I've just recently seen Bus Stop and I was wondering:
Why does Virge stay at the bus stop? What's more, he kind of breaks with his former life and leaves everything. He says at the end that all his belonging "should be split among the boys". So he leaves everything behind. What puzzles me is what's the motive behind that?
well, it's because he's got a crush on Grace, I thought. I always figured he was gonna stay and try to get hooked up with Grace. If anyone disagrees, I'd be interested to know ...
shareIt didn't really make sense to me either that he suddenly decides to leave. I think the writers just wanted to stress that Bo was becoming a man, and the father figure staying behind just emphacises that he's now grown up, and he's treated more like a grown up who can look out for himself.
- Jenn
* http://www.medialondon.co.uk
It make sense to me, when a guy is single, it good to see him change his old life, leave his old friends to find something new to explore. That is beautiful.
shareI think he just didn't want to be a fifth wheel. Also, he was supposed to take care of Bo while he was growing up, but now Bo was grown up & getting married, and he figured Bo didn't need him anymore.
shareIf you examine the play further, you can figure out why. it's like some have said, he needed to let Bo go. It's not a cowboy love thing or anything like that, but it has more to deal with Bo's capacity to love. He could only seem to love one person at a time, and Virgil knew that
shareThose of us familiar with the theatrical version have had some thematic legends passed down to us through the years. I played Virge in a production in the late 80's. The director, then directing his fifth production of the play, had me play it with the idea that Virge knows that he is about to die. So, his decision to stay would make perfect sense, given his love (as a father figure) to Beau. A key to directing the play is in the question of "Who is telling the story?". And it clearly is told from Virge's (Virgil---the great storyteller)perspective.
This idea that he knows he will die, not only gives the character a rather frantic motivation for all of his actions, but also gives the story a darker "Inge" edge. In the stage production, the final moments have Grace telling Virge that the diner is about to close and that it looks like he is simply "Left Out in the Cold". Virge's reaction to this, while vacantly watching out the window as the bus disappears is "I guess that's just what happens to some people..." This is a perfect moment for the character to reveal to the audience, (with his back to Grace and Elma) that something is very wrong.
In typical Inge fashion, this play is very dark. Dr. Lyman is a pedophile, Carl the Bus Driver is married and screwing around with the ever-hopeful Grace, Cherie is just-this-side of being a callgirl and her young lover Beau--the cowboy virgin---refers to her as "Cherry". The story deals with the theme of people being reminded of themselves at an earlier time. i.e. The Sherrif/Beau, Beau/Cherie as an innocent Girl, Elma/Dr Lyman as a young man, etc.. A brilliant American play. The movie cuts most of this story out.
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I really hate that Part.. I don't know Why VIrgil can't stay with them ...He was and old man,,,maybe it was time that Bo take care of virgil. all they can't be a happy big family?
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