Monologue Notes

So before starting and writing by monologue, I thought it would be very important for me to watch the movie again and look for certain quotes or importants points that the characters touch upon that I could use in some way in my monologue. So I made the decision of doing the monologue from the point of view of Christine Collins, the mother because of many reasons. First, there is a part in the movie where she stands up and tells the press what it is really going on; that's what I am looking for; I want to do my monologue as if I am talking to the press about everything that has happened concerning the disappearance of my son and all the things that the L.A police has done. However, I also want to add the whole story because in the movie, she talks to the press and then she gets placed in a mental hospital and then the agent in charge of her case says a lot of things that I thought would be very interesting to add to the monologue, and being placed in a mental hospital also adds up to the main theme of these monologue, the disrespect of human rights. Also, I thought this part of the movie was like a turning point and was really emotional and shocking if you look at yourself as one of the press. Of course, you have watched the movie and you already know everything that's going on with the police and what they have done so you already know everything that Christine Collins is telling the press, however the press are going to be like my audience and if you put yourself in the position of the press, everything that has been happening and all the cruelty and irresponsibility of the police, they didn't know of; so I think it is going to be very impacting for the class (my audience) to listen to all this for the first time, as it happened with the press. Also, by talking from Christine Collins perspective, everything becomes much more personal and the emotions are much more tangible and real which makes the general performance much better. 


Moreover, what I did was see the movies and take some notes or quotes that I could use or get inspired of and thats what I did:

• Movie starts on March 9 1928
• Policy that's says you have to wait 24 hours before the child disappears for the police to look for him.
• Found “her son” in DeKalb Illinois.
• “Your are in shock, you haven’t seen him in 5 months, the boy has changed, you have to give yourself time to recover from the shock, and with time, you will see this is your son. If you have any problems come talk to me. I give you my word. Mrs. Collins he has nowhere else to go.”
• “My son was inches taller than you”
• “Why are you not listening to me”
• “You are running away from your responsibilities as a mother”
• “I can take care of this boy, but you have stopped looking for my son”
• “ I appreciate what this department has done, but you have made a terrible mistake and you have to please help me find my son before its too late.”
• Dr. Earl Tarr was send to look at the child and try to convince her that it was her son
• Change in height: Trauma can affect the growth of children, given the stress of the past 5 months, his spine could have shrunk.
• “You are wasting time when you should be looking for my son”
• She refutes the report
• Police wants to avoid that they made a mistake.
• “This police department doe not tolerate descent or contradiction or even embarrassment and you are in a position where you can embarrass them and they do not like it”
• Dentist: not your son
• Teacher: changed enormously didn’t know her name, didn’t know where his seat was. “That is not your son”
• Press conference: “My name is Christine Collins, on March 10th my 9 year old son Walter Collins disappeared. The 5 months investigation led to a boy being brought to L.A from DeKalb Illinois. They told me and all of you that this boy was my son; he is not my son. The L.A Pd made a mistake. I have letter from his teachers and doctors saying that that boy is not my son; I’m having them reprinting now and I will have them for you tomorrow
• “I have given the L.A pd every opportunity to admit their mistake and renew the search for my son since they refuse to do so it has forced me to bring my case public and I hope that this will persuade them to finish what they started and bring my son home to me”
• Called her and took me to the department from the back door
• Caused quite a bit of trouble.. Embarrassment to the police try to make fools out of this do you enjoy this.. Responsibilities of a mother
• “You are a liar and a troublemaker
• Took her to a mental hospital, L.A psychopathic ward
• Suffers from paranoia delusions of persecution and dislocation from reality
• Photo of you at the train stations welcoming home your son, didn’t say anything.
• “Certify that you were wrong when you say the boy was not your son... it further stipulates the police where right when they send you here for observation and it absolves them from all responsibility.”