Quote 4
All
shine, and no substance! [Turning to Cates] Bert, whenever
you see something bright, shining, perfect-seeming—all gold, with
purple spots—look behind the paint! And if it’s a lie—show it up
for what it really is!
At the beginning of Act Three, Drummond,
awaiting the court’s verdict, speaks to Cates about the importance
of an individual’s personal search for truth. Drummond recounts
the story of the “Golden Dancer,” a rocking horse he had been given
as a child, to emphasize the importance of this search. Golden Dancer
seemed beautiful in the store window but broke into pieces as soon
as Drummond rode it, for its manufacturing was shoddy. Drummond uses
the story to emphasize the deceptive nature of superficial beauty,
as a way to encourage Cates to persevere in searching for the underlying
truths of the world for both himself and his community.
