The Play
A two-act play, Mister Roberts is set aboard a navy cargo ship on the Pacific Ocean during World War II. As the play begins, the setting reveals a typical cargo ship in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, shortly after dawn. The ship’s crew is sleeping; in fact, there is no sign of life, a condition the play explores. As the drama unfolds, each member of the crew struggles with, and overcomes, the figurative absence of life: the tediousness, dissatisfaction, and monotony of life aboard the ship. The central action of the play evolves from the interplay between Lieutenant Roberts and the tyrannical Captain to the interplay between Lieutenant Roberts and the crew, who try to find life in the midst of boredom.
Roberts is frustrated with his role as cargo officer, delivering toilet paper and toothpaste while other men are participating in combat. Disillusioned with his noncombat duty, Roberts writes letters to the Bureau of Naval Personnel requesting a transfer to a destroyer ship. As he says, “I’m sick and tired of being a lousy spectator. I just happen to believe in this thing. I’ve got to feel I’m good enough to be in it—to participate!” However, his incessant letters put him on a collision course with the eccentric Captain, who wants to use Lieutenant Roberts’s skills as a cargo officer to advance his own career. Jealous of Roberts’s relationship with the crew, his demeanor, and his educational background, the Captain takes Roberts’s letters as an affront to him and his future rather than as an opportunity for Roberts to attain a dream. The Captain wants gold bars on his uniform cap more than he wants a unified crew.
The contentions between the Captain and Roberts are exacerbated when Roberts promises to stop writing letters and to stop challenging the Captain’s authority in front of the men, but only if the Captain will grant the crew a liberty, an opportunity they have not had for more than fourteen months. The loss of liberty has dramatically impacted the crew: They fight among themselves, rebel against authority, and stop functioning as a unit. Roberts thus sacrifices his own dream to restore the crew’s unity and sense of purpose.
Initially, Roberts’s sacrifice reaps positive rewards: The crew finds a humorous outlet for its anger and tedium. Tempers are assuaged and as one member of the crew states, “it was worth it. That liberty was worth anything!” Ironically, Roberts becomes embittered by his sacrifice and as the war draws closer to its conclusion, he distances himself from the crew, referring to them as an “ungrateful mob.” Using them as scapegoats for his own frustrations, he puts men on report for minor infractions. As a result, the crew begins to regard him as a “sell-out,” which further separates him from the crew.
Eventually, Roberts gets his transfer by defying the Captain, and by an act of selflessness on the crew’s part when they learn what he sacrificed for them. Even though Roberts dies at the end of the play, his spirit, humanity, and selflessness live on through Ensign Pulver, who swallows his fear and confronts the Captain. During the interplay between Roberts and the crew, the crew reveals the importance of sacrifice and defines the true qualities of heroism.
Dramatic Devices
Thomas Heggen and Joshua Logan use several dramatic devices to universalize the experiences of the reluctant crew. In essence, this play is a study of character and the heroic virtues of men like Roberts, Pulver, and Doc, as well as members of the...
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crew, who are ordinary human beings but who rise to heroic stature through a series of simple actions.
In addition to a character study, Mister Roberts includes the symbolic use of objects to define the characters and conflict. One prominent symbol is the Captain’s “revered” palm tree, the “trophy” the crew earned for “superior achievement for delivering more toilet paper and toothpaste than any other navy cargo ship.” While the Captain admires the trophy, caring for it almost as if it were a child, the crew despises it because it epitomizes the futility of their role in the war and their hatred for the Captain. While they cannot openly defy the Captain, they subtly display their attitude through the tree. In the first scene, one member of the crew spits tobacco on it. Later, as the radio encourages the crew to stamp out the enemy as if it were a “malignant tumor,” Roberts, in a major act of defiance, grabs the palm tree and throws the “malignant growth” overboard. His action intensifies his conflict with the Captain but resolves his conflict with the crew when they hear of it. When Roberts leaves the ship at the end of the play, the crew rewards his action by giving him a brass medal shaped like a palm tree, “for action against the enemy, above and beyond the call of duty on the night of eight May, 1945.” Finally, at the end of the play, when Ensign Pulver learns of Roberts’s death, he throws the Captain’s new palm trees into the ocean, takes responsibility for his action, and asserts himself for the first time by standing up to the Captain.
Another important element in the play is humor. At times the humor is ribald, as when the crew peers through a spy glass and fights over it to watch nurses shower on a nearby island, or when they return from a shore leave that was wild with revelry and debauchery. At other times, the humor ranges from being self-disparaging to being uproariously funny, as occurs when Pulver creates a firecracker to throw under the Captain’s bed and it explodes in the laundry room. The use of humor balances the pathos and tragedy at the end of the play and keeps the plot from becoming maudlin.
Places Discussed
USS Reluctant
USS Reluctant. Navy cargo ship operating in the Pacific Ocean during the last months of World War II. It is a typically dull, navy blue color, with the same lettering, equipment, and rigging as any other cargo ship listed in the navy’s register. The name of the ship is the first of several clues to the inhabitants on board. The crew is even reluctant to call the ship by name, referring to it as a “bucket.”
