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CATHERINE: ​I'm going to school. Bombshell!​ ​You can feel the

awkwardness as this is likely something
Catherine has thought about for a long
time and hasn’t known how to bring it
up. She finally just blurts it out.

ROBERT: When? You can practically hear the worry in

his voice.

CATHERINE: I'm gonna start at ​Northwestern​ at ​the end of the month.

​Going to school and SOON! ​Must
mean that Robert is getting better.
ROBERT: ​Northwestern?

CATHERINE: ​They were great about my credits.​ They're taking me in as a sophomore. ​I

wasn't sure when to talk to you about it.

Is that the real reason (credits)?

Why wasn’t she sure when to talk about
it? Afraid he would be upset and/or
didn’t want to jinx herself (and his
improved health).

ROBERT: ​Northwestern? Surprised or puzzled by her selection?

(or perhaps seeking confirmation that
she plans to go away to college and get
on with her own life instead of being a
caretaker!). She’s staked out her own
path.

CATHERINE: Yes.

Robert: What's wrong with Chicago?

An obvious question - why not stay
local?
CATHERINE: ​You still teach there.​ I'm sorry, it's too weird, taking classes in your
department.

This is the real reason she choose

Northwestern - she wants to to prove
herself on her own and not under her
father’s shadow at Northwestern.

Robert seems to accept/understand this

as he doesn’t continue this line of
questioning/discussion at all.

ROBERT: It's a long drive.

CATHERINE: Not that long, half an hour. Trying to sound reassuring and
appeasing (likely for both of their sakes
as she probably feels guilty to leave).

ROBERT: Still, twice a day . . .

CATHERINE: ​Dad, I'd live there. Bombshell #2!​ This is really the bigger
piece of news.

ROBERT: You'd actually want to live in Evanston?

CATHERINE: ​Yes​. I'll still be close. I can come home whenever you want. ​You've been
well - really well - for almost seven months​. I don't think you need me here every minute
of the day.
Again, Catherine is trying to soften the
blow by explaining how close she will be
and that because he’s been so well, he
doesn’t need her 24/7. Is she trying to
convince herself as well?

Deep down, Robert likely knows that his

“doing well” is only temporary but he
wants her to pursue her dreams. As
such, he “resumes” the fatherly role (as
 opposed to patient/caretaker
relationship) so she can move on.

ROBERT: ​This is all a done deal? You're in.

Hint of excitement?
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CATHERINE: ​Yes

ROBERT: ​You're sure. Robert just wants to make sure that she
knows what she wants.

CATHERINE: ​Yes​.

ROBERT: Who pays for it?

CATHERINE: ​They're giving me a free ride,​ Dad. They've been great.

Wow - definitely something for Catherine (and
Robert) to be proud of!

ROBERT: ​On tuition, sure. What about food, books, clothes, gas, meals out - do you
plan to have a social life?
Again, Robert seems to have a difficult time
telling his daughter how proud he is of her so
instead he turns to a more practical discussion
about college expenses to avoid talking about
emotions.

Robert prodes to see if Catherine has

really thought through all the
elements of her decision.

CATHERINE: I don't know.

Catherine has been pretty anti-social (no real
friends/social life) - wonder
how much is circumstantial and how much is
part of her character? As an older student,
 she’s focused more on the academics and not
the college social life.

ROBERT: ​You gotta pay your own way on dates, at least the early dates, say for the
first three, otherwise they expect something.
Robert temporarily resumes a fatherly
role. Awkward but sweet for a father to try to
provide dating advice to his daughter!

Also a little sad as Robert likely realizes he

doesn’t have a lot of time left to do so with his
illness.

CATHERINE: The money will be fine. Claire's gonna help out.

ROBERT: ​ When did you talk to Claire?

CATHERINE: I don't know, a couple weeks ago.

ROBERT: ​You talked to her before you talked to me?

Father is sad that he’s no longer the first

person his daughter comes to about life
decisions. Can see that despite her strained
relationship with her older sister, she does
occasionally look to her for advice and
assistance (almost as a substitute parent with
her father ill and her mother gone).

CATHERINE: There were a lot of details to work out. She was great, she offered to take
care of all of the expenses.
Actually one of the few times that Catherine
acknowledges Claire’s sacrifices (even if just
financial)

ROBERT: ​This is a big step.​ ​A different city -

Clearly we know this is something that
Robert has wanted for his daughter! ​You
 can also imagine any parent having this
type of discussion with their son/daughter.

CATHERINE: It's not even a long distance phone call.

Again, she tries to minimize the
significance. Not sure who she’s trying to
convince more - herself or her father!

ROBERT: It's a huge place. ​They're serious up there. I mean serious.​ Yeah the
football's a disaster ​Ha! ​but the math guys don't kid around. You haven't been in school.
You sure you're ready? You can get buried up there.
Doubt or warning? Actually I think it is Robert’s
own unique way of motivating his daughter! (as
opposed to more overtly telling her how proud
he is of her and how much potential she has)

CATHERINE: ​I'll be alright.

