Erica S.'s Response to Soo-Jin's Saving Mom

Observation/Affirmation

-The new pages exploring and giving insight into the dynamics of mom and reverends relationship really opened the play up for me. This relationship is intriguing and complicated and fascinating.
The concept of cheung seems very important to understanding this relationship (and the play as a whole). Seems like you really hit on something...
-As is probably clear from the above, the mom/reverend relationship is the most interesting to me, and seems to be the reason for everything else.
-Harriet mom and reverend are all increasingly real and nuanced characters.
-Harriet's mention of dad's alcoholism gives great insight into not only dad's character but also mom/rev's relationship, AND why Harriet might be drawn to/need the rev.

Questions:
These aren't necessarily questions I want answered directly in the play,,, but would like to see hints of the answers in the existing relationships...

-How do Harriet and Mom relate when the rev is not around? What do they talk about when they aren't talking about the reverend/church? Are there other points of contention in their relationship?
- How does sex play into Rev and Mom's relationship? In Rev and his wife's relationship? In mom and dad's relationship?
- Is Harriet a virgin? Was rev her first kiss?
- What (if any) emotions and/or physical reactions other than disgust and outrage did Harriet feel after the Reverend kissed her?
- What would dad do if mom left? who would Harriet and sunshine choose to live with?
- How do Rev and Mom treat each other's spouses? Treat each other around their spouses?
- Is mom the only woman that the Rev has this sort of relationship with?
-If the rev could have wildly passionate sex with either mom or Harriet who would he choose?


Criticism

It seems like you know the mom/rev relationship the best and that it is really the focal point of the play (this deduction may be being skewed by the focus on this relationship in class yesterday)...
The Mom/Rev relationship is intrinsic to all other relationships/action in the play and thus becomes the foundation of the play for me as reader/viewer... That is to say, everything that happens between Harriet and the Reverend happens in a way because of the mom's existing relationship with him, and is that much more interesting and complicated because of this relationship. I am interested to see how you will build these two (strong) storylines into eachother.