The Reluctant could be any ship sailing to any number of islands in the Pacific Ocean. The author has also chosen fictional names for the islands that are indicative of the general state of mind and attitude of the crew, for example, Tedium, Apathy, Monotony, and Ennui. This helps the author to illustrate the boredom and isolation the men feel. This also lends some insight into the behavior of the crew.
Deck
Deck. Main deck of the ship where the crew carries out its dreary purpose of loading and unloading cargo, performing routine maintenance, and standing watch against an enemy which will never be close enough to encounter. It is because they have no real enemy to fight that the crew has unanimously nominated the captain as their sworn enemy. They spend much of their time on deck planning, like bored children, various schemes to aggravate him. When the tedium becomes unbearable, they also are not above taking jabs at each other. When the ship is in port, Mister Roberts spends most of his time on deck, supervising the activities of the crew and dealing with the captain. In describing the activities of the crew while on deck, the author is able to demonstrate Mister Roberts’s unique relationship with the crew. He can be stern when he needs to be, but he is fair, and he has the respect and unfailing admiration of his men.
The deck is also a place of solitude and reflection for Mister Roberts. His turns on the watch give him ample opportunity to fixate on his desire to be transferred to a fighting ship and be part of the action.
Ensign Pulver’s cabin
Ensign Pulver’s cabin. Double room occupied only by Ensign Pulver, who is Mister Roberts’s most ardent admirer. The bottom bunk is used for sleeping, and the top bunk is a general storage space for everything from soiled clothes to old magazines. Pulver spends most of his time in this room, lying in his bunk, planning elaborate acts of revenge against the captain, which he never carries out.
Doc’s cabin
Doc’s cabin. Also a gathering place for Mister Roberts and his small band of friends. It is here with Doc that Mister Roberts can be completely honest about his feelings about being on the ship and the real reasons he wants to be in the middle of the action.
Ward room
Ward room. Below-deck space is used by the ship’s officers as a place in which to gather, enjoy cold drinks or coffee, play friendly games of checkers or cards, and relax. There is usually a good-natured atmosphere in this room, and for a brief time the men can forget their boredom and frustration.
Elysium
Elysium. Island whose name represents the joy and anticipation the crew feels at the prospect of going ashore for liberty. It could be any island along the ship’s route. The landscape or inhabitants are immaterial to the story. The only thing that makes this particular island any different from Tedium, Apathy, and the others is the fact that the crew will actually get to go ashore. They have been cooped up on the ship for so long, that when they are finally allowed on the island, they run wild, expressing their happiness and excitement by getting into all sorts of mischief. Their behavior causes the captain to revoke any future visits ashore, but the crew, for a while at least, assumes an attitude that reflects the happiness and contentment of Elysium.
Historical Context
World War II
Mister Roberts begins a few weeks before V-E Day, placing the events in April 1945, as World War II was nearing its conclusion. In the early months of 1945, Germany's situation became increasingly desperate, with Allied forces advancing further into the country. By March, Allied troops moving from the west reached Cologne, and in April, they captured the Rhineland and the Ruhr. At the same time, Russian forces were advancing from the east, reaching the northern and eastern suburbs of Berlin on April 23, 1945. German leader Adolf Hitler died by suicide on April 30, 1945. Berlin fell on May 2, and Germany surrendered unconditionally on May 7, as the AK-601 crew hears on the radio in Mister Roberts. In Britain, the royal family, along with Prime Minister Winston Churchill, appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to greet the massive crowds celebrating the war's end (this celebration is heard over the radio by the AK-601 crew).
After V-E Day, the conflict in the Pacific against Japan still needed resolution, but it was evident by spring 1945 that Japan couldn't hold out much longer. The USS Virgo, which inspired the AK-601 in Mister Roberts, played a part in the Pacific theater, transporting U.S. Marine Corps supplies and becoming part of the Fifth Amphibious Force preparing for the Gilbert Islands invasion. Under General MacArthur, American forces captured the Gilbert Islands in November 1943, followed by the Marshall and Admiralty Islands in early 1944.
The Philippines were recaptured in phases, with American forces entering Manila, the capital, in February 1945. U.S. troops continued their advance in the Pacific, taking Iwo Jima in March. The Virgo, with Lieutenant Heggen on board, was stationed near Iwo Jima at that time, providing supplies to destroyers.
By mid-June, American forces had seized Okinawa in the Ryukyu Islands. The Virgo, still with Heggen aboard, was anchored off Okinawa for fifteen days, going to general quarters thirty-two times due to air-raid alerts. It is during the battle for Okinawa that Roberts, in the play, is killed by a Japanese kamikaze attack.
By the time Okinawa fell, American forces had secured full air superiority, while Japan's factories and industries were being systematically demolished by relentless bombing campaigns. During the Potsdam Conference in July 1945, Great Britain, Russia, and the United States demanded Japan's surrender, warning of catastrophic consequences for the nation. On August 6, the United States unleashed an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, resulting in the deaths of thousands. Although estimates of the fatalities differ, Hiroshima officials in the 2000s reported that by December 1945, approximately 140,000 people had died. Many succumbed to injuries and radiation-related illnesses in the months following the bombing. The explosion immediately devastated four square miles of the city. Two days later, Russia declared war on Japan. On August 9, the United States dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki. The following day, Japan sought peace, and on August 14, Japan officially surrendered.
