Design for Living: Analysis of Major Characters
"Design for Living" explores the intricate dynamics between its major characters, primarily focusing on Gilda, Leo, Otto, and Ernest. Gilda, in her thirties, is depicted as a complex character who juggles romantic relationships with both Otto, an unsuccessful painter, and Leo, a successful playwright. Despite her refusal to engage in marriage, she grapples with feelings of humiliation and disillusionment as she navigates her desires and the impact they have on her life and her lovers' careers. Leo, driven by his rivalry with Otto, seeks revenge by taking Gilda from him, yet he too faces emotional turmoil when she ultimately leaves him for Ernest, an art dealer.
Otto struggles with betrayal but ultimately finds solace in friendship and camaraderie with Leo, showcasing a theme of dependence amidst conflict. Ernest, the seemingly stable figure, is portrayed as somewhat foolish and unable to command Gilda's loyalty, ultimately becoming a victim of the complex emotional entanglements surrounding him. The play examines themes of love, ambition, and the entanglements of artistic relationships, raising questions about the nature of success and personal fulfillment. Through these characters, the narrative delves into the challenges of balancing personal desires with the dynamics of friendship and love.
Design for Living: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Noël Coward
First published: 1933
Genre: Play
Locale: Paris, London, and New York City
Plot: Comedy
Time: The 1930's
Gilda, who is about thirty years old. She is Ernest's wife and the mistress of both Otto and Leo. Gilda is attracted to Otto, an unsuccessful painter, and lives with him in his Paris studio, hoping to further his career. Although Gilda does not wish to marry, claiming that marriage provides nothing she wants, she is humiliated by the way in which feminine impulses sway her life. When Leo returns from New York as a successful playwright, Gilda deserts Otto and goes to live with Leo in London. After eighteen months with Leo, however, Gilda is still unhappy. She distrusts (and perhaps envies) Leo's continuing success and dislikes the social life it entails. She also thinks that success has affected the quality of Leo's work, a criticism he resents. While he is away, Otto reappears, and Gilda sleeps with him. After leaving Otto and marrying Ernest, Gilda not only has tired of fulfilling her desire for artistic success via men but also has come to believe that she deluded herself into thinking she contributed anything to her lovers' creative lives.
Leo, a playwright, Gilda's lover and a friend of Otto and Ernest. Leo is offended that Gilda first chose Otto, and his taking Gilda away has an element of revenge in it. He enjoys his success and refuses to believe that starving in a garret is a prerequisite for producing effective art. When Gilda leaves, however, he is shattered and turns to Otto. They depend on each other for consolation and then travel together and reclaim Gilda together.
Otto, a painter, Gilda's lover and a friend of Leo and Ernest. Otto is furious that Leo and Gilda have betrayed him but, after being apart from them, he realizes that he misses his friends too much to bear a grudge. He, like Leo, suffers from Gilda's departure and consoles himself by going on a cruise with Leo. He forms part of the ménage à trois when all three return to Paris at the end of the play.
Ernest, an art dealer, Gilda's husband and a friend of Otto and Leo. Apparently he is American. Early in the play, he brings news of Leo's success and scolds Gilda for the untidiness of her emotional life. Later, he listens to her complaints about feeling superfluous and informs her that he has bought a penthouse in New York City and is intending to settle down. Gilda leaves with him, and they are subsequently married. Ernest is resentful when Gilda later leaves him to return to her lovers, either because she needs them to need her or because all of them fail to resist their impulses. Ernest is made to look foolish when he tries to retain his wife, and all three artists are laughing at him as the curtain goes down.