Ms Kathleen's

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The Blue Angel is sold out as people have come to see Lola and to witness the once prominent Professor perform as a lowly clown. Before his big performance the Professor is prepped by the Magician. During this process the Professor just stares coldly into space, a shell of the person he once was. The Magician constantly encourages the blank-faced Immanuel Rath to perform well. Meanwhile, Mazeppa and Lola walk past the Professor, flirting with each other and poking fun at him, which does not stir any emotion in him.

The Manager makes the comment that the house is packed and that many of the Professor’s former colleagues and students are in the audience. The Professor tries to reach within himself to find one last ounce of dignity. He proclaims “I am not going on. I refuse to do it!” Lola looks at him cruelly in the face and she forcefully orders him “YOU WILL GO ON!” The Professor cannot resist her so he surrenders and passively heads toward the stage like a lamb being led to slaughter.

Lola finds her husband’s humiliation羞辱 — shame given on purpose to be a sexual turn-on. She watches from the side of the stage as she is being kissed and fondled by her new male admirer, Mazeppa. To Lola, this is all sexual foreplay. She will watch her husband be humiliated and then she will take Mazeppa to bed. We get the idea that she has done this many times with other men in other towns and this has contributed to her husband’s emasculation and humiliation羞辱 — shame given on purpose.