Literary Style
Symbolism
Symbolism is a literary technique where an object, event, or person is used to convey a deeper meaning. For instance, the small palm tree in a five-gallon can outside the captain’s cabin represents the triviality of the ship's missions. Roberts explains that the palm tree was awarded to the ship for “delivering more toothpaste and toilet paper than any other Navy cargo ship in the safe area of the Pacific.” Such an award is not one that inspires men to fight during wartime. To the crew, it serves as a reminder of their own boredom and feelings of frustration and futility. The captain’s reverence for his small trophy adds another layer of meaning: it symbolizes his vanity, obsession with trivial matters, and ambition, as he hopes to leverage the ship’s success to achieve the rank of commander.
The playwright ensures that the palm tree, as a symbol of the captain’s inflated self-importance, receives some irreverent treatment. In one humorous scene, a goat that the crew brought back from Elysium eats the tree. In another, the captain assigns a twenty-four-hour armed guard to the palm trees (replacing the one that Roberts threw overboard with two new ones) and issues orders to shoot to kill to protect them. The humor emerges from the stark contrast between the nature of the object and the captain’s exaggerated reverence for it.
In a clever twist, the crew turns the palm tree into a positive symbol. They name the brass medal they award to Roberts the “order of the palm,” as it is shaped like a palm tree. This brass palm tree represents respect, affection, and genuine service, contrasting sharply with the real palm tree, which signifies only a petty man’s pleasure in meaningless distinctions.
Compare and Contrast
• 1940s: During this decade, the United States and Japan are engaged in warfare. After the war concludes in 1945, Japan comes under American occupation. Several Japanese military officials are found guilty of war crimes and executed. A new pacifist constitution is imposed on Japan, prohibiting it from waging war.
Today: Japan and the United States have developed a strong alliance. In January 2004, Japan dispatches a small group of soldiers to Iraq in support of the U.S.-led coalition. This is the first instance since World War II that Japan has deployed troops internationally, aside from United Nations peacekeeping missions. The Japanese forces focus on humanitarian tasks and do not participate in combat. The Japanese government reveals intentions to amend Article Nine of its constitution, which forbids using force to resolve international conflicts.
• 1940s: Global news is primarily delivered through newspapers and radio broadcasts. Information travels at a relatively slow pace.
Today: Communication is faster and more varied than ever before. The Internet and television offer real-time news with nearly constant updates, a capability unimaginable half a century ago. Battle footage is frequently broadcast live on television and can be viewed worldwide instantly.
• 1940s: American public sentiment overwhelmingly supports World War II, viewed as a fight for national survival against a malevolent adversary.
Today: Few American wars since have garnered the same level of unanimous public backing as World War II. Numerous opinion polls indicate that the nation is roughly split on the Iraq War, where a U.S.-led coalition overthrew dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003. The coalition maintains its presence in Iraq by mid-2004.
Media Adaptations
• The film adaptation of Mister Roberts was released in 1955, directed by John Ford. It featured Henry Fonda in the role of Mister Roberts, Jack Lemmon as Ensign Pulver, and James Cagney as the captain.
• A sitcom version of Mister Roberts aired on NBC for a single season between 1965 and 1966.
Bibliography and Further Reading
SOURCES
Brown, John Mason, Review of Mister Roberts, in Saturday Review, March 6, 1948, pp. 24–26.
Heggen, Thomas, Mister Roberts, Houghton Mifflin, 1946.
Heggen, Thomas, and Joshua Logan, Mister Roberts, Acting Edition, Dramatists Play Service, 1948.
Lardner, John, Review of Mister Roberts, in New Yorker, February 28, 1948, pp. 46–48.
Leggett, John, Ross and Tom: Two American Tragedies, Simon and Schuster, 1974.
Logan, Joshua, Josh: My Up and Down, In and Out Life, Delacorte Press, 1976, pp. 240–70.
Shaw, Irwin, Review of Mister Roberts, in New Republic, March 8, 1948, pp. 29–30.
FURTHER READING
Krutch, Joseph Wood, Review of Mister Roberts, in Nation, April 10, 1948, pp. 402–03. In a less favorable review of the play, Krutch acknowledges Mister Roberts as enjoyable entertainment but suggests it is somewhat immature and simplistic.
Logan, Joshua, Movie Stars, Real People, and Me, Delacorte Press, 1978. This book features engaging stories about directing Mister Roberts and his involvement in the movie adaptation.
Phelan, Kappo, Review of Mister Roberts, in Commonweal, March 5, 1948, p. 521. A brief, enthusiastic critique of the play, which Phelan finds humorous, touching, and poignant. Phelan wonders if it truly deserves the high acclaim it has received from some critics.
Smith, David P., ‘‘Introduction,’’ in Mister Roberts, Naval Institute Press, 1992. This introduction to the novel provides insights into Heggen’s life, career, and untimely demise.