7th March, 2019

Mariam Naeem
Group 1

Comment on the ways Tennessee presents the relationship between Princess and
Chance in the first two acts of the play Sweet Bird of Youth.
The characters of Chance and Princess are presented as very dominant figures
and throughout the play, Williams portrays them as similar yet different characters, with
problems that help them come together as a compatible duo. The use of effective and
precise stage directions, metaphors, symbolism, repetition, themes, recurrent motifs,
narrative voice, setting, narrative voice, characterization, dialogue and irony helps set the
tone and feeling of the play right and helps portray the scenes effectively and
imaginatively.
We meet Princess and Chance, the two most prominent and important characters
in the play, in the very first scene. The whole of Act 1 is concentrated on these two
characters and reveals the nature of their relationship. We are introduced to Princess as a
woman in the grip of a nightmare, thrashing on the big bed, which is the main centerpiece.
The picture can be perceived as Princess being clueless of her surroundings as Chance, in
his white silk pajamas rises. The stark contrast is seen in the “black kimono” covering the
Princess’ eyes (which furthers the idea of her being unwary) and the “white” of Chance’s
pajamas. It is ironical how Chance is wearing white, as the colour symbolizes purity, and
he is anything but.
The “unawareness” of Princess can be further seen when she wakes up and is in
a disarray, her mind a picture of frenzy. This disorientation later switches to the air of a
woman who knows her place, as she gains control over herself and also proves herself to
be superior to Chance, as a “nice monster.”
Both the characters share qualities that, in a way, link them. They share (almost)
the same experiences of being a failure, more to themselves than to the world outside,
which is perhaps why the play opens with Chance and Princess in their own different
realities, but hidden from the world which can be symbolized by the “morning glare” of
the sun. The room, which provides the two characters with the safety and privacy, away
from the world’s prying eyes, is in the Royal Palm Hotel, thus it's a temporary residence,
which hints at their rootlessness and makes them appear as gypsies, going to and fro
from places, without connecting to any or settling down. Perhaps, it is ironic in the case
of Chance, as this hotel is situated in St. Cloud, his hometown and birthplace, in spite of
which, he still lacks the safety of a place where he can truly belong, as he says to Aunt
Nonnie, “This is the home of my heart. Don't make me homeless.” We can link this to the
motif of finding one’s place in the world and that of belonging and being rooted, that is
present in the play.
 Chance and Princess base their relationship on their mutual needs to feel
validated. It can be suggested that the two are using each other, as is hinted by the first
time Chance meets Princess due to a “mutual practice,” about which Chance says to
Princess, “[he’d] like a stick too.” Thus begins the journey of distrust and secrets through
which Chance and Princess find, in each other, a haven of escape from their nightmarish
lives. The Princess Kosmonopolis and Chance are linked through their similarities and it
can be said that they are able to connect due to the empathy they feel for someone in a
situation similar to theirs. The failures both have faced allows them to help each other
out. The only connection between them, in the beginning, is the string of need; once the
need is fulfilled, both are very dismissive of each other, especially Chance. This is proven
when he suggests a staged contest in which he and Heavenly be declared winners by
Princess’ decision: “We get her out of St. Cloud, we go to the coast together.” The first
“we” in the statement points towards Princess and Chance. However, the second “we”
indicates Heavenly and Chance. Princess says, “And me?” showing how once Chance gets
what he wants from her, he has excluded her from the picture.
Both, Princess and Chance live in a world which are a creation of their experiences
and mind: For Chance, his failure to prove to Boss Finley that he is deserving of Heavenly,
his past (and present) as a gigolo, and the youth he is wasting away, trying to be successful
through means not meant for him and still failing, has lead him to be more desperate for
an opportunity. Aptly, although ironically named, “Chance” does not seem to get the one
chance to actually shine His last name, “Wayne,” hints at his waning youth. Similarly, the
alias “Princess Kosmonopolis” for Alexandra Del Lago, seems to suggest regality, which is
also ironic as, when we get to know her, nothing about her implicates royalty, other than
the way she is able to assert her dominance over Chance. Another similarity between the
two characters can be found here, as Princess is “travelling incognito” and has a hidden
identity. Similarly, Chance, when he first meets her, tells her that his name is “Carl,” as he
“always carries an extra name in [his] pocket,” just like Alexandra Del Lago does to “avoid”
any “reports or condolences.” Chance’s lie leads Princess to mistrust him, but it is Chance
who comments on putting “much faith in anything that could be phoney,” as he has been
“conned and tricked too often.” This is ironic as the roles are reversed and it Chance who
is trying to con the Princess by initially telling her a false name and then recording her
voice to blackmail her.
