Comment on the relationship between Chance and Princess.

Chance Wayne and Princess Kosmonopolis, also known as Alexandra Del Lago, don't know each other well, so some might describe their relationship as superficial; however, Chance and Princess have some interesting experiences and attitudes in common, which makes their relationship more interesting than it might seem at first.
Chance has recently been making his living as a gigolo, and as a young, good-looking man with a Broadway career in his past, he has enjoyed some success with older women. Princess appears to have chosen Chance because he appeared to her by chance, on Palm Beach. His youth and his role as lover and escort enable Princess to feel younger herself, which is important to her as an aging film star fantasizing about a comeback in the movie industry.
Both Chance and Princess are a little bit unstable and vain, and they both know what it feels like to have people expect something of them because of how they look. They also both know what it feels like to be rejected by a community that once embraced them and made them feel special. Though their relationship may feel fraught, they have found some relief in the companionship of the other, which makes their relationship meaningful.


Tennessee Williams presents both Chance and the Princess as gripped by fear of aging and decline. Both are clinging to their lost youth. In Chance’s case, his glory days as a handsome teenaged performer came very young. The Princess had enjoyed brief fame in the movies, but she feels she outlived her opportunities for stardom. In this regard, although only his name is “chance,” both represent an aspect of the “last chance” they might have to succeed—or in Chance’s case, even to survive.
Their relationship initially seems founded on mutual distrust and manipulation. Chance is a predator: he has been making his living by preying on women, using his good looks and boyish charm to get them to support him. Refusing to face the reality of his decline, he still believes that he is serving as a handsome escort to the Princess, and thus is providing her with a service. The extent of his delusion is later revealed; while he has tricked the Princess into arranging a contract, it is clearly fraudulent, and he tries to convince the Princess to help not just him but also his beloved Heavenly gain Hollywood acting roles.
The Princess makes her living by perpetuating illusions onscreen, but she proves to be much more of a realist than Chance. Although apparently afflicted with an over-dependence on or addiction to an unspecified medication, her more fundamental problem is the realization that an aging actress has little future in Hollywood. She had fled after her on-screen appearance playing someone her real age had badly frightened her; when she met Chance, she used him both for sex and as her driver. After she learns that her newest role has brought her success, she realizes that she can rescue Chance from the punishment the townspeople are likely to inflict. Ultimately, she accepts the fact that he is doomed and that she can only save herself.


The relationship between the Princess and Chance is based on mutual need. Both need the other to validate themselves, to give each other a sense of worth after years of failure and setbacks. But there's no real depth to the relationship, no love or genuine affection. Essentially, they are using each other.
As Chance and the Princess are held together by need, it's inevitable that they will part once their needs have been fulfilled. And indeed, that's precisely what happens. Once the Princess—the actress Alexandra Del Lago—makes a professional comeback, she has no further need of a paid companion, a gigolo who would tarnish her public reputation. Chance kept Alexandra young while she was going through a bad patch in both her personal life and her career. But her second shot at stardom has rejuvenated her; now she can feel young again without Chance's assistance.
For his part, Chance saw Alexandra as his meal ticket to Hollywood stardom. But after Alexandra dumps him, his hopes are dashed. This indicates that, although the relationship between Chance and the Princess was based on mutual need, it was always a profoundly unequal relationship, with Princess Kosmonopolis—Alexandra Del Lago herself—ultimately the senior partner.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

How does Bilbo show leadership and courage in The Hobbit?

What was the effect of World War II on African Americans?

How is Jack in William Golding's The Lord of the Flies presented as militaristic?