Tiny Alice: Analysis of Major Characters
"Tiny Alice" is a play that delves into complex themes surrounding faith, sacrifice, and the interplay of power within the Roman Catholic Church. Central to the narrative is Julian, a modest and benevolent lay brother who becomes disillusioned with the Church’s greed after being sent to negotiate a massive grant with Miss Alice. The character dynamics become intricate as Miss Alice, who initially appears as a benefactor, reveals her subordinate role to the enigmatic Tiny Alice, the true occupant of the miniature castle that symbolizes their world.
Miss Alice's relationship with Julian is layered; while she seems affectionate, she ultimately plays a part in his tragic fate, sacrificing him under the orders of Tiny Alice. The Lawyer serves as a ruthless enforcer of Tiny Alice's will, using manipulation and intimidation to ensure compliance, while the Butler, though seemingly friendly, also abandons Julian when it becomes clear he is to be a sacrifice. The Cardinal represents the moral compromises made in the name of institutional power, displaying a readiness to prioritize the Church's gain over individual lives. As the narrative unfolds, Julian's tragic arc culminates in a poignant moment of self-sacrifice that echoes themes of martyrdom, ultimately addressing the complexities of faith and the human condition in the face of institutional demands.
Tiny Alice: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Edward Albee
First published: 1965
Genre: Play
Locale: The United States
Plot: Absurdist
Time: The 1960's
Julian, a modest, shy, and benevolent Roman Catholic lay brother and personal secretary to the Cardinal. In his benevolence and his desire to serve, he is a victim of the Roman Catholic Church's avarice. After having become disillusioned with other people's images and uses of God, he loses his faith and commits himself to a mental institution for six years. By the beginning of the play, Julian is Brother Julian, the first lay secretary to a cardinal in church history. He is sent by the Cardinal to Miss Alice to work out the details of the $20 billion grant that the church is to receive from Miss Alice. After frequent meetings with Miss Alice, Julian consents to becoming married to her. After the wedding, he is left alone by all the other characters, including his supposed wife. He discovers that he did not really marry Miss Alice but rather Tiny Alice, the occupant of a miniature replica of the castle in which most of the play's action takes place. Julian has to learn that Miss Alice is only the physical representation of Tiny Alice. He refuses to remain in the castle all alone as the trophy that Tiny Alice demanded for her large grant, desiring instead to return to a mental institution. In response, the Lawyer shoots him. Julian, bleeding to death beside the castle replica, becomes a Christlike figure in a crucifixion pose, thinking initially that he has been forsaken by God but then accepting the sacrifice asked of him and addressing Tiny Alice as God.
Miss Alice, a mysterious young woman apparently hired as a representative by Tiny Alice, the occupant of the miniature of Miss Alice's castle. Although at the beginning of the play Miss Alice seems to be the one giving the grant, and although she likes to order others around, her subordinate role becomes increasingly clear. Like the Lawyer and the Butler, she works for Tiny Alice. She may have had love affairs with the Butler and the Lawyer, whom she seems to be giving up for Julian. Miss Alice likes to joke with Julian and does not want to harm him, but she willingly lures him into marriage to make him a sacrifice for Tiny Alice. Although she seems to care for Julian, she does not try to prevent his death but instead follows the orders of the Lawyer, which are implicitly Tiny Alice's orders.
The Lawyer, an aggressive and intimidating man seemingly employed by Miss Alice but ultimately in the service of Tiny Alice. He represents the intelligent and unfeeling leader. He enjoys teasing his former schoolmate, the Cardinal, with whom he starts numerous arguments and whose problematic past he likes to discuss. He plays with the Cardinal's wish to get the $20 billion grant and delights in catching the Cardinal in failures to use the majestic plural. The Butler is another victim of his witty condescension. The Lawyer seems interested in Miss Alice but ultimately does all that he can to serve Tiny Alice, the occupant of the miniature castle. To provide a sacrifice for her, he shoots Julian and refuses to call a doctor for him.
The Butler, a friendly but puzzling servant seemingly working for Miss Alice but ultimately employed by Tiny Alice. He is benevolent and helpful toward Julian and tries to assist him against the Lawyer's intimidations. Although he presents himself as Julian's friend, he refuses to take orders from Julian after the wedding and joins all other characters in avoiding Julian. He also does not try to prevent Julian's murder, reasoning that, because Julian had been chosen as the sacrifice, he might be better off dead than alive.
The Cardinal, the representative of the Roman Catholic Church, who is to receive grant money from Tiny Alice. The Cardinal is used as an illustration of human conduct: The expectation of the grant makes him forget his principles (the use of the majestic plural) and prevents hesitations about sacrificing his secretary, Julian. With the Lawyer, the Cardinal shows his command of the art of argument and insult. He justifies sacrificing Julian by noting the good that this sacrifice would bring to the Roman Catholic Church, but he does not dare to tell Julian what is awaiting him. After Julian is shot, the Cardinal does not attempt to rescue him but asks him to die as a martyr.