One similarity between Chance and Princess is that both mourn their youth:
Princess, the youth that she has lost as “the legend of Alexandra Del Lago cannot be
separated from an appearance of youth”, and Chance, the youth that he is wasting away
which is hinted upon when Princess talks about his “laurel wreath” perhaps of success,
“given too early.” This yearning for a fleeting aspect of life makes either character
attractive to the other and they know the other recognizes the importance of it. Both have
a love of physical beauty more than anything else. Chance’s confidence in himself is due
to his appearance. He is the symbol of masculinity and virility and youth, especially for
Princess, which is perhaps why she is so attracted to him and wants to help him and be
his friend. On the other hand, the symbol of youth for Chance is “[his] girl, Heavenly.” It
can be hypothesized that Chance is not exactly in love with Heavenly herself, but the youth
that she symbolizes, and thus his connection with Heavenly is more for his pleasure,
physical and emotional, rather than real affection. This is mirrored in Princess’ character
as she, too, only wants Chance around because he symbolizes beauty and youth for her.
The Princess’ proclamation to be “[his] friend” and that she isn’t a “phoney” displays the
affection she has for him, or rather his youth and physical beauty, which are the two
aspects that both Princess, and Chance think are the vitals of life.
The theme of escape is very prominent with the presentation of these two
characters as Chance is a symbol of escape for the Princess. For the Princess
Kosmonopolis, Chance is someone who can help her “forget” her past so she can avoid
the fact that she’s no longer young and beautiful, and no longer the failure she thought
she was. To cope with the loss of her beauty and youth, she turns to different methods of
“forgetting” or escapism, ranging from pills to alcohol, to drugs to sex. Her needs for
Chance are purely physical and she requires nothing more than sex from him. These are
“exile from whatever [they] loved,” She wants to not “remember and that is through the
art of love-making.” For Chance, she is also an escape as he has “latched onto” her,
showing how he is going to use her to take what he needs, to show off around St. Cloud
to show that he isn’t “washed up.” This can be linked back to Princess describing herself
as a “sailor’s drunk whore,” after -what she thought- a failed comeback. The idea of these
two characters needing each other to some extent is portrayed through the words, “you
stopped being lonely because of my company.” This was directed towards Princess but it
can also be supposed that the same words can be spoken to Chance by Princess, and they
would be true. Chance portrays masculinity and virility and for Princess he is an escape
from the nightmarish life she is living in which we can link to first scene when he literally
helps her get out of a nightmare and calm her down. The metaphor “dead planet, the
moon” is used to portray Princess’ exile and escape and ow Chance saves her from it.
There is a power struggle throughout the two acts, between Princess and Chance.
Between the two, Princess is the one in power since Chance recognizes her authority and
is aware that she is the one who has the means to get him where he wants to be;” have
to? Did you say have to?” shows that she listens to no one. However, the power dynamic
slowly shifts in Chance’s favour, as he wins her over. “I passed the screen test!” Despite
struggling to establish his dominance over Princess, Chance is unable to assert any power
over, at first, as she squashes any such attempts to so: “When monster meets monster,
one monster has to give way.” This quote can be linked to Chance calling Alexandra a
“nice monster.” The two words are in direct contrast to each other, but show that although
the Princess has a past that she calls a “terrible history” she still has a “nice,” rather human
side to the façade as a monster, as can be later seen when she claims she wants “to be
[his] friend.”
 The contrasts between Chance and Princess are there from the very start, with
the difference in the colors of their attires, and the way Princess is a picture of disarray
and Chance, the image of calm. Chance is presented as a smart and calculating person
who is used to having his own way. He is selfish and has a high self-esteem, and holds his
looks in high regard. He believes he can get what he wants through youth and beauty-
which links to the theme of illusion. This belief of his is ironical as other than his looks, he
has not got anything and despite his confidence that physical beauty will get him
anywhere, he does not “make it”. He completely refuses to acknowledge the fact that his
youth has started to fade, as is hinted by his “slightly thinning blond hair.” Princess on
the other hand, despite obsessing over her beauty and youth, the two aspects she knows,
are temporary and thus won’t stay, has come to terms with her life's event and fading
youth. Chance still dreams of success, while Princess has already lived her dreams as a
successful movie star. Being older than Chance and thus experienced, the Princess warns
him of the downward spiral his life will be if he carries down the path of unfair means to
gain what he desires.
The title “Princess” gives the play a feature of a fairytale-like story, which is seen
in the first scene where she is the picture of a “Sleeping Beauty,” so another contrast
between the two is the relationship between “a Princess” and a “gigolo” which brings out
the differences in their statuses. This brings to mind the status difference between The
Prince and The Pauper. Further on, Princess’ comeback, where she runs away from the
masses, “clutching up the regal white train of [her] gown,” while somebody asks her to
“stay, stay!” brings to mind the image Cinderella running away from the palace and her
clothes turning back to rags at midnight. It can be suggested through this, that Princess’
comeback was enough of a disaster for herself that she hides away from searching gazes
that ask, “Is that her?” This is where Chance makes his appearance, perhaps as her prince,
and helps her forget all about her comeback through “the only one” way he “was truly
meant for, love-making.”
