Driver’s Education with Paula Vogel

Fasten you seatbelts. You are about to take a meandering, rocky ride down memory lane of adolescent pain. In her Pulitzer prize-winning play, How I Learned to Drive, Paul Vogel has done the unthinkable in boldly writing about the taboo subject of pedophilia, masterfully creating a work that is as amusing as it is troubling. Through a series of flashbacks that range from the early 1960s to the 1970s, the play depicts the relationship between a young girl, Li’l Bit, and her Uncle Peck, an unhappily married World War II veteran in desperate need of love and attention. From the time Li’l Bit is eleven years old, Peck gives her late-night driving lessons during which he consistently crosses the line between a healthy relationship and an execrable, sexual violation. Born and raised in a family bound by outmoded ideas, sexual mistakes, and grudging resentment, Li’l Bit struggles to define her identity apart from her “celestial orbs.” In an ironic twist of fate, the only person who truly understands and supports her is Peck, who unfortunately has ulterior motives for aiding his niece. Although he skillfully combines affection and authority to manipulate her, he ultimately imparts self-confidence and independence to Li’l Bit, thus diminishing his status as a villain and elevating his character with redeeming features. In guiding her adolescence, Peck gives Li’l Bit the keys to her own freedom through his driving lessons; the oppressor emerges as the liberator, and the victim musters the courage to break away.

It is impossible to finish reading the play without feeling both disgust and sympathy for Peck as the antagonist. By blurring the lines between right and wrong, How I Learned to Drive challenges us to look beyond what is generally labeled as molestation and see the authentic love story that lies within. When talking about the play, Vogel affirms, “We receive great love from the people who harm us.” Indeed, Li’l Bit discovers her own drive and strength thanks to her uncle. With the metaphor of driving used to explore ideas of power and control, the play portrays Li’l Bit’s rite of passage from a child dependent on others to a more self-reliant, secure woman. Through the adversity she faces early on, she matures into a compassionate being who can find forgiveness for Peck’s actions. In fact, the play opens with a simple line whose meaning resonates throughout its entirety: “Sometimes to tell a secret, you have to first teach a lesson.” The lesson taught is one of growth and forgiveness, and how our superficial, often conformist judgments can develop into a more tolerant perspective on “touchy” issues such as pedophilia.

Despite the serious subject manner presented, the play is surprisingly humorous. From the continual appearance of a Greek chorus to the mother's and grandmother's dissertations on men and sex, Vogel subtly shows how comedy can put a positive spin on a seemingly intolerable and grim situation. The contrast between Li’l Bit’s unevolved individuality and her “well-endowed” body is equally amusing, and the scenes from her high school evoke the horrifying awkwardness of growing up as well as the anguishing quest for a defined identity.

Drive triumphs not only because of its keen insights and authentic humanity, but also due to its remarkable ability to confront a dark subject with both realism and lightheartedness. The play deservedly boasts a plethora of awards, which include an Obie, a Drama Desk Award, a New York Drama Critics' Award, an Outer Circle Critics Award, and the Lucille Lortel Award. Engaging and provocative, the theater production remains as pertinent today as it was ten years ago. While child molestation made front-page news in the past, this unpleasant reality continues to lurk in even the most sacred and safe place of family relations. Vogel’s script is another tale of sexual abuse that, however, manages to transcend the physical nuances by exploring familial and psychological boundaries and revealing the innumerable complexities intrinsic in such relationships. It is a riveting story that will provoke thought in anyone who reads it.