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Geoffrey Jackson
Eva Jackson is the volatile wife of Geoffrey Jackson. She’s shown to be mentally unstable in some never-explained way, and in Act One she claims that she has to take pills every few hours in order to stabilize her moods. In Act Two, for reasons never explained, she becomes actively suicidal, and tries to kill herself in various grotesque ways while the other characters ignore or misinterpret her actions. In Act Three, Eva seems relatively content and self-controlled, especially compared to the other characters, many of whom are deeply disillusioned with life. But, as with all the other characters in the play, it’s easy to imagine a fourth act in which Eva’s fortunes change once again: such is life for the 1970s British middle class, at least as Ayckbourn sees it.
Eva Jackson Quotes in Absurd Person Singular
The Absurd Person Singular quotes below are all either spoken by Eva Jackson or refer to Eva Jackson. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Act One Quotes
JANE: No, but it's special tonight, isn't it? I mean, with Mr. and Mrs. Brewster-Wright and Mr. and Mrs. Jackson. It's important.
SIDNEY: Don't forget Dick and Lottie Potter. They're coming, too.
JANE: Oh, well, I don't count Dick and Lottie. They're friends.
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Explanation and Analysis:
Jane and Sidney are nervous about hosting their Christmas party, as many hosts would be. They want to make good impressions on their guests, and make it clear that they have a lovely, respectable suburban home. But as this passage makes clear, not all the guests are equal in the Hopcrofts’ eyes. Some are more important and respectable than others. The Brewster-Wrights, in particular, are people who Jane and Sidney see as very important. The passage establishes one of the key themes of the play: there’s an intricate social hierarchy, and every one of the Hopcrofts’ friends belongs in a Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita
SIDNEY: What?
EVA: Did I put that glass in there?
SIDNEY: Er—yes.
EVA: My God, I knew it, I'm going mad. I am finally going mad.
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Explanation and Analysis:
Eva Jackson, the wife of Geoffrey Jackson, suffers from some kind of mental illness, and has to take pills every three hours in order to stabilize her mood. As a result of her condition, she can be somewhat volatile, and in this scene, she casually throws a glass into a trash can without realizing—only to catch herself a moment later. The strange thing about Eva is that, while she’s ostensibly the only character with a defined mental “problem,” she’s also the only character who seems aware of her own problems, and shows some willingness to get better. By contrast, the Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur m
GEOFFREY: Oh now, come off it. Nonsense. She chooses to live with me, she lives by my rules. I mean we've always made that perfectly clear. She lives her life to a certain extent; I live mine, do what I like within reason. It's the only way to do it...
SIDNEY: Good gracious.
RONALD: I wish you'd have a chat with Marion. Convince her.
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Geoffrey Jackson, another one of the guests at the Hopcrofts’ party, is a charismatic, handsome man who likes to brag to his male friends about his sexual conquests. In oblique terms, Geoffrey suggests that he cheats on his wife all the time, but adds that she’s learned to “play by his rules.” In other words, Geoffrey uses adultery to assert his authority over Eva: he’s the “king of the castle,” and Eva has to support him in whatever he does. The passage is a grating, satirical example of “guy talk.” The three male characters crack little jokes about adultery, at Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequu
Act Two Quotes
GEOFFREY: Yes, I know. You’re very anxious, aren't you, that I should go and work for the up and coming Mr. Hopcroft? So is up and coming Mr. Hopcroft.
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As Act Two begins, one year has gone by since the last Christmas party, and things have changed. Sidney, first encountered as a pathetic, struggling businessman (in some vaguely defined field), is now a successful businessman (his jobs has something to do with real estate, but Ayckbourn says almost nothing more about it). Geoffrey Jackson, who in Act One comes across as a cocky, ambitious young architect, is now a cynical, prematurely jaded fellow, who clearly envies Sidney for his sudden success. In the turbulent world of the 1970s middle class, Ayckbourn suggests throughout the play, fortunes are always rising Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati.
