The Octoroon Analysis

The summary of the play includes the insight of multiple characters’ lives, all within the Hispanic community of Manhattan’s Washington Heights. One story includes a street market owner, Usnavi (Steven Pego), who’s in love with a girl named Vanessa (Lexi Marta) and is encouraged to make a move by his co- worker, Sonny (Edwin Rivera). Vanessa works at a beauty shop owned by Daniela (Goldera Surles) AND struggles to pay her, all while being bullied at work. Benny (Makay Johnson) and Camila (Kimmy Paltz) are a happily married couple who owns a business, while their daughter, Nina (Lauren Guerra) struggles in school but is in love with Benny who works with her family. Their love is forbidden by Nina’s father because he wants her to finish her education. The town’s grandma, played by Deidre

As a mixed race product of an African American mother and a Caucasian father, Vyry isn’t given much of a chance to establish her identity from the moment she is born. Being the child of an African American woman automatically labels her as the “other” within the society she lives in. At a younger age, Vyry loves to play with her half-sister, and she is still oblivious of the racial separations in existence on the Dutton plantation. Soon enough, Vyry comes to learn what it means to be, not only a girl, but a Negro girl living in a white dominated society; as she finds herself and her half-sister being treated more and more different. In Jubilee, Vyry’s stepmother, who is a Caucasian woman named Salina is the emblem of white, middle class womanhood.

Through the 8th Juror’s characteristic of a brave individual, it is evident that the play is symbolising him as a ‘hero’. From the beginning, he puts himself

The novel Mississippi Mud illustrates a murder of an illustrious couple that would shake the city of Biloxi, Mississippi, as well as, unveil political corruption structured around the Dixie Mafia. Vincent and Margret Sherry, the couple whom had been murdered, were loving parents to four children, which all were adults. However it was their oldest daughter, Lynne Sposito, which is responsible for discovering the motive for her parents’ murder and the killer responsible for it. She reveals the secrets and the cesspool of corruption that lies within Biloxi. Within this mirage Kirksey McCord Nix, Junior, is presented as a character that, some may consider being born with a silver spoon, being that his mother and father both were highly successful attorneys. Mister Nix juniors’ mother was the first woman to practice law in the state of Mississippi and his father was a senator in Oklahoma. Virtually speaking he was born and raised in the legal realm which caused him to have tons of political clout that would fuel the desperado mentality he developed as a child.

Broward College, Central Campus Theater in building 6, on Sunday, the 1st of November. The play was performed by Broward College students. The type of stage was Proscenium stage with extended apron. I thought it was a little bit small, but it did not show as a problem. The pre-show was dark and a feel of suspense. I felt excited to see how everything would play out. The play takes place down south of Chicago in the 1950’s.

“I loved them both. The one I called auntie and the one I called uncle.”, Langston exclaims at the end of the story. Reminiscing on how important those two have been and always will be to him. At the dinner table the night before the revival, Mary notices something is the matter with Langston and inquires as to why his whole mood as changed. Why it is not the one he normally has, especially during dinner time. Langston fails to respond. As if he does not quite know the word choice in which he would use to explain to his aunt the cares and concerns he has. James responds, “He’s afraid of what you said. He’s afraid of being saved.” Mary Reed, distraught, replies to this theory by confronting Langston. “Is that right boy? I thought you were looking forward to it.”, she says with disappointment in her voice. Langston immediately tries to mend the situation, “I am auntie! It’s just…I…nothing.”. Bring himself to tell her the truth and how he felt, he could not. It can be inferred that Langston had the burden of possibly disappointing and letting down his aunt, someone he loved dearly. A burden he could not

During the beginning of the play, she essentially pretending that race is irrelevant and that her chances of getting into a medical school is just as good as anybody else’s. She takes pride in being her own person rather than focusing on her race.

Hoo also fall under the description of “the perfect partners”. Grace Wexler was a stubborn woman who had two daughters, whom she treated very differently. ““Hey look! There’s smoke coming from the Westing house!” Again Turtle was late with the news. “Oh, it’s you.” Mrs. Wexler always seemed surprised to see her other daughter, so unlike golden-haired, angel-faced Angela.” (Raskin, 10). Grace unmistakably showed more affection towards Angela, who, in Grace’s eyes, was sweet, pretty, and perfect, than To Turtle, her “imperfect” daughter. Grace, much like Mr. Hoo, had problems with parenting. Doug Hoo, Mr. Hoo’s only son, a high school athlete, was always jogging. Mr. Hoo seemed to disapprove of his son’s running. “Doug jogged off through the kitchen; it was no use arguing that there was no school tomorrow, just track practice. He jogged down the back stairs; no matter what excuse he gave, “Go study,” his father would say, “go study.”” (Raskin, 12). Not showing much interest in his son, nor his son’s athletic talent, Mr. Hoo only noticed what his son did not do. Both have parenting problems, stubborn personalities, and a view of things their way, and only their way. To make their “struggles” harder, both have a spouse that is often absent. During Westing’s will reading, Madame Hoo, and Jake Wexler were both “too busy” according to their spouses, to show up. When informed that their spouses would not be

