"But that idea puts an entirely different spin on the ending and one that would seem to justify Oscar's complete 180 degree turn around, that, in a traditional production, comes out of nowhere. We haven't seen anything in the writing, from the scene in which Charity and Oscar meet to the scene in which he abruptly leaves her, that indicates that he has any issues with her at all and they seem to have a rather sweet, traditional relationship where each one's baggage complements the other's."
With all due respect, I don't think you're remembering the original clearly. In the show as originally written, Oscar doesn't find out until VERY late in the proceedings that Charity is actually a dance hall girl -- with all that implies. She had told him she worked in a bank, and we learn that he found out the truth when he followed her to work one day. (Creepy, I know -- but then he seems to be a guy with a lot of "issues.") Yes, when Oscar finds out the truth, he at first tells her he has no problem with it. But I think it's meant to be clear that he's just TELLING himself he has no problem with it, when in fact he has a HUGE problem with it. Which is why he freaks out and abruptly leaves her in the last scene. |
