Faith Healer Ending

[Lenexajones]

Posted: 5/4/08 at 1:08am

Just got back from an excellent production of the Faith Healer in KCMO. The group I was with all had differing opinions as to what the heck happened at the end. Can anyone who has seen this fine play tell me their opinion of what the very ending was supposed to mean?

Thanks much.

[fosca3]

Posted: 5/4/08 at 10:09am

I'm not sure if I'm answering your question or not --

Frank was always sure when NOTHING would happen. If he went on and wasn't sure, it could have gone either way. That nite, as he went out into the yard, he knew that his healing powers were not going to work. He knew that the finger-healing had just been a prelude to them asking him to heal McGarvey, and he knew that when he failed, they would kill him

And I think he went willingly to his fate because he was so miserable in his life. He was intelligent and tortured and unhappy with himself. He had a gift that was basically a terrible burden. He couldn't rely on it, couldn't predict it, and it had pretty much ruined him and the few people he cared about (albeit in his own way). He certainly wasn't a good person, but I think he felt very keenly the pain he had caused Grace, and in his own way mourned the loss of their baby. And with his last line --

"And as I moved across that yard towards them and offered myself to them, then for the first time I had a simple and genuine sense of home-coming. Then for the first time there was no atrophying terror; and the maddening questions were silent. At long last I was renouncing chance."

-- I think he was just relieved that it was over. He knew what was about to happen, and that in itself was an overwhelming relief. He'd come home to Ireland, which he never wanted to do, and was just TIRED. He'd been thru too much

That's how I took it. I'd be very interested in hearing the different opinions from your group, as this is one of my favorite plays

Updated On: 5/4/08 at 10:09 AM

[Lenexajones]

Posted: 5/4/08 at 12:34pm

Thank you, thank you, thank you! That was the leading point, but it frankly went right over my head.