The Subtext of The Real Thing: It's "all right"

Abstract

In The Real Thing, Tom Stoppard focuses on language: on what it can and cannot do, both in the theatre and in real life. While he demonstrates the importance and value of words as representations of "real things," he also examines the limitations of language and the possibilities for its misuse. He is particularly concerned with the difficulty of finding words adequate to express ideas or emotions — especially love — "things" that are not "real" the way a coffee mug is real.