Theatrical Adaptation

Uncle Peck - More than just a Criminal

Many offenders are known to have committed such crimes while still leading a normal life with a family and spouse. The BTK murderer, Dennis Rader, is one example of this. He had a wife, children, a house, a job, and even volunteered at the family’s church. No one knew he was the brutal murderer of Wichita, Kansas. I have always thought that this was interesting. How is it possible that such inhumane people are able to lead double lives; teaching Sunday school by day and committing heinous crimes by night? I always assumed these criminals were too sick or demented to participate in normal aspects of society, and I never thought I could feel sorry for such a person. However, I experienced this exact thing in the play How I Learned to Drive, with respect to the character Uncle Peck. I think one thing that makes this play so unique is its ability to let the audience see the human side of his character.

In the play, Lil Bit struggles with the effects of being molested as a child by her uncle. The audience is made aware of this from the beginning of the play through various monologues. I immediately assumed that the uncle’s character would be displayed as a creepy, distorted human with essentially evil tendencies and obsessions. However, this was not the case. I did not condone Uncle Peck’s actions in any way, yet at the same time I felt sorry for the ongoing cycle he seemed to be trapped in. Lil Bit makes a comment towards the end of the play asking herself who sexually abused her uncle as a child. In this remark, Lil Bit herself expresses a feeling of compassion for his situation. I also sympathized for his character in the hotel scene, when he proposed to his niece or when he comforted her when she was upset by the rest of her family. He seemed to really love and care for Lil Bit as his obsession proved to be beyond the physical level. This does not justify what he did to Lil Bit as a child, but instead it depicts his ability to love. This made me I wonder if Uncle Peck was aware of the emotional damage he was causing his niece, because if he truly loved her, he would not want to hurt her. After all, he did express to Lil Bit multiple times that anything that happened between them would be consensual.

These examples are two of the many instances in the play that made me see another side to Uncle Peck – a side with more depth and natural characteristics than the personality of a stereotypical criminal. I do not think that Uncle Peck was justified in any way with what he did. I think there were many things he could have done to stop the molestation cycle. However, I think the play How I Learned to Drive was successful at accurately depicting how criminals are still human.

posted by Layne @ 12:21 AM