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A Boy/Adam
Brian is a sensitive, emotional teenage boy who crumbles under the pressure of lying to the police in the wake of Adam’s “death.” Brian wants to come clean to the authorities as soon as he learns what has happened to Adam, but his voice is drowned out as the others search wildly for a way to obscure their involvement in the crime. Perhaps as a result of the trauma of his schoolmate’s death compounded with the indignity of being ignored and underestimated, Brian soon finds himself strung out on several psychiatric medications which make him giddy, loopy, and childlike. Several weeks into the cover-up, Brian and Cathy find Adam living in the woods near their school—but this time, Brian doesn’t suggest they do the right thing, and instead complies with Phil’s orders to murder Adam for real. Brian represents the destabilizing, disorienting, and destructive effects of peer pressure, bullying, and groupthink. After such acute trauma and sustained cruelty, Brian is simply unable to stand up to his peers any longer, instead retreating into a world inside his head.
Brian Quotes in DNA
The DNA quotes below are all either spoken by Brian or refer to Brian. 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:
).
Scene 1 Quotes
JOHN TATE: Are you on my side? With Richard and Danny? Are you on our side, Cathy?
CATHY: Yes.
JOHN TATE: Good. Lou?
LOU: Yes.
JOHN TATE: You’re on our side, Lou?
LOU: Yes, John.
JOHN TATE: You sure?
LOU: Yeah, I’m –
JOHN TATE: That just leaves you, Brian. You crying little piece of filth.
Beat. BRIAN stops crying. Looks up.
BRIAN: I think we should tell someone.
JOHN TATE begins to walk towards BRIAN.
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As John Tate attempts to get everyone in the group on his side, demanding vows of loyalty and obedience from them, one member of the group resists. Brian, a kind and sensitive teenager whose emotional reaction to Adam’s death stands in stark contrast to the unfeeling or downright gleeful reactions of his peers, resists declaring loyalty to the cruel and intimidating John Tate. The moment Brian declares that he thinks they should do the right thing and “tell someone” about what’s happening, John Tate begins walking toward Brian, physically threatening him. Though the boys’ fight is diffused before it even 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 minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis.
Scene 2 Quotes
He’s not joking, he’s not going, he’s said he’s not going, I said you’ve gotta go, he said he’s not going, ‘I’m not going’ he said.
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In this brief scene, Mark and Jan cryptically discuss one of their classmates’ refusal to go somewhere. Mark and Jan are clearly concerned about this refusal and what it will mean for them—and as the scene unfolds, it becomes clear that they want this individual to change his mind. Eventually, it will become clear that the person they’re discussing is Brian, and the place that Brian doesn’t want to go is the police station. The police have apprehended the man matching the false description Brian gave of Adam’s fictitious kidnapper—and Brian must confirm the man’s identity, possibly landing this innocent 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 minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas d
No, no, yeah, no, actually, because that man, the man who, he doesn’t actually, I mean I’m not being fussy or anything, but the man who kidnapped Adam doesn’t actually exist, does he. Well does he?
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In this passage, Leah learns that a man matching a false description of Adam’s fake kidnapper—which was created by Phil and reported by Brian—has been apprehended and taken into custody in connection with Adam’s disappearance. Leah is confused and disoriented—she insists that what’s happening can’t be happening, since a man who doesn’t exist can’t possibly have been found. This passage shows how peer pressure and lies can warp reality, transforming fiction into fact and vice versa. Though Adam’s death—or supposed death—is the direct result of his peers’ actions, the group has created a reality in which it is the fault 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 minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia ea
PHIL: You’re going in.
BRIAN: No.
PHIL: Yes.
BRIAN: No, Phil –
PHIL: Yes, yes, shhhh, yes. Sorry. You have to go in. Or we’ll take you up the grille. […] We’ll throw you in.
RICHARD: Er, Phil.
DANNY: Is he serious?
LEAH: He’s always serious.
PHIL: We’ll take you up the grille now. Well get you by the arms. By the legs. And we’ll swing you onto the grille. We’ll throw rocks at you until you drop through. You’ll drop through. You’ll fall into the cold. Into the dark. You’ll land on Adam’s corpse and you’ll rot together.
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In this passage, Phil pressures—and then bullies—Brian into going to the police station to confirm the identity of the random man who has been apprehended as Adam’s kidnapper or murderer. Based on the false report Brian made to the police weeks ago, the authorities have brought in a man matching the description—a description that Phil made up seemingly on the spot. Now, Brian is forced to choose between doing what’s right and coming clean or doing what’s wrong and perpetuating Phil’s lies—but here, Phil warns Brian that if he doesn’t keep up the charade, there will be deadly consequences. Phil 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 minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis co
Scene 3 Quotes
LEAH: It’s incredible. The change. This place. You’re a miracle worker. Everyone’s happy. […] Funny thing is they’re all actually behaving better as well. I saw Jan helping a first year find the gym. Mark’s been doing charity work, for Christ’s sake. Maybe being seen as heroes is making them behave like heroes.
PHIL considers his waffle. Decides it needs more jam.
