Show-And-Tell

 A Peculiar Position

Basic Information- A Peculiar Position is a one act written by Eugene Scribe.

Basic Plot- Two young lovers, Barbara and Carlo, are wishing to be married.  Barbara’s mother is disapproving of this marriage due to Carlo’s job.  She says that Barbara will not be wed to a solider.  This does not seem to bother Carlo too much since he has only one year of service left and is now stationed close enough to enjoy frequent visits to his lady love. Barbara’s mother has planned what she sees as a more suitable fit for her daughter marriage, Pepito, who is referred to as a, “nasty mischief-making, tattling, babbling fellow.(1)”  A character by the name of Champigon enters, trying to sell his wines and sorts and is quickly thrown into the mix of the drama within this household.  The Count is wanted for crimes so the Countess seizes the opportunity to swap the passport of the wine seller with her husbands in order to give her husband safe travels, leaving Chanpigon to deal with the punishment of his crimes.  Barbara desperate of relieving herself from this undesired marriage, tries to convince Pepito that she has already been wed.  he questions her to findout that it is this man, Champigon, (although it actually isn’t, he is a distraction).  Little did she know the trouble she was stirring, because once the Major arrives looking to pin down the Count, he is shocked after hearing the different versions of who this man posing as the Count really is.  Only to discover that the major’s only love Adelphine, who left the major for a wealthier, more traveled man is married to Champigon.  After discussing things over with her he has made sense of all this nonsense and the Countess admits to her entire scheme.

Critical take- we are never introduced to the actual Count.  He is only spoken about, and seen by only the Countess towards the end of the play in order to exchange the passports.  This one man causes majority of the issues brought up here, that and the inability for Champigon to be a faithful husband and the peskiness of Pepito. The relationship between Barbara and Carlo seems to be one with strong and deep affections, yet we hardly see the two characters interact with on another.  It is only in the beginning that we get a slight understanding of the young couples relationship. We are then immediately introduced to her forced and unwanted relationship with Pepito, which is a much different relationship than the prior one.  But still we are not given much insight to their relationship.  Scribe mae sthe choice to only give us a general taste of what their relationships are like, have been like, and what they could be, that being either a joyful or miserable one.  Joyful for Barbara and Carlo if they succeed in their goal to marry each other and miserable if they don’t.  For Pepito to be joyful he will be married to Barbara, but that will cause Barbara to live a miserable life. Constantly putting these characters in quite a peculiar posistion.

John Michael Moore