Overtones Blog

In Overtones, Gerstenberg specifies very quickly that only the "trained" self can hear and see the inner self. From the beginning descriptions of their dresses, it shows that both Harriet and Margaret have deeper, conflicting beings within them. Harriet is wearing is wearing a green, but Hetty is wearing a darker shade of that green. The same goes for Margaret. She is wearing a purple while Maggie wears a darker purple with her face covered in a purple cloth. This shows that both Harriet and Margaret have very hidden people inside of them just waiting to burst out. Only can they hear their inner thoughts though. Hetty and Maggie obviously cannot hear or see each other, but towards the end they try so badly to be heard. They usually keep themselves together and their thoughts inside, but they can't stand it towards the end of the play. They even rip their veils off hoping to be seen.

Harriet can hear Hetty and Margaret can hear Maggie, but they never speak to their inner selves. They try to keep them hidden so deeply. On the outside, they are very proper, welcoming ladies. On the inside, they are heartless, rude women gripping at every word the other woman says because they despise one another. Harriet seems to be in more communication with Hetty than Margaret is with Maggie. Hetty, in the beginning of the play, is unveiled and is spoken to by Harriet a couple times. But not much. Margaret never speaks aloud to Maggie and this in a way shows the Margaret keeps her thoughts way more to herself than Harriet. A rule of the play is that the inner selves of these women must always be veiled and hidden if another woman is in the room. Gerstenberg shows that Hetty and Maggie can't actually be heard or seen when Maggie and Hetty begin to try and interact with the physical world, yet nothing can be touched or held by them. For instance, Maggie tries to grab a piece of cake but fails to do so.

Hetty and Maggie constantly bicker and say exactly what they're feeling throughout the play. They don't care what's going on or who's speaking or how rude they may sound; they just speak without thought or care. Margaret and Harriet try to make their lives seem beautiful, full with happiness and bliss, while their insides know deeply how troubled they are and jealous they are of one another. Hetty and Maggie show us and tell us readers their disappointments and hate towards people and things.

This play showed me that people truly do have inner thoughts. Most people keep things bottled up and hidden inside because they know that it would be hurtful and cause a lot of conflict if they ever said what they were really thinking or feeling.