In the play “A Raisin in the Sun” written by Lorraine Hansberry, she is able to take us to place to see what it was like for an African American family to survive in the mid-twentieth century. The play details how the main characters are going through an evolving social and economic position, as well as the evolving gender roles. Hansberry uses the characterization of Beneatha, Ruth, and Walter in order to show the expectations and assigned gender roles for the characters in the story. In short, Beneatha is depicted as a woman who is challenging gender norms and expectations upheld by her family, whereas Ruth is seen as an example of a submissive housewife fulfilling her expected duties. Using “A Raisin in the Sun,” as well as “Marxists

The Jackson environment was featured by a rough social structure and certain rules of behavior. Rich, color, family background and reputation specified your social status and your relationship with others in the society. Although the racism had no legal foundation, it was hard for color people to move between classes or make their way into high social circles. If color people do Any act of rebellion could mean a lot of social problems and complete isolation in the community. This would cause very bad consequences especially in terms of employment or marriage considerations. We obviously touch this through the character of Celia and her relation with Hilly and the Junior, of which Hilly is the leader. Hilly considers Celia as “white trash” because she comes from a poor area of Mississippi called Sugarditch. She disregards Celia’s offers to help with arranging a Donations interest. Celia is a good and somewhat simple girl who just wants to be one of the Jackson women. We see that when at the benefit one of the Junior League member’s comments on Celia’s because she wears revealing cloths. She says “bosoms are for bedrooms and breastfeeding. Not for occasions with dignity. I want her to cover. Them. Up”. Hilly also thinks to herself that Celia does not have the “gentility” to join the Junior League which consists of respectable women in the community”. These instances expose how Celia was judged according to her look and background instead of her personality. The setting is important to make it easy for readers to understand the inequality that a lot of women faced during this 1960’s

The play starts off with Boy Willie and his friend Lymon heading towards north to Pittsburgh. Their intentions are to sell a truck load of watermelons, and most of all to convince Berniece into selling the piano. Boy Willie knows very well that Berniece will not give up the piano, but resumes with his journey to sell the piano. The piano in this play is the heart of the play. It is the main cause for the tension between Boy Willie and Berniece. The piano has brought upon many grieves to the Charles family, and has caused many lives. The piano is a symbol for every life that it has taken. And for those lives, Berniece resists in letting go of the piano. Even though, it is the most important matter in the family. To Berniece, the piano is also a prize possession because of their ancestors, but most of all she refuses to sell it because their mother polished it everyday after their father died. Berniece accuses Boy Willie of not considering what their mother has done. But even after all that their family has gone through to finally claim the piano, Boy Willie wants to sell it anyway. The piano is the only family value that both siblings can hold on to and pass on to next generations. Boy Willie feels

Is the year 1957 in the Industrial city of Pittsburg. Troy Maxon is fifty-three years old. He has been married to Rose for 18 years, this devotion to him has led her to ignore the more difficult aspects of his character. Furthermore, one of the literary elements used to spotlight this issue is on its plot and dialogues between its characters. The plot explores the roots of Troy Maxon, whose past emerge during the curse of the play, and shows a fourteen-year-old boy, who grew up motherless and under the care of a brutal and abusive father. For this reason, he decided to run away from his home and set out on his own in the north of Pittsburg. s with no job a

Throughout the play, Heartbreak House, it is clearly evident that class distinction is inevitable within society. Characters, Mazzini Dunn, Ellie Dunn and the burglar, Billy Dunn, are great examples of how many people treat others from different social ranks. Mazzini Dunn and his daughter Ellie Dunn are of the lower working class. Mazzini has spent his life working for an upper class man, Mangdan, that he believes he owes his life to, for giving him employment. However, instead

The distinction of race in the very first line of the play indicates Branden Jacobs-Jenkins (behind the persona of BJJ) seeks to expose his own experience as a Black man through the context of The Octoroon. Through BJJ, we learn that Jacobs-Jenkins admires Boucicault and his work, but notes that “no one cares about [Boucicault] anymore. He’s dead” (8). Immediately, An Octoroon begins to examine the role of Boucicault in his work and his role in the American theatrical canon at large. The closeness to the audience in these moments contrast directly to Boucicault’s distance in The Octoroon; Jacobs-Jenkins confides in the audience, as he says “You people are my therapy” (9) directly to those watching the action on stage. His confessions alert the audience to the work as a piece of theatre. Jacobs-Jenkins work does not attempt to erase theatricality, unlike Boucicault, who forsakes theatricality for a constructed realism. Because the audience understands the story outside suspension of reality, the text provides a better examination of The Octoroon through modern eyes. As the narrative begins and the prologue closes, the audience possesses an awareness of the original text through the eyes of BJJ. This places the story in a context of critical study and examination from the inception of the adaptation and affects all aspects of dramaturgy

In the next scene, Halie meets with the community minister to talk about a statue for her dead son Ansal, which is somewhat disturbing. She is dressed in a black vale, extended black gloves, and a long black dress. It seems that she is going to a funeral for her lost son, instead of going to lunch and chatting with the minister. In addition, the reader hears about the last son, Bradley, who has had a serious accident with a chain saw where he cuts his leg off. Not much is know about Bradley in the beginning of the play except of his amputation, and also that he is the younger of the two sons who has a fake leg. Before the climax of this play, the reader should be able to see that something is wrong with this family. In this play, there is not one event that stands out as being completely peculiar, but there are clever hints that allow the reader to know that there is far more to this family.