2. DOUGLAS JAMES
Douglas James, a British National
was born in Bray in 1929 and
has written frequently for
television, most notably as the
creator of The Riordans, RTE’s
long-running serial in the 1970s.
He has also written a number
of plays includingThe Savages,
The Ice Goddess and North
Traffic Straight Ahead, an ironic
drama of wasted urban lives.
3. Theme
The theme of the play emphasizes the significance of
intelligence, the presence of mind and a cool head in
situations of crisis.
Panic complicates matters but cool temperament can
help one wiggle out of the tight corners with ease.
Criminals, who mastermind most deceitful crimes, can
also be outwitted because they have a fear of getting
caught by the law.
Hence, tactful planning and handling of a situation can
trap even the so-called smart criminals.
4. Message
The play gives the message that over confidence can lead
to disastrous results.
One should never consider oneself to be smarter than
their opponent as is done by the intruder who thinks
that Gerrard is no match for him.
The play also conveys that intelligence, the presence of
the mind and cool headedness can help us overcome the
biggest of problems that we may encounter.
5. Humour
Though the play deals with a criminal and a playwright threatened
by him, there is a thread of humour that runs through the play.The
humour is neither boisterous nor unnatural. It is refined and subtle.
Gerrard’s cool- headedness and presence of mind make him come
out with such witty and sarcastic remarks that annoy the Intruder
and amuse the audience.When the Intruder asks him to talk about
himself, rather than panicking, he says he is happy to have a
sympathetic audience.When the Intruder says he intends to live in
his cottage, Gerrard, rather than being shocked, says,“You have not
been invited”.Talking about the Intruder’s looks, Gerrard remarks,
“You are not particularly decorative”. Such humour runs
throughout the play and making it not just a gripping drama but also
an entertaining one.
6. Value points
This play follows the life of a playwright who is named Gerrard.
This play by Douglas James is an account of how Gerrard
escapes a killer through his sheer cleverness.
We see Gerrard is ready to leave for a rehearsal when he
encounters an intruder.Thus, upon finding himself in a fix,
Gerrard manages to convince the intruder to not kill him.
We learn that the intruder was planning to assume Gerrard’s
identity as the police were looking for him.
Lucky for Gerrard, his cleverness and wit save him from getting
killed.
Gerrard not only successfully saves his own life but also helps
catch a criminal.
7. Content Analysis
If I WereYou starts with the playwright, Gerrard, preparing to leave his home to attend
a rehearsal.After talking on the phone, he starts to pack his travel bag when he notices
an intruder enter from his right side.
He notices that the intruder has a stark resemblance and is holding a revolver in his
hands.Thus, he learns that he is a criminal who directs him to put his hands in the air.
However, Gerrard is surprisingly cool even at gunpoint and chats pleasantly with him.
Finally, the intruder makes Gerrard sit on a chair.
After hearing their conversation, we learn that Gerrard is a man who lives alone and
owns a car. It is clear that he is kind of mysterious in some ways because he is
constantly in and out.We see that Gerrard stays at his home and for some days isn’t
there.
Moreover, he only talks on the phone without really meeting his tradesmen.After
learning all this, we come to know about the intruder too. He is a criminal who is
mainly a jewelry robber.After killing a policeman, he is fleeing from the police and due
to this resemblance to Gerrard, he plans to kill him and assume his identity to get rid of
the police.
8. Contd…
Gerrard makes out that the intruder is not so smart but only
over-confident.Thus, he plans something witty and lies to the
intruder. He makes up a story that Gerrard is also a criminal and
murderer himself. Much similar to the intruder, the police are
also after him and if he ends up killing Gerrard, the intruder will
be killed either way.
So, the intruder believes his story and Gerrard convinces him to
go inside the garage from where they both can flee in his car.
After opening the garage door, we learn that it was actually a
cupboard in which Gerrard locks up the intruder and informs
the police of his whereabouts.Thus, we see that how a little
alertness and cleverness saved Gerrard’s life.
9. Character analysis of the Intruder
The intruder is villainous, a confirmed criminal who makes intriguing
plans to dodge the police.
He has evil intentions to achieve his aims.
Cold blooded and cruel as he is, he does not hesitate from murdering
innocent people for his selfish gains.
The intruder is a criminal who has been eluding the police ever since
he killed a cop.
He has no sense of remorse for the crime he has committed, he is
further in the mire of criminal activities.
Over confidence makes him feel that he has made a brilliant plan of
murdering Gerrard and escaping the law by impersonating him.
He is outwitted by Gerrard and unsuspectingly walks in to the trap.
This heartless criminal meets a befitting end.
10. Character analysis of Gerrard
Gerrard, the protagonist is portrayed as a man of many virtues. He is endowed
with a brilliant wit, a sharp mind, smart thinking and a sense of humour.
All these qualities combined with a cool temperament enable him to handle even a
life threatening situation very successfully and easily.
The sight of the intruder doesn’t ruffle him and he talks to him very courteously
and pleasantly.
His sense of humour irritates the intruder many times.
Even when acting funny, he keeps his presence of mind and lays a trap for the
intruder.
Everything comes so naturally and spontaneously to him that the intruder walks
into his trap unsuspectingly.
Gerrard’s intelligence not only outwits the intruder and saves his own life but also
helps the police in nabbing a wanted criminal.
11. Assignment
Short answer type questions : (30-40 words)
Q1.What did Gerrard tell the intruder about himself? Was he telling the
truth? Why/Why not?
Q2.Why did the intruder choose Gerrard as the man whose identity he
wanted to take on?
Q3.Why and how did Gerrard persuade the intruder to get into the
cupboard?
Long answer type question : (100-120 words)
‘The best way to deal with a crisis is not to lose your calm’Elucidate this
statement with reference to the behaviour of Gerrard in the play.
