Cruel and Tender Martin Crimp monologue

CRUEL AND TENDER by Martin Crimp

PART PART ONE Scene One  Amelia holds a white pillow pillow.. Her Housekeeper tidies tidies the room. AMELIA  There are are women who believe all men are rapists. I don't believe that becase i! I did believe that how " as a woman " cold I #o on livin# with the label 'victim'$ %ecase I am not a victim " oh no & that's not a part I'm willin# to pla " believe me. She smiles. I was (st )!teen livin# with m !ather livin# ver ver *ietl with m !ather when the )rst man came to m !ather wantin# me. +e described to him the varios was he wanted me while I listened otside the door in the ver short s,irt and the ver hi#h&heeled a#onisin# shoes I had be##ed and be##ed to be allowed to wear. wear. I ran p to m room. Loc,ed the door. Stopped eatin#. She smiles.  Three ears later later and I'm married married & incredibl " to a soldier " to the onl man who has ever remembered the color o! m ees a!ter a sin#le conversation nder a tree. I am ei#hteen ears old and I have a hose a hsband and a bed & a bed with white pillows & and a child. I abandon m corse at niversit to become the mother o! a child & even i! he " the !ather & the soldier who is b now o! corse the #reat #eneral & onl sees this child at distant intervals li,e a !armer inspectin# a crop in a remote )eld. %ecase m hsband is sent ot on one operation a!ter another with the aim " the apparent aim & o! eradicatin# terrorterror- not nderstandin# that the more he )#hts terror the more he creates terror & and even invites terror " who has no eelids &

into his own bed. And now those operations are over instead o! bein# respected !or havin# ris,ed his li!e time and time and time a#ain he is accsed o! war crimes " mrderin# a civilian.  The sa he dra##ed this bo o a bs and ct his heart ot in !ront o! the crowd. /hich is wh we were shipped ot here to the sbrbs close to the airport perimeter and told '0on't tal, to the press' blah blah blah while m hsband vanishes & is driven awa in a blac, car with blac, #lass in the windows and I'm told nothin# & nothin# now !or over a ear. Are o sain# that's reasonable$