The Ultimate Symbol of the Loss of Youth in Sweet Bird

In his introduction to Sweet Bird of Youth, Lanford Wilson criticizes theatrical adaptations of the play for straying too far from Tennessee Williams' original work. Specifically,Wilson mentions that on stage, the word "castrate" was omitted completely, which he deems to be "unlike Tennessee to not be more straightforward." I have to agree with Wilson; Sweet Bird of Youth is very straightforward. I was actually taken aback at first by the repetition of "castrate" throughout the play. At the end of the day, it's as though each of the most significant characters is castrated, the ultimate sign of the loss of youth. 

Castration is at the center of each of the characters' roles in some way or another. Heavenly has to undergo "a whore's operation" in order to cure herself of a venereal disease she catches from Chance, a black man is castrated at the hand of Boss Tinley, Chance faces castration as punishment for his "sin" against Heavenly, and even Princess Kosmonopolis states that "age does the same thing to a woman..." (93), for she too, will face infertility and the certain degradation of old age. 

The painful, heart-wrenching loss of youth serves as the central pervading theme of Sweet Bird of Youth, and hence, castration becomes a representation of that definite loss. In Act I Scene I, the Princess and Chance wake up and discover that it is Easter Sunday. Although I wouldn't go so far as to call Chance a Christ figure, there are some parallels... Chance accepts castration as punishment for his sins willingly; he sacrifices himself at the end of the play when he leaves his world of dreams behind to re-enter reality. 

-Kayla