Essay Sample on Emotional and Intellectual Impact of the Play "Tribes"

Introduction

Tribes is a play about a British, Jewish family that is made up of parents Christopher and Beth and their three grown-up children Daniel, Ruth, and Billy who still love at home. Both parents are writers and their mother Beth is currently trying to write a detective-themed novel about marriage breakdowns. Daniel who is haunted by accusatory voices in his head is also writing his thesis about how language does not determine meaning while Ruth is trying to be an Opera singer. Billy is deaf, but he does not know sign language rather he knows how to read lips and speak. The crisis in this family begins when Billy introduces his new girlfriend, Sylvia, who has grown up in a deaf family and is now slowly losing her hearing.

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The play makes one think about the abuse in families that often leads to dysfunction. The family members in this household are often critical towards each other and always try to tear down each other's achievements. The fact that they are all academic intellectuals with high IQs heightens this matter. Christopher, their father, spearheads the criticism and negativity of this family with his continuous mean remarks about his wife's new book. Daniel and Ruth are always in a spur of words against each other. We even find out that the family has been critical and not accepting towards Daniel's and Ruth's former partners. With such negativity in a household, it is no wonder all of them are stuck and unable to go on with their lives. Daniel and Ruth have both moved back home after failed relationships, and they are having a hard time getting their careers going. Exposure to constant negativity can cause one to be afraid of stepping out and being independent as has happened in this family.

The family's lack of compassion and empathy towards one another's problems is unnerving and heartbreaking. The family members ignore the needs of the only deaf member, and their refusal to try and be part of his world leaves him isolated. To begin with, Billy has never learned sign language because his parents are apprehensive about their son being part of the deaf culture. Instead, they want Billy to be part of the hearing community, so he has to be the one to make adjustments to fit into their family. In their arguments and discussions, they leave Billy out, and this is precisely seen when they all storm out of the family dinner leaving Billy seated alone. Daniel has little compassion for his brother's condition as he turns on the radio although he knows it interferes with Billy's hearing aid. Despite all this, Billy is seemingly the most normal of his siblings.

Conclusion

The play reveals that communities are resistant to infiltration from outsiders and their norms. Tribes give people a place to belong, and those who do not fit in any tribe are usually isolated and lonely. A tribe is a group of people who may share the same language, culture, and practices A family is a tribe and each family has its jokes, language and set ways of doing things. Billy's family has been unaccepting of deaf culture as evidenced by their disinterest in learning the sign language. When Billy begins learning sign language and interacting with the deaf community his family gets very upset. They are threatened and unaccepting of his new girlfriend, Sylvia, who has been introducing him to deaf culture. Unacceptance towards each other can lead to extreme isolation and cause considerable rifts in families. Billy later moves out and requests all members of his family to learn sign language. The deaf community is also unaccepting of the hearing community. Sylvia reveals that there is a hierarchy in the deaