Venus

Why is it important that the Brother pretended to marry the Girl when he was 12 years old? How does the idea of a pretend marriage carry throughout the play, influencing the different kinds of relationships the Venus has with European men?

The Venus agrees to go to Europe to make money, but she quickly realizes that her living conditions are what she was promised. Use evidence from the text to illustrate the conditions in which the Venus lived. How do these conditions reflect the issues in English society at the time?

The Mother-Showman is the second “owner” of the Venus in the play. In what ways is the Mother-Showman different from either the Brother or the Baron Docteur? How does the Mother-Showman’s name inform a reading of his character and how the audience reacts to his presence on stage, both during his own exhibition and in the performance of Venus?

The play is full of pauses, both in the form of (Rest) pauses and “spells,” in which character names are repeated without dialogue. How do pauses play into the atmosphere of the play? Pick a scene with a “spell,” and envision the kind of actions the actors might perform during it.

Other than the Venus, the 8 Human Wonders, the Giant, and the Dwarf are all cited as other examples of “freaks.” How is the concept of “freak” defined in the text? How is the Venus a “freak?” Is there any evidence to refute the Venus’s connection to the other members of the show?

Parks uses the technique of including a play-within-a-play in Venus, called “For the Love of the Venus.” Briefly summarize the events of this interior play, then connect the characters within it to the characters in Venus. Are there overlapping ideas and connections between the two? How does “For the Love of the Venus” explain more about European society, and how can that information then be applied to Venus?

Both the Baron Docteur and the Anatomists masturbate with their backs turned to the Venus. Why do they masturbate, and what is the significance of turning their backs to the Venus?

When the Negro Resurrectionist and the Grade-School Chum interact, the Negro Resurrectionist reveals his former occupation as a graverobber. How does this profession interact with the story of the Venus? Why would Parks choose a graverobber as the guide and host of the play?