and the church are attempting to influence and change her to meet the needs of the system.
At the time of the play, which is set in 1974, Miss Helen is in her late sixties. She was probably born a few years before the Union of South Africa was formally established in 1910, and she grew up as part of the white, Afrikaner ruling class. She married a man named Stefanus and settled into the conventional life of housewife and ardent churchgoer.
Fifteen years before the play, when Miss Helen was in her early 50s, Stefanus died unexpectedly. She was left with the house, a respectable income, and the realization that she had never loved her husband. Although she mourned his passing, widowhood gave her the chance to discover herself. She began to create her sculptures, drawing on an artistic inspiration she had never before realized she had.
Her artwork gave her deep personal satisfaction but separated her from her community. Most of her neighbors were puzzled, frightened, or angered by her strange sculptures. Children threw stones at her yard and whispered stories about her being a witch. She stopped going to church, fearing that she would lose her inspiration if she did not begin each new work as soon as she envisioned it in her mind.
However, her eyesight has begun to fail, and she has not had an artistic inspiration for a long time. She is also suffering from arthritis, which makes trying to sculpt (or, in fact, do other household chores) painful and difficult. She is neglecting her health and personal hygiene, and her sculpture, which she illuminates by candlelight, has made her home a fire hazard. Her letter to Elsa was a cry for help, but Miss Helen is unsure of the kind of help that she needs.
Miss Helen is, in many ways, a typical older client needing assistance from her community. She has withdrawn from most of those around her, maintaining regular contact only with Marius, Elsa (who now lives in Cape Tow...