Broken Glass

Free Broken Glass by Arthur Miller

Book: Broken Glass by Arthur Miller Read Free Book Online
Authors: Arthur Miller
you you could! Try it again, come.
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SYLVIA, she tries to raise her legs: I can’t now.
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GELLBURG: Why not! Come, this is wonderful... ! Reaches for her.
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SYLVIA: Phillip, listen... I don’t want to change, I want Hyman.
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GELLBURG, his purse-mouthed grin: What’s so good about him?—you’re still laying there, practically dead to the world.
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SYLVIA: He helped me get up, I don’t know why. I feel he can get me walking again.
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GELLBURG: Why does it have to be him?
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SYLVIA: Because I can talk to him! I want him. An outburst:  
And I don’t want to discuss it again!
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GELLBURG: Well we’ll see.
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SYLVIA: We will not see!
    GELLBURG: What’s this tone of voice?
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SYLVIA, trembling out of control: It’s a Jewish woman’s tone of voice!
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GELLBURG: A Jewish woman... ! What are you talking about, are you crazy?
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SYLVIA: Don’t you call me crazy, Phillip! I’m talking about it! They are smashing windows and beating children! I am talking about it! Screams at him: I am talking about it, Phillip!
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She grips her head in her confusion. He is stock still; horrified, fearful.
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GELLBURG: What... “beating children”?
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SYLVIA: Never mind. Don’t sleep with me again.
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GELLBURG: How can you say that to me?
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SYLVIA: I can’t bear it. You give me terrible dreams. I’m sorry, Phillip. Maybe in a while but not now.
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GELLBURG: Sylvia, you will kill me if we can’t be together ...
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SYLVIA: You told him we had relations?
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GELLBURG, beginning to weep: Don’t, Sylvia ... !
    SYLVIA: You little liar!—you want him to think I’m crazy? Is that it? Now she breaks into weeping.
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GELLBURG: No! It just... it came out, I didn’t know what I was saying!
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SYLVIA: That I forgot we had relations?! Phillip?
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GELLBURG: Stop that! Don’t say anymore.
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SYLVIA: I’m going to say anything I want to.
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GELLBURG , weeping: You will kill me ... !
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They are silent for a moment.
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SYLVIA: What I did with my life! Out of ignorance. Out of not wanting to shame you in front of other people. A whole life. Gave it away like a couple of pennies—I took better care of my shoes. Turns to him. —You want to talk to me about it now? Take me seriously, Phillip. What happened? I know it’s all you ever thought about, isn’t that true? What happened? Just so I’ll know.
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A long pause.
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GELLBURG: I’m ashamed to mention it. It’s ridiculous.
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SYLVIA: What are you talking about?
    GELLBURG: But I was ignorant, I couldn’t help myself. - When you said you wanted to go back to the firm.
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SYLVIA: What are you talking about?-When?
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GELLBURG: When you had Jerome... and suddenly you didn’t want to keep the house anymore.
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SYLVIA: And?—You didn’t want me to go back to business, so I didn’t.
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He doesn’t speak; her rage an inch below.
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Well what? I didn’t, did I?
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GELLBURG: You held it against me, having to stay home, you know you did. You’ve probably forgotten, but not a day passed, not a person could come into this house that you didn’t keep saying how wonderful and interesting it used to be for you in business. You never forgave me, Sylvia.
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She evades his gaze.
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So whenever I ... when I started to touch you, I felt that.
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SYLVIA : You felt what?
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GELLBURG: That you didn’t want me to be the man here. And then, on top of that when you didn’t want any more children... everything inside me just dried up. And maybe it was also that to me it was a miracle you ever married me in the first place.
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SYLVIA: You mean your face?
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He turns slightly.
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What have you got against your face? A Jew can have a Jewish face.
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Pause.
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GELLBURG: I can’t help my thoughts, nobody can.... I

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