thing that what is good about Mrs. Levi is that she has a lot of friend. Mrs. Molloy, Miss Van Huysen, Ermengarde, and Mr. Vandergelder are people who
have close relationship with her. It seems that everybody surround her are attracted by her charm. The reason why she becomes friendly is because she often
helps people. It is stated when she tries to help Ermengarde and Mr. Kemper to get married, by helping them achieve the permission from Ermengarde’s uncle,
Mr. Vandergelder page 197, or when she helps Cornelius Hackl for not to tell Mr. Vandergelder that he is hiding in the cupboard in Mrs. Molloy’s hat shop.
MRS. LEVI : well, I think she must notice that you’re alive in that cupboard, Mr. Hackl. Well, if I were you, I’d get back into it
right away. Somebody could be coming in any minute. Wilder, 1964: 226
From the explanation above, it is obvious that Mrs. Levi is one of the
plays central characters and the one after whom it is named. She is a manipulator and schemer who does not mind making up stories to get the results she wants.
Her business cards claims skills in reducing varicose veins and in giving instruction on guitar and mandolin, but she states her principal occupation as a
woman who arranges things. Although she plans to marry Vandergelder for his money, her intentions are good; as she says to the audience in the last act, she
plans to spread his money around to make the world a better place. She is also a good liar and a good story maker. She has a lot of charm and with her charm she
makes everyone believe her.
2. The Description of Cornelius
Through the ‘personal description’ stated by Murphy 1972: 161, Cornelius is described as a clerk that is working at Mr. Vandergelder’s store. He is
thirty-three years old and spends almost all his life every day to work. Early in the play, Vandergelder announces to him that, after much consideration, he has
decided to promote Cornelius to the position of chief clerk. His question of an evening free, which never he gets, indicates that he has bored with his daily life.
VANDERGELDER : I was thinking of promoting you to chief clerk. CORNELIUS : what I am now, Mr. Vandergelder?
VANDERGELDER : you’re an impertinent fool, that’s what you are. Now, if you behave yourself, I’ll promote you from
impertinent fool to chief clerk, with a raise in your wages. And Barnaby may be promoted from idiot apprentice to
incompetent clerk. Wilder, 1955: 188
………. CORNELIUS : Mr. Vandergelder – er – Mr. Vandergelder, does the
chief clerk get one evening off every week? VANDERGELDER : so that’s the way you begin being chief clerk, is
it? ........ An evening free Do you suppose that I had evenings free?
If I’d had evenings free I wouldn’t be what I am now Wilder, 1964: 207
Although he is working all day in the store, he is not rich. But his
concern is not about the money, he just wants to enjoy his life, he just wants to begin to live. With no adventure he feels jaded with his life. It is stated when he
grumble to Barnaby, his partner in Mr. Vandergelder’s store. CORNELIUS [sitting in dejected thought] : Chief clerk Promoted
from chief clerk to chief clerk. BARNABY : don’t you like it?
CORNELIUS : chief clerk – and if I’m good, in ten years I’ll be promoted to chief clerk again. Thirty-three years old and still
don’t get an evening free? When I am going to begin to live? BARNABY : well – ah…. You can begin to live on Sunday,
Cornelius. CORNELIUS : that’s not living. Twice to church, and old Wolf-trap’s
eyes on the back of my head the whole time. And as for holidays What did we do last Christmas? All those canned
tomatoes went bad and exploded. We had to clean up the mess all afternoon. Was that living? Wilder, 1964: 208
Cornelius also has a spirit of a leader. When he is in New York,
escaping from his work in Yonkers, he leads Barnaby who come with him. He never leaves Barnaby behind, and always takes care of him while they are in New
York. He acts like a leader and bossy that keeps order to their workers. And Barnaby has fully trusted Cornelius, although Cornelius’ decision is sometime
foolish and irrational. It is stated at the time when he tells to Barnaby to keep his eyes on the street just to see if Mr. Vandergelder walks towards them or not while
he is talking to Mrs. Molloy. MRS. MOLLOY : you’re from out of town, Mr. Hackl?
CORNELIUS [coming back] : yes, ma’am – Barnaby, just keep your eye on the street, will you? You won’t see that in Yonkers
everyday. ………
MRS. MOLLOY : Your friend is acting very strangely, Mr. Hackl. CORNELIUS : Barnaby, stop acting strangely. When the streets quite
and empty, come back and talk to us. What was I saying? Oh yes, Mrs. Molloy, you should know Yonkers. Wilder, 1964:
218-219
As an employee of Mr. Vandergelder, he is afraid of Mr.
Vandergelder. He does not dare to ask an evening free from Mr. Vandergelder, PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
and only share it with his comrade, Barnaby. Even when he escaping to New York and almost be found out by Mr. Vandergelder, he chooses to hide in the cupboard
rather than facing Mr. Vandergelder. He feels that being nearly caught by Mr. Vandergelder is an adventure. That is why Barnaby asks whether it is an
adventure or not, he shouts “pudding” which indicates that they are in the middle of an adventure, the adventure of nearly being caught.
BARNABY : look out [he takes a flying leap over the rails and flings himself under the
table ]
CORNELIUS : begging your pardon, Mrs. Molloy. [he jumps into the cupboard]
MRS. MOLLOY : gentlemen Mr. Hackl Come right out there this minute
CORNELIUS [stiking his hear out of the wardrobe door] : help us just this once, Mrs. Molloy We’ll explain later
MRS. MOLLOY : Mr. Hackl BARNABY : we’re as innocent as can be, Mrs. Molloy.
MRS. MOLLOY : but really Gentlemen I can’t have this What are you doing?