She knows he’s prepared her and she can do
it!

ROBERT: You're way behind.

CATHERINE: I know.

ROBERT: A year, at least.

CATHERINE: Thank you, ​I KNOW.​ Look, ​I don't know if this is a good idea. I don't know
if I can handle the work. I don't know if I can handle any of it.
A little exasperation on Catherine’s part and
she lets her own self-doubt creep in.

ROBERT: For Chrissake, Catherine you should have talked to me.

CATHERINE: ​Dad. Listen. If you have ever ... if for any reason it ever turned out that
you needed me here full time again -

ROBERT:​ ​I WON'T. ​That's not [what I'm talking about]​ -

 So if that’s not what he’s talking about,
what is he really talking about? He’s
making sure she is prepared! ​(buck up -
you can do this! Stop all the self doubt)

CATHERINE: ​I can always take a semester off, or -

Catherine loves her father A LOT, and

she is willing to make sacrifices.

ROBERT: ​No. Stop it​. I just - the end of the MONTH? Why didn't you say something
before?
Robert wants her to pursue her
education and stop being his
caregiver/sacrificing for him.

Robert is sad that it is so soon but that’s

no different than any parent that sends
their kid off to college (so normal
feelings combined with his likely
understanding of his illness and the
limited time he has left with his
daughter).

CATHERINE:​ Dad, come on.​ It took a while to set this up, and until recently, until very
recently, you weren't -

ROBERT: You just said yourself I've been fine.

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CATHERINE: Yes, but I didn't know - I hoped, but I didn't know, no one knew if this
would last. ​I told myself to wait until I was sure about you.​ That you were feeling ok
again. Consistently okay.

ROBERT:​ So I am to take this conversation as a vote of confidence? I'm honored.

Despite the seriousness of the discussion,
Robert still seeks to interject a little humor to
lighten the mood.
CATHERINE: Take it however you want.​ I believed you'd get better.
Truly believed or naively hoped?
Leads to conflict with father’s mental illness.

ROBERT: ​Well thank you very much.

Seems Robert is trying to wrap up the
conversation on a positive note and let his
daughter be happy believing he’s better.

CATHERINE: Don't thank me. I had to. I was living with you.

ROBRET: All right, that's enough, Catherine. Let's stay on the subject.

Write up a 6-8 sentence response paragraph in which you explain why you chose
this passage and how it helps you better understand the characters and/or play
as a whole.

I choose this specific passage from Act 2, scene 1 of the play, ​Proof,​ because it
succinctly encapsulates David Auburn's rich characterization of Catherine and Robert,
as well as, the complexities of their relationship. First, Auburn heavily relies on
characterization to bring both Catherine and Robert to life in this dramatic play. There
are so many nuances to both of these characters that are on full display in this passage,
including Robert’s dry sense of humor and extreme difficulty in expressing his emotions,
as well as Catherine’s inner struggle to balance her own ambitions with her love for and
devotion to caring for her ailing father. The passage begins with Catherine awkwardly
blurting out that she is going off to school. We can feel her hesitation in finally telling her
father of her decision and watch as she works to convince herself, every bit as much as
her father, that this is the right decision. Meanwhile, while we know how proud Robert is
of his daughter, we see him struggle with expressing those emotions to her. Instead of
congratulating her for receiving a full scholarship to Northwestern, he resorts to asking
practical questions such as how she will pay for her various living expenses while at
school. Likewise, instead of expressing his supreme confidence in her and her abilities,
he tells her how behind she will be and asks whether she’s sure she is ready. Robert’s
inability (or unwillingness) to outwardly express his true feelings and emotions make it
hard for Catherine to decipher, scaring her into thinking that her father will not agree
with her decisions and causing her to temporarily doubt herself when in fact Robert
does not doubt her, but is trying to motivate her. As the characters engage in this back
and forth, we see Auburn’s true brilliance as we grow to understand that Robert’s “tough
love” is what has created Catherine’s inner strength. In addition to this rich
characterization, this fairly short passage also delves both quickly and deeply into the
complexities and evolving nature of Robert and Catherine’s relationships, including that
of father/daughter and patient/caregiver. Specifically, the passage begins with
Catherine, who has been acting as a caregiver for her father, explaining how she is
planning to go off to school but will not go or will return in an instant if he needs her.
Meanwhile, Robert seeks to shed the patient/caregiver paradigm, instead working to
fully embrace and resume the more natural, parent/child relationship. He does this by
ignoring the fact that his “wellness” is only temporary, and instead focusing on
Catherine’s need to live her own life and pursue her own dreams outside of her father’s
shadow. He continues in this role by awkwardly doling out dating advice to his daughter
and wanting to make sure she’s fully thought through her decision, just as any “normal”
parent would do. The rich characterization and relationship complexities displayed in
these three short pages left me with a much deeper understanding of these characters,
and a deep desire to discover whether Catherine’s ultimate success would be
constrained by her love for her father and whether her father’s achievements would
eclipse her own brilliance.