The Past In Alan Strang's 'Equus'

The Past
“Equus” effectively showcases how past events can negatively affect the present actions, attitudes, and values of a character. Specifically Alan Strang, a suffering teenage boy who must contend with his personal past.
Alan expresses an odd belief in the horse god Equus, and was overtly dissatisfied with himself when he thought he had displeased his god. This stems from Alan’s mother being extremely religious and forcing her excessive views onto him since he was young. Throughout his childhood she would repeat bible verses until they were etched into his brain and taught him to do no wrong. This factor in Alan’s past is what lead him to form such a strong obsession over Equus. Alan wholeheartedly believes he belongs to this god, but subconsciously it is a form of defying

First, his father took away television. Though this may not seem like a pivotal moment, it explains Alan’s habit of singing commercial jingles to avoid answering awkward questions. When Alan doesn 't feel like sharing his feelings or justifying his actions he sings. This shows accounts to his socially awkward tendencies and difficulty talking to Dysart. His father was also there for Alan’s first experience: when he was young, they were visiting a beach and Alan rode his first horse. When his parents found out they were furious because it was “dangerous” and his father pulled him off the horse so hard Alan fell. He fixated on horses because of their supposed threat, and the rush he got riding them. He took it a step further when he would ride the horses bareback and naked at night, gaining intense personal pleasure. When riding he felt free, which contrasts with his connection to the horses confinements. This ties into the texts overall idea of freedom. Alan feels restricted by his parents and society and only feels truly himself when both him and the horse ride at