GEOFFREY: Eva—I'm being very patient. Very patient indeed. But in a minute I really do believe I'm going to lose my temper. And we know what happens then, don't we? I will take a swing at you and then you will feel hard done by, and by way of reprisal, will systematically go round and smash everything in the flat. And come tomorrow breakfast time, there will be the familiar sight of the three of us, you, me and George, trying to eat our meals off our one surviving plate.
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A year after the Christmas party in Act One, Geoffrey and Eva’s marriage has disintegrated. Geoffrey is contemplating leaving Eva, perhaps forever, and claims that he’s been seeing another woman. Eva, chatty and energetic in Act One, has become quiet and apparently suicidal. Furthermore, Geoffrey alludes to having hit his wife in the past—perhaps on many occasions. Beneath the idle, banal façade of the characters’ lives, there’s a lot of violence in this play. Geoffrey and Eva seem like a typical thirty-something couple, but in fact Geoffrey is an abusive husband who often takes out his anger on his wife, Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea su
GEOFFREY: Now, I'm going to phone the doctor. I’ll just be two minutes, all right? Now, you sit there. Don't move, just sit there like a good girl.
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In this passage, Geoffrey Jackson realizes that Eva Jackson, his wife, has tried to kill herself. Appallingly, he decides to leave her alone while he phones the doctor. This seems like a foolish thing to do, since—just moments ago—she tried to jump out of a window. One would think that Geoffrey should stay with his wife. The passage is a good example of how the actors and director of a theatrical production—not just the playwright—get a hand in interpreting it. On paper, it’s unclear if Geoffrey is just clueless, and doesn’t know any better than to abandon his wife, or Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio
JANE: Shall I tell you something—Sidney would get so angry if he heard me saying this—but I'd far sooner be down here on the floor, on my knees in the oven—than out there, talking. Isn't that terrible. But I’m never at ease, really, at parties. I don't enjoy drinking, you see.
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In this rare moment of candor from Jane Hopcroft, she admits that she doesn’t enjoy drinking or going to parties. This is interesting, since we first met Jane when she was about to host a Christmas party. In many ways, Jane is the most sympathetic character in the play. She doesn’t really buy in to the culture of drinking and shallow conversation that Ayckbourn satirized in Act One (and continues to satirize now). And her desire to find happiness in the act of cleaning, while somewhat pathetic, is also rather poignant. However, whatever sincerity and openness one finds in Jane’s Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accu
SIDNEY: Now. I'll give you a little tip, if you like. You’ll never get a sink unblocked that way.
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After Jane begins scrubbing Eva’s oven, her husband Sidney walks into the room. Noticing that Eva is bending over the sink (she’s dropped the sleeping pills on which she is trying to overdose), Sidney wrongly assumes that Eva is trying to repair her sink. Just like his wife, Sidney is so used to thinking about household appliances (mostly as status symbols) that he can’t see the blatant truth; Eva is trying to end her life. When Sidney begins repairing Eva’s sink, the play becomes more savagely funny and satirical. Act One of the play, while hyperbolic in some ways, was Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo min
Act Three Quotes
EVA: Darling, I hate to remind you but ever since the ceiling of the Harrison building caved in and nearly killed the Manager, Sidney Hopcroft is about your only hope of surviving as an architect in this city.
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In this expository line of dialogue, it’s revealed that Geoffrey Jackson’s career is in crisis. He designed and built a shopping complex, but the building collapsed, nearly killing a few people. Now, nobody in town will hire Geoffrey, with the possible exception of Sidney Hopcroft, a man who, as we’ve seen already, Geoffrey despises. As was the case in Act Two, it’s unclear why Geoffrey’s fortunes have plummeted. We’re given so little information about the collapse of the shopping complex that it’s impossible to tell if the collapse was a product of Geoffrey’s carelessness, or just an unrelated mistake. More Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam elige
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Eva Jackson Character Timeline in Absurd Person Singular
The timeline below shows where the character Eva Jackson appears in Absurd Person Singular. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Act One
...underneath the shelves. Jane pokes her head into the kitchen and announces that the Jacksons, Eva and Geoffrey, have arrived. Jane and Sidney walk out of the kitchen.