Chance’s overwhelming confidence is reason why he thinks he is able to give
people comfort. He says, “Chance’s with you.” which implies his belief that his presence
alone should correct things. When he says, “I take care of you but I am not your nurse,”
we see the caring side of the man brought up in St. Cloud and snatched away from the
love of his life. This shows that his later statement about “[giving] more to people than [I]
took.” is his complaint about never getting enough, as much as he desired of anything.
Although the actual implication of this statement is that he gave them a disease they were
unaware of, it can be read as Chance serving more to the world than the world ever served
to him. Thus, he is the kind of man he is now, where he blackmails Princess only because
she has the power and connections to introduce him to the acting industry and help him
claim the fame he has desired for so long. When she finally realizes Chance’s intentions,
she shows her true self, but then doesn’t seem to care, as he doesn’t have much to
blackmail her with and agrees to help him as long as he makes her “feel young.”
 Even though the play is set within the length of just one day, time is one of the
main themes of the play and how with time, youth and beauty also disappear. For Chance
and Princess, time is a common enemy, though Princess has had her time and moments
to shine, Chance is still waiting for “something better,” but with nothing to “block him”
from rising. Both the characters dread their youth disappearing, which is shown by
Chance’s loss of his innocence and the nobility and obsession with his appearance and
Princess putting on a “face that [she] face[s] the world with.” The mention of time as “the
enemy[…] in us all and how it “hardens people” shows how far both, Princess and Chance
have come, and how they have hardened due to time. Heavenly is symbol of the
impossibility of changing time for Chance, and for Princess, her “terrible” comeback is
now irrevocable. So in the face of all that has happened to the two, they make each other
“almost believe that [they’re] a pair of young lovers without any shame.” The use of the
adjective “young” shows how important youth is to both of them.
While Princess has been “accused of having a death wish,” she remarks “it’s life
that I wish for.” ”On any terms whatsoever,” shows her desperation to be able to live life
to its fullest is similar to Chance’s desire to do the same, but also in contrast with how he
is wasting away his youth. This can be furthered by the Princess’ comment on how Chance
has passed “your time, your youth, you've passed it. It's all you had and you've had it,”
which would bring Chance and Princess to the same page: they’ve both had and lost the
very thing they treasured the most.
Princess has a “disease of the heart that places an early terminal date on [her]
life,” Chance has a venereal disease which, if treated will put a stop to “all [he’s] got to get
by on,” and so is the one reality that he refuses to accept. But despite knowing about the
disease, he serves Princess as much as he can, as he knows she will undoubtedly help him,
which again reflects the faith he has in his ability to make people like him.
Another aspect of the relationship between Princess and Chance can be seen in
Act 1, Scene 2, as the “spectator” and the “performer”, which puts them in a very
professional mood. Both assume their respective roles; Princess is the spectator and the
judge of whether Chance is worthy of being introduced to the acting industry and Chance,
the performer. She discovers Chance’s past to be that of “a lost little boy,” and the
relationship strengthens further when she says she would “like to help find himself,”
though he is “never to be found again.” Chance, however, uses this opportunity to borrow
her Cadillac, and drive around town and show off. This “comeback” was thought through
by Chance but like Princess, “[his] comeback had been a failure,” which results in further
sympathy and pity by Princess when she says,” I felt something in my heart for you.”
There is character development on the Princess’ side as she starts to actually care
for him, while Chance is still using her even towards the end of Act 2, Scene 2, when he
comments on being at the Hotel with “vice-president and major stockholder of the film
studio” to gain some recognition and a certain degree of acceptance from Miss Lucy and
his former acquaintances. Princess’ care is reflected in her words,” There is no one but me
to hold you back from destruction in this place,” and perhaps, for Princess, Chance could
do the same and save her from destruction. But, Chance’s retort “I don’t want to be held,”
is full of dismissiveness as is his attitude towards Princess. When Tom Junior asks Chance
to come down, there is a sense of threat in the scene and the Princess tries to keep him
from doing so, especially after Tom Junior says talks about “get[ting] the knife” if Chance
doesn’t leave St. Cloud. Both of them can “help [each other] stop being the monster” they
are, but while Princess wants them to leave St. Cloud together so they can finally help
each other, Chance, ever the selfish, manipulative person he is, has finally accepted that
he wants to stay and meet whatever fate is lying in wait for him.
William effectively presents Chance as a cunning character who is not lucky
enough to rise to stardom while his presentation of Princess is that of a strong, but retired
woman, dependent of drugs and other methods of escapism. The relationship between
the two is clearly and cleverly presented, with the switching power dynamics and coming
to terms with, and eventually accepting each other as acquaintances,