Yeah, everyone happy. Well it’s not all roses, you know. Brian’s on medication. […] John Tate hasn’t been seen in weeks, and the postman’s facing the rest of his life in prison, but, you know, omelettes and eggs, as long as you’ve your waffle, who cares.
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In this scene—the first in the third act of the play—Leah comments blithely upon the happy and miraculous changes that have taken place in their school in the weeks since Phil has taken charge of the cover-up surrounding Adam’s supposed death. As Leah fawningly tells Phil about all the good he’s done, Phil tunes her out and eats a waffle—a symbol of his complete emotional isolation from her. Leah, sensing Phil’s remove, changes tack and begins complaining instead about all the complications Phil’s plan has created. Leah is—as she always has been—desperate to get through to Phil, but now her 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 minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores.
BRIAN: Don’t they eat earth somewhere? Shall we eat the earth? I wonder what earth tastes like, what do you think it, do you think it tastes earthy, or, or...
He bends down to eat a handful of earth. […]
That’s disgusting!
He suddenly starts giggling as he scrapes the earth from his mouth.
CATHY: I dunno how he’s survived, what he’s eaten.
BRIAN: (Like it’s hilarious) He’s probably been eating earth!
He bursts into laughter.
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In this scene, Brian, who has recently discovered Adam living in a fort made of hedges in the woods, experiences a profound mental collapse. Brian has already been heavily medicated in the wake of his involvement in covering up Adam’s supposed murder—the already sensitive young man has been pushed to the brink by a heavy cocktail of psychiatric drugs. Here, as Brain is forced to once again confront the traumatic reality of what his actions have done to those around him—friends and strangers alike—Brian resorts to eating earth. His rash decision to sample handfuls of dirt from the ground demonstrates 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 minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam
BRIAN: That was great!
PHIL: You just do what Cathy says.
BRIAN: I am brilliant at doing what people say.
LEAH: No! Stop, don’t, don’t, Phil, don’t, what are you doing, what are you...
PHIL: He’s dead, everyone thinks he’s dead. What difference will it make?
She stares at him.
LEAH: But he’s not dead. He’s alive.
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In this passage, Phil orders Brian to go with Cathy and make a “game” of killing Adam—for real this time—by strangling him with a plastic bag. Phil and the others have recently discovered that Adam isn’t dead—in fact, he’s been living in the woods near their school for weeks. Phil knows that if the amnesiac Adam regains his memory and returns to society, the group’s plot will be exposed and there will be legal consequences—Phil is determined to keep that from happening, and so he orders Adam’s death. Leah protests, insisting that Adam is alive and needs to be helped 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 minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium e
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Brian Character Timeline in DNA
The timeline below shows where the character Brian appears in DNA. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Scene 1
Richard enters. Cathy and Brian are with him. Cathy is grinning, but Brian is crying. “He’s dead,” Richard says, and...
(full context)
...promises of loyalty and solidarity from Danny, Cathy, Lou, and Richard, John Tate notices that Brian is crying. He demands that Brian, whom he calls a “little piece of filth,” declare...
(full context)
...he claims to be making it up on the spot. He orders Richard to take Brian to the head of the school and tell the man that he found Brian crying...
(full context)
Scene 2
Danny says the authorities are looking for Brian, the one who reported having seen Adam with a postman in the first place. Leah...
(full context)
...ran the DNA on Adam’s sweater through a database and pulled up a man matching Brian’s description of the postman. Leah asks how this could have happened. Cathy says that she...
(full context)
Jan, Mark, and Brian enter. Brian is crying and complaining that he doesn’t want to go to the police...
(full context)
...She asks Phil what to do. Phil doesn’t answer her, and instead goes over to Brian and puts a hand on the boy’s shoulder. Phil tells Brian that he has to...
(full context)
Scene 3
Not everything, Leah admits, is perfect. Brian’s been put on medication, John Tate hasn’t been seen in many weeks, and the postman...
(full context)
In the woods, Cathy, Brian, Phil, Leah, Mark, Lou, and Jan are standing around a boy who is dressed in...
(full context)
Brian says that when he found the boy, he didn’t seem to know his own name....
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...both ask what they’re going to do. Leah warns everyone to try not to panic. Brian starts giggling. Leah asks Phil what they’re all going to do, but Phil doesn’t answer...
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...science building after Adam. Adam asks if he’s dead, and Lou tells him he’s not. Brian starts giggling, declaring that everything is “great.” Jan and Mark ask what they’re going to...
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...happy living in the hedge. Adam thinks for a moment but doesn’t respond. Phil tells Brian to take Adam back to the hedge where he found him, then return alone. Brian,...
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...look at Leah, and instead asks Cathy if she understands him. Cathy says she does. Brian returns, giggling madly. Leah asks Phil what will happen if Adam returns to society in...
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As Leah tries and fails to interject, Phil tells Brian he wants to show him an experiment using a plastic bag. Brian is excited. Phil...
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...Leah points out that Adam isn’t really dead—he’s alive. Leah tries to stop Cathy and Brian from heading off into the woods, but they ignore her. Leah turns to Phil and...
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Scene 4
...an evangelist. Danny is doing an internship at a nearby dentist’s office but hates it. Brian has been dosed with an even heavier medication which has made him nearly catatonic. Cathy...
(full context)
