Water By The Spoonful

The play directions describe Elliot as “an Iraq vet with a slight limp, works at Subway sandwich shop, scores an occasional job as a model or actor” (4). He is twenty-four years old, Puerto Rican, Odessa’s birth son, and Yazmin’s cousin.

The opening scene tells the reader/audience that Elliot is haunted by an experience he had while serving as a Marine in Iraq. He asks Professor Aman, a friend of his cousin’s, to translate an Arabic phrase for him. Throughout the play, a ghost appears to Elliot saying this phrase over and over. The phrase seems insignificant, translating to, Can I please have my passport back?

We know that this memory is significant to Elliot, however, because it keeps haunting him. He also seems to suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder due to his experiences during the war. Elliot’s life has been marked by a series of traumas. When he was a little boy, his two-year old sister died due to Odessa’s neglect. He was then raised by his aunt, Mami Ginny, who he takes care of until she dies. He struggles to forgive his birth mother for the trauma her addiction inflicted upon his life. We learn that he also struggles with addiction and has overdosed on pain medications for his leg injury.