Act II of Proof by David Auburn (Essay Sample)

Student´s Name Professor´s Name Course Date Act II of Proof by David Auburn The play portrays Catherine as a stubborn, quick-witted, and protagonist. Catherine is a woman in her mid-twenties and has been caring for the sick father. The play opens and conveys to the audience that Robert, Catherine´s father, died recently and was considered a famous mathematician. Robert´s death compels her daughter to figure out what to do next regarding her life. When Claire (Catherine´s sister) gets back from New York and suggests that her sister is not mentally healthy to live on her own, the issue becomes a contention. Catherine rejects the suggestion forcefully. The character of Catherine demonstrates that trust in individuals resembles and mirrors trust in mathematic proofs. The other tension that recurs entails the perception that Catherine has inherited the mental illness from her father because she is prone to depression (Bradford Para 4). However, there is no clarity about the severity of the condition. For example, Catherine talking to her dead father should not be considered normal grieving as it could be hallucination. She is not even sure of herself. She is only sure that when she cared for the father, she wrote groundbreaking and complicated mathematic proof that echoed her father´s work when the latter was her age. Other characters find it difficult to believe at first. This also includes Hal who is Catherine´s romantic partner. Claire thinks her sister does not have the sanity to have written the proofs while the boyfriend thinks she does not have sufficient education because Catherine dropped out of college to look after her ailing father. Hal dismissing the abil...