Yes, it's complicated. Perhaps for a deeper sight it could be instructiv to regard the two or three worlds in wich Tinker operates: 1)inside the university: 1.1) The Grace etc. world 1.2.) The Peep-Show 2) outside the university: The Rod/Carl world.
Inside he acts as a helping figure for Grace and Robin, without being aware about the evil he does. He acts like a professional 'doing his job'. On the contrary I have the impression, that in the peep show scenes, although that's usually a public place, he is more private than in the other scenes.
Outside he is watching most of the time. And that's the reason why I asked before: WHAT does he see? Carl and Rod are homosexual, they cannot be rivals in his desire for Grace. He cuts systematically off the 'lying limbs' of Carl and murders Rod. Carl represents the conventional side of partnership (to marry etc.) and Tinker reveales its mendaciousness.
I think cruelties and injuries can be understood highly metaphorically in Kane's plays.
I'm not sure, if the 'victims' feel any pain by getting hurt. Only in the red room, there's pain. But pain which is mostly (the cutting of the tongue reminds me of the outside scenes) without any visual injuries.
It's very hard to get this thougts sorted, especially in English.
Archive 23-1-2002