Summary Exam prep: The Road to Mecca 2021

SUMMARY: Plot/Theme This play is based on the facts of the life and work of Helen Martins of New Bethseda, South Africa. In Fugard’s foreword he describes the isolated bleakness of the area, which is offset by Mrs. Martins, who has filled her yard with heathen statues and sculptures, all facing toward Mecca. Helen receives an unexpected visit from her much younger friend, Elsa Barlow, who has driven eight hundred miles from Cape Town in response to a letter that seemed to her a cry for help. Helen’s depression has two causes: First, she realizes that her age is catching up with her, and second, she resents the pressure she feels to leave her Mecca and go into an old people’s home. A third character, the Calvinist pastor, Marius Byleveld, comes to Helen’s house, expecting that she has decided to sign the form that will finalize her move to the old people’s home; however, she resists and decides to continue living as she has. Elsa has some serious problems of her own, which she does not reveal until the end of the play. She speaks only of the African woman carrying a baby to whom she had given a lift, food, and money, a woman she left trudging patiently to some unknown destination. The stage setting for this play is pivotal to understanding the theme. Helen’s house is described as “an extraordinary room . . . the walls—mirrors on all of them—are all of different colors, while on the ceiling and floor are solid, multicolored geometric... ANOTHER VERSION: “The Road to Mecca” is the story of the elderly Miss Helen and the interventions of her friends Elsa Barlow and Marius Byleveld. In response to Miss Helen’s plea for help in a letter, Elsa visits with her in an attempt to renew her spirit and confidence. Marius, concerned for Miss Helen’s wellbeing, tries to convince her to move into his church’s care home. In the midst of trying to do what’s best for the elderly artist, beliefs and friendships are challenged. At the end, the love between friends overpowers the differences that placed barriers between them. ANOTHER VERSION: Since her husband's death, Miss H