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Sidney returns to the kitchen, carrying Marion’s glass, which needs tonic water. Then, Eva walks in. She’s in her thirties and “makes no concessions in either manner or appearance.”...
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Eva, speaking half to herself, goes on to explain that she and her husband, Geoffrey, have...
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...he could “bury” his wife sometimes. Ronald points out that Geoffrey is lucky to have Eva, since she probably has a “jolly good idea” by now, but still lives with Geoffrey....
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Eva strolls into the kitchen and claims that the men have “abandoned” the ladies at the...
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As Eva leaves, Geoffrey brings up a business deal with Ronald—he wants to know if Walter Harrison’s...
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Act Two
Act Two takes place “This Christmas” in the kitchen of Geoffrey and Eva’s fourth-floor flat (apartment). The kitchen seems untidy—the appliances “have seen better days” and the furniture...
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From offstage, Geoffrey plays with his dog, George. He walks into the kitchen and kisses Eva. Eva barely notices—she’s too busy writing. Geoffrey pours himself a drink and complains that Walter...
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Geoffrey notices that Eva seems distracted. He points out that she’s still in her dressing gown. Then, he mentions...
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...liquor in the flat. As he rummages through the drawers looking for alcohol, he reminds Eva that the people coming to the flat that night are really Eva’s friends, not his....
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Geoffrey picks up a dishcloth and carries it around with him. He turns to Eva and claims, “I’m being very patient,” and then says that he might lose his temper,...
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Eva immediately turns to the window. She opens it and stands on the ledge. Geoffrey comes...
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Geoffrey notices Eva’s note on the table and reads it. He asks Eva, “what do you mean, a...
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Alone, Eva writes another note. Then, she turns to the oven and sticks her head inside. Jane...
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...claims should take no more than ten minutes. Jane promises to keep an eye on Eva while Geoffrey is gone. Geoffrey removes the knives from the room, and then walks out....
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Alone with Eva, Jane tells her that George is getting big. She adds that Dick Potter is very...
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Sidney enters the room and sees Eva and Jane. He explains that the Brewster-Wrights have arrived. Seeing that Eva is trying to...
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Sidney steps out of the room, and Eva finds a piece of rope, climbs up on a chair, and begins to tie the...
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...bare wires. Sidney offers to fix the light, and again writes on the back of Eva’s suicide note to explain what he’s doing. As he writes, Eva “scrawls another suicide note.”...
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While Jane, Sidney, and Ronald work, Eva writes yet another suicide note, and then finds a tin of paint stripper. She tries...
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...shirt, and that he’s going to get his overcoat before he freezes. He angrily tells Eva, “That dog of yours is a liability,” and adds, “This is the last time I...
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Faintly, Eva begins to sing, “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” After each verse, a guest joins in—first...
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Act Three
Eva walks into the rom, wearing a winter coat. She complains that the house is very...
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Ronald offers Eva a drink, and she accepts after turning it down the first time. Just then, the...
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...been sneaking drinks. Ronald goes off to look in other parts of the house. Alone, Eva tells Geoffrey that she hates working for him—he leaves in the middle of the day,...
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The bell rings, and Ronald explains that it’s Marion upstairs. Eva goes to attend to Marion. With Geoffrey, Ronald reminisces about his first wife, a woman...
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Eva enters the room again. Ronald asks her how their dog is doing, and Eva tells...
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The doorbell rings, and Eva goes to see who it is. She comes back to the kitchen and tells Ronald...
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...walk into the kitchen and turn on the light, to find Ronald, Marion, Geoffrey, and Eva trying to hide in various spaces. There’s a pause, and then Marion says, “Boo.”
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...put it on George’s collar. She apologizes for not bringing any presents for Geoffrey and Eva—she didn’t know they’d be there.
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...excuse us if we’re not our usual cheery selves.” However, Marion says, “I’m perfectly cheery.” Eva mentions that Geoffrey is “dying” to do jobs for Sidney, and Sidney replies, “I’ll certainly...
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...“sheepishly and reluctantly.” Ronald gets the first forfeit, an apple under the chin, followed by Eva, who gets an orange between the knees. The rest of the game proceeds more quickly,...
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