BARNABY : Cornelius Cornelius Pudding? CORNELIUS [shouting] : pudding Wilder, 1964: 221
Although he is afraid of Mr. Vandergelder, he has no respect to his
employer. He and Barnaby often call Mr. Vandergelder as ‘wolf-trap’ behind Mr. Vandergelder’s back. In front of Mr. Vandergelder, he often acts like mock-
deferential. In front of Mrs. Molloy, he describes Mr. Vandergelder as hard as nail.
Cornelius Hackl is the most spontaneous person in the play. He often decides something without considering what the consequence is. The basic reason
why he does that is because he wants to get adventure while he still alive. Unfortunately, his decisions always make him get into trouble. The most
spontaneous decision that Cornelius has made is when he decides to go to New York to have an adventure, even when he has to close the store and abandon Mr.
Vandergelder’s order. CORNELIUS [rising, with sudden resolution] : Barnaby, how much
money have you got – where you can get at it? BARNABY : oh – three dollars. Why, Cornelius?
CORNELIUS : you and I are going to New York. BARNABY : Cornelius We can’t Close the store? Wilder, 1964:
208 One example of his spontaneous decision is also seen when he is
willing to take the ladies, Mrs. Molloy and Minnie, to have dinner at an expensive and luxury restaurant, Harmonia Gardens Restaurant even that he knows he does
not bring enough money to have dinner there. Although he has known the consequences that he might go in jail, he still takes them out to have dinner there
just because he does not want Mrs. Molloy thinks badly of him. [MRS. MOLLOY exits to workroom]
BARNABY : she’s angry at us, Cornelius. Maybe we’d better run away now.
CORNELIUS : no, I’m going to go through with this even if it’s kills me. Barnaby, for a woman like that a man could consent to go
back to Yonkers and be success. BARNABY : all I know is no woman’s going to make a success out
of me. CORNELIUS : jail or no jail, we’re going to take those ladies out to
dinner. So grit your teeth. Wilder, 1964: 234 PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
It seems that his spontaneous decision makes himself at the position of breaking the rules. His adventure of going to New York has made him break
the rules by abandoning Mr. Vandergelder’s order, and also his willingness to bring Mrs. Molloy to have dinner at Harmonia Gardens Restaurant might make
him go to jail. But he still does it because he has extra confidence, and have no worried about his future. He always thinks that he can join the army whenever he
is discharged from Mr. Vandergelder’s store. Lucky for him that he has a bunch of luck that always keeps him safe. One of the biggest luck that he has is when
Malachi gives him a purse which is, the fact, belongs to Mr. Vandergelder. MALACHI : Stack, sir. Malachi Stack. If the ladies will excuse you,
I’d like to speak to you for a minute. [draws Cornelius down to front of stage]
Listen, boy, have you lost…. Come here….. [leads him farther down, out of Mr. Vandergelder’s hearing]
Have you lost something? CORNELIUS : Mr. Stack, in this one day I’ve lost everything I own.
MALACHI : there it is [gives him purse]
Don’t mention it CORNELIUS : why, Mr. Stack…. You know what it is? It’s a miracle
[looks towards ceiling] MALACHI : don’t mention it. Wilder, 1964: 253
One more characteristic of Cornelius is that he does not like to be
underestimated. He does not like someone think badly of him, and always wants for somebody thinks highly of him. When he is in Mrs. Molloy’s hat shop, he
organizes his style and practices his speech just to make a good impression of him.
CORNELIUS : I wonder where the lady who runs this store is? What’s her name again?
BARNABY : ‘Mrs. Molloy, hats for ladies.’ CORNELIUS : oh yes, I must think over what I’m going to say when
she comes in. [speaking to counter]
‘Good afternoon, Mrs. Molloy, wonderful weather we’re having. We’ve been looking everywhere for some beautiful hats.’
BARNABY : that’s fine, Cornelius CORNELIUS : Good afternoon, Mrs. Molloy; wonderful weather…..’
We’ll make her think we’re very rich. [one hand in trouser pocket, the other on back of chair]
‘Good afternoon, Mrs. Molloy….’ You keep one eye on the door the whole time. ‘We’ve been looking everywhere for……’
[enter MRS. MOLLOY from the workroom] Wilder, 1964: 216-217 Behind his personality that always abandons the rules, he is a
responsible person. He is not a typical of man that runs away whenever he gets into trouble. He dare to face what in front of him. As the proof, he chooses to stay
in Mrs. Molloy’s hat shop and keeps hiding in the cupboard instead of running away although he has chance.
BARNABY [poking his head out from under the table] : maybe she wants us to go, Cornelius?
CORNELIUS : certainly I wont go. Mrs. Molloy would think we were just thoughtless fellows. Now all I want is to stretch a minute.
BARNABY : what are you going to do when he’s gone, Cornelius? Are we just going to ran away?
CORNELIUS : well…. I don’t know yet. I like Mrs. Molloy a lot. I wouldn’t like her to think badly of me. I think I’ll buy a hat.
We can walk home to Yonkers even it takes us all night. I wonder how much hats cost. Barnaby, give me all the money
you’ve got.
……… Wilder, 1964: 223 PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
From the discussion above, it seems clear that Cornelius is a clerk that not rich, and not too old. In his age of thirty-three, he wants to enjoy his life once
of a lifetime, because his daily life is boring. He spends his life works at Mr. Vandergelder’s store from six until nine o’clock in the night without a single
evening off. He hates Mr. Vandergelder because of that. He is also a spontaneous person, who decides everything without considering the consequences. Even he
knows the consequences, he still have courage to take a risk because he seems not to care about his own future. Although he is careless, he is a responsible man who
does not want to be considered as thoughtless person.
B. The Behavior of Mr. Levi and Cornelius in their Courtship
