Virginia Minstrel Shows In The Late 1800's

This book holds scenes from 16 individual plays during the Harlem Renaissance. It holds scripts from playwright and social activist, Langston Hughes. This

During the 1800s, Virginia had been composed by a few grandees and many lower classes villagers, such as farmers, white servants and black slaves. Most of fertile land was dominated by the grandees and the poor farmers had to settle in barren and dangerous land where it is closer to Indian’s territory. Due to the poor environment, their productions did not reach the quality to deal with the heavy taxation. In addition, they had to live with the fear to be attacked by Indians all the time. Nathaniel Bacon rose up as the leader of lower class villagers to demand improving of their environment. According to Foner, he demanded “removal of all Indians from the colony, a reduction of taxes, and an end to rule by ‘grandees’” (48) as primary complains

The evolution of musical theater in America can be viewed through many lenses. Through the lens of hindsight, it is easy to reflect on the treatment and portrayal of African-Americans in the contextual fruition of live entertainment in the United States. Dating back to the later half to the nineteenth and into the early twentieth century, ethnic representation in musical theater underwent a gradual change paralleling a shift in societal opinion toward racial equality. Though by today’s standards, its depiction of African-Americans may seem archaic at best, Show Boat changed the way audiences viewed musical theater through its success as the first show to deal with racial issues in the United States.

The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams and Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller are two of the twentieth century’s best-known plays. The differences and similarities between both of the plays are hidden in their historical and social contexts. The characters of The Glass Menagerie and the Death of a Salesman are trapped by the constraints of their everyday lives, unable to communicate with their loved ones and being fearful for their future. There are a lot of comparisons that exist, especially between the settings, symbolism and characterization drawn between the two plays. The contrast comes form the ways that the characters choose to deal or not with the harsh circumstances of life.

"If I were invited to a dinner party with my characters, I wouldn't show up." But if I had the oppurnity to invite three people over for dinner I would invite Lauren Hill because she is my favorite musian and writer, the second person that I would invite is Twiggy because she is a legend in the modeling industry she was the first teen supermodel the third person I would invite to have dinner with would be Paul Lawrence Dumber because he was a great poet and an ascent to the Harlem Renssiances. This paper will explain why I would choose to invite these three people to my house for dinner.

Harold Grange, also known as Red, the Galloping Ghost, or the Wheaton Ice Man, was an inspiration to a depressed America. His real life persona had such an influence throughout America that he was mentioned in Arthur Miller’s play, “ Death of a Salesman.” Miller utilizes Grange as a representation of the American dream and Willy’s extreme expectations of his son, Biff.

It is clear that our country 's criminal justice system is the new Jim Crow; with a huge majority of felons being African American, it is obvious that people of color have it harder when it comes to crime sentences. We must acknowledge that mass incarceration and the Jim Crow era are greatly similar. Minstrel shows, which showed black men to be lazy, dumb, and clownish, once justified the oppression of african americans. Many now believe that gangsta rap does just the same and is the modern day minstrel show, by portraying blacks to be drug dealers, angry, and violent men. Though many people believe that gangsta rap reinforces these stereotypes, it’s important for one to realize that this form of expression is not a modern day version of blackface performances.

All characters represents an actual person in American society during the 1930s. The linking between the book, characters and The Great

Stock characters are uninteresting because they’re seen repeatedly throughout literature. When a character breaks free of the stereotype then he or she becomes believable and memorable (Marks). Nora from A Doll’s House initially fulfills the subservient housewife motif but eventually actualizes that she was not born to listen to what society tells her regarding how to be happy. Willy from Death of a Salesman is a typical businessman who is afraid to let go of his salesman persona even though it is not working in his best interest. Marks, in The Five Traps and Tips for Character Development points that Nora is more believable and memorable than Willy.

In Roman comedy, the use of stock characters helped to represent common archetypes in society. Stock characters were also used to allow for audiences to easily understand a production, as the characters were so commonly seen. In modern movies and specifically American comedy, stereotypical characters are often used that demonstrate society’s beliefs about certain types of people. These characters are often used satirically to mock the stereotypes that lead people to judge others. Regardless of when stock characters are utilized, they point to the ideas that a society has about certain types of people during a specific time period.

This study explores the mythic dimension of one of Tennessee Williams’s best-known and most enduring plays. The author’s revival of ancient myths and archetypes in Streetcar illustrates his professed

life in the mid to late twentieth century and the strains of society on African Americans. Set in a small neighborhood of a big city, this play holds much conflict between a father, Troy Maxson, and his two sons, Lyons and Cory. By analyzing the sources of this conflict, one can better appreciate and understand the way the conflict contributes to the meaning of the work.

In the 19th century racism was a considerable problem. E.L. Doctorow presents the racism that was occurring in reality through fictional Coalhouse Walker. He is also able to indicate to the reader the effects of discrimination. In Ragtime, Coalhouse Walker stands as a symbol and an advocate for the black people that want to go against the stereotypes that white people make about them.

In his play Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller uses “the common man as a fit subject for tragedy in the highest sense” (Lawrence, Trudeau and Ross Vol. 1) and failure in the accomplishment of the American. The play tends to recline more in the direction of masculinity where men’s sole role is to get a job and support the family and the woman be seen and ordered which brings out the idea of traditional gender roles at its best. Though this is the case, it is very evident that women played an important role in this play. Although every character in the served and had a main purpose, women served a major role not only as subjects of submission and satisfaction who helped define who the men really were in the 1940’s but also as elements of support and wisdom.

Both Tony Kushner and Athol Fugard demonstrate the effects societal standards have on individuality. Kushner’s Angels in America focused on homosexuality and the AIDS crisis during the Reagan Era, whereas Fugard’s “Master Harold”…and the Boys concentrated on the issue of racism taking place during the South African apartheid. Whether striving for a new identity or being limited by one according to societal standards, all of the characters featured in these plays struggle to come to terms with their true self. In this paper, I will explain the effects that stereotypes and labels had on the growth, or lack thereof, of these individuals.