An Echo In The Bone Crew Character Analysis

Crew’s possession of his family members in An Echo in the Bone provides a uniquely difficult set of circumstances in discerning who is who; Jacko and Sonson’s ability to both occupy their father’s position at different parts of the play blurs the line between all three characters, yet Scott makes sure to allow space for their discernment throughout the text. One of the ways in which Scott explicitly differentiates between these characters while still allowing them room for individuality is through the use of props—namely, Crew’s clothing. Near the start of the play, “SONSON moves away. Strips his shirt off. Puts the dead man’s clothes on deliberately” (Scott 86). Sonson quite literally has to put on his father’s clothing in order to portray

While Scott’s audience may not be sure what Sonson is doing, his change in attire ultimately depicts a change in character altogether. Scott’s explicit stage direction shows his intent to visually differentiate Sonson from his father. In order to include his audience on the ongoings of the play, Scott has Jacko mistakenly call out, “Sonson…” after he walks out into the light after putting on his dead father’s clothes (Scott 87). Any similarity between the true Sonson and the Sonson possessed by Crew is quickly rejected as Sonson cries out, “Crew!” (Scott 87) Rachel takes Sonson’s assertion and runs with it, saying, “My husband! What do you want?” (Scott 87) By this point, the audience is well aware what is happening on stage. Despite the visual similarities between Sonson and his portrayal of his father, they are to understand that they are viewing two separate individuals. As Crew’s possession of Sonson comes to pass, Jacko hands him a “clean shirt” which turns out to be “SONSON’s shirt” from the start of the play (Scott 136). Sonson’s return is marked by his ability to shed his father’s clothes, such a signifier now striking a chord with the play’s audience—by putting his regular clothes back on, Sonson has returned to his original