So in my last post I talked about "The Room Where it Happens" and how it played into Burr's character arc. One thing about that song that I didn't mention is something that it does more than any other song in the show, which is play with the idea of unreliable narrators. Most of the song is sung from Burr's perspective, but as he said, he is never really sure what went on in the room, as he wasn't there. So how can we trust what he's saying? Most of it we simply have to take on faith, much as Burr himself is doing about the results of the dinner party.
There are a few bits of the song that aren't sung by Burr, however. Jefferson, Madison, and Hamilton- the three men in the room making the decisions- all get a go at telling part of the story. But we're never entirely sure if we can believe what they're saying either. Each of Jefferson's phrases is proceeded by Burr and the chorus introducing them with "Thomas claims." The use of the word "claim" here is very eyebrow-raising, to say the least- it doesn't lend a whole lot of credibility to the things that Jefferson is saying. The same goes for Madison and Hamilton, if a bit less directly. We have to take it on faith that the things they're telling us about the goings-on at the dinner party are actually true, and not just their twisted interpretation of the events that unfolded.
And this reflects the entire central idea of the song. No one can really be positive if something was true unless they witness it firsthand- an idea that Burr conveys through about fifty different metaphors. And as I mentioned in my other post, this largely informs Burr's character going forward, almost to an unhealthy amount. In "Your Obedient Servant," he menacingly sings to/about Hamilton, "You've kept me from the room where it happens for the last time." Burr wants to know what happens when decisions are made- or, more accurately, he wants a hand in making those decisions. This fuels him for the entire second act, up to and including his killing of Alexander.
I think you bring up a really important idea with unreliable narrators. This reminds me of Hamilton's legacy in real American history too, because he was sort of pushed aside and forgotten. History truly is in the hands of the victor--in this case, Jefferson. For all of Eliza's work, it wasn't until this musical that people started really knowing and appreciating Alexander Hamilton and his contributions to America. We trust history, but it too can have unreliable narrators. I think Manuel pays homage to this with "The Room Where it Happens," and also reminds us that history and legacy become what they are through selective narratives.
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