The Transfiguration of Benno Blimpie: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Transfiguration of Benno Blimpie" explores the life and inner turmoil of Benno Blimpie, a profoundly obese and socially marginalized young man. The narrative delves into Benno's struggles with low self-worth and his desire for acceptance, which are exacerbated by his dysfunctional family dynamics and traumatic experiences, including bullying and abuse. Key characters include his cruel mother, Mary, whose resentful nature significantly impacts Benno's psyche; his father, Dominick, who, though harsh, shows a degree of patience; and his grandfather, Pop-Pop, who offers a semblance of care despite his own flaws. The character of Girl, a young streetwise figure, introduces themes of sexual exploitation and manipulation, culminating in a violent act that further complicates Benno's understanding of relationships. Notably, while Benno does not undergo a physical transformation, his psychological journey culminates in a tragic decision to consume himself, reflecting profound despair and a search for meaning in a life filled with neglect and trauma. The interplay between these characters and their effects on Benno provides a poignant commentary on the nature of love, familial obligation, and the quest for identity amidst suffering.
The Transfiguration of Benno Blimpie: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Albert Innaurato
First published: 1976, in Yale/Theater
Genre: Play
Locale: The Italian section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Plot: Expressionism
Time: The 1970's
Benno Blimpie, an enormously obese, physically repulsive man of about twenty-five. Although he is relatively short, he weighs more than five hundred pounds and has a splotchy, sickly complexion and greasy, unkempt hair. His shapeless clothes, too large even for him, are wet with his sweat and filthy from his slovenly habits. Although Benno undergoes no physical transformation, he is depicted at the various stages of his unhappy life in a series of scenes in which his age is indicated by gestures and changes in his voice. He otherwise remains inactive, a large, inert blob. These scenes, like flashbacks in fiction, lead to Benno's transfiguration, or his decision to eat himself to death. Once that decision is made, Benno refers to his previous self in the third person. This former Benno, further revealed through recollections and dreams, is full of longing and desperate for love, but he inspires none, not even in his own family. He is always both frustrated and brutalized by experience. In one episode, he is nearly beaten to death after being sexually abused by three teenage bullies. In another, as a prelude to biting himself on the arm, he imagines himself being cooked in an oven like a roast. Although for a time he is able to find solace in art of the Italian masters and his own drawings, and, presumably, some emotional satisfaction in his perpetual eating, he finally resigns himself to his fate. The transfigured Benno will feed upon himself and, nearing death, eat large quantities of poison so that the rats feeding on his body will die and he, in death, will have achieved some purpose.
Girl, a streetwise tease of twelve or thirteen. Her notable characteristic, suggesting her sensuality, is her red hair. She is full of erotic fantasies and uses her sexual attraction to torment Benno's grandfather, who pursues her shamelessly. Although she finds him offensive, she is willing to let him fondle her as long as he gives her his social security checks. She eventually tires of the lurid games with the old man and stabs him to death with a broken bottle when he tries to overpower her.
Mary, Benno's haggard, middle-aged mother. She is a very coarse, ill-tempered woman who deeply resents the loss of her youth and good looks. Much of her resentment is taken out on her husband and Benno, both of whom she grows to despise. She is loveless and cruel, and her frequent tirades include extremely bitter and vicious remarks that help crush Benno's spirit.
Dominick, Benno's middle-aged father. Like his wife, he is coarse, vulgar, and able to hold his own in the furious family rows. He is a compulsive gambler who is accused by his wife of being a dismal failure both as a husband and as a father. Although greatly disappointed in Benno, he does not revile him as Benno's mother does and is more patient with him. He believes his son is a “pansy” who can never measure up to the father's conception of what it means to be a real man. Although he is less vituperative than Mary, he wounds Benno just as much as she does.
Old man, Benno's grandfather, called Pop-Pop by Benno. He is a lecher, more than seventy years old, with pedophilic preferences. He ardently pursues the girl, who encourages him, even though she finds him physically disgusting. He often has Benno in his care and seems to be Benno's best hope for familial affection. He, at least, is not cruel to Benno and has some protective concern for his welfare. In one of Benno's fantasies, the old man is transformed into an angelic-appearing butcher who covers Benno with a sheet and marks it like a chart used to designate cuts of meat. The old man's murder is profoundly disturbing for Benno and contributes to his alienation and withdrawal.