Proof of Reality

For people to believe reality to be what they perceive they must have trust in their senses. While most people have no problem with this, there are cases where people do not trust their senses to accurately portray reality. Such a case is in the play Proof. It’s about Catherine, the daughter of a great mathematician who suffered from schitzofrenia.

In the play’s opening Catherine is already confused. Her father has just died, yet she sees him in the room with her. She doubts her senses and does not trust what she sees. At the same time, she must deal with wanting to trust her father because she loves him but being unable to rely on his image because she knows that she may have inherited his mental illness. Before Catherine is even able to process the dilemma with her father, she is presented with another when her sister comes home.

Catherine’s relationship with Claire also gives her reason to doubt what she sees because she knows that Clair isn’t trustworthy. Their complicated interactions are the result of years of distrust and manipulation. On top of their already poor relations, Catherine’s misgivings about her sister spike when she discovers that Claire has been maneuvering behind her back. Claire cannot be forgiven or trusted after she has been found to be tampering with the most valuable pieces of Catherine’s life.

In the end, Catherine discovers that unlike the mathematics with which she is so familiar, in relationships there is nothing certain. She says, “It’s just evidence. It doesn’t finish the job. It doesn’t prove anything…Nothing [would]. You should have trusted me” Catherine seeks to find the proof that her sense of reality can be trusted. She finds that there is no proof. There is only faith.

Dana "Sunshine"