several months, she never has forgotten the difference between right and wrong. She was all the time conscious of her sinful act. She then makes one interesting comment on Jimmy. She says that she has found out what is wrong with Jimmy. According to her, Jimmy was born out of his time and there is no place for people like him any longer either in sex or politics or anything else. Helena is determined to end her relationship with Jimmy and to get out of the house. She says that more, not even Jimmy could make her believe that she had been right in living with Jimmy as his mis- tress. Besides both she and Jimmy are poles apart belonging to two different world. She notices that Alison had a miscarriage and lost the baby and she interprets it as a divine judgement on them all as a result of wrong doing.

Jimmy Condemns Helena

On Helena’s calling Jimmy comes inside the room and notices Alison’s appearance and understands that she has a miscarriage. But he does not show any sign of grief. When he learns about Helena’s determina- tion to leave, he is anguished and sadly comments that everyone wants to escape that pain of being alive. He condemns Helena by saying that love demands courage and strength which she lacks. A woman like Hel. ena who wants to maintain a nice and clean soul cannot lead the life of senses and so should become a saint.

Jimmy’s Complain Against Alison

Just after Helena leaves, Alison too gets ready to go but Jimmy’s voice stops her. He complains for not sending any flowers to Mrs Tanner’s funeral and has hurt him. He reveals that though he possesses tremen- dous energy of mind and spirit, yet he is lonely. Recalling his first meet- ing with Alison he says that he admired her “relaxation of spirit” when he first saw her. He discovered only after marriage that she did not possess that quality. In order to have that quality one has to suffer.

The Reconciliation

Jimmy’s words bring tears to Alison’s eyes and admits that her atti- tude was wrong. It was wrong on her part to be ventral and seek the life of a saint. She now wants to a “lost cause” like him, and wants to be “corrupt and futile”. She reminds him about her miscarriage and says that his wish to see her suffer some misfortune has been fulfilled. Now he can have the satisfaction that she has gone through a painful experi- ence. Raising her face towards Jimmy she says that she is in mind, groveling and crawling. She then collapses at his feet. For a moment Jimmy stood frozen and then takes her in his arms. He asks her not to cry and reminds her of the bears and squirrels game which they used to play so often. The playing of the game marks the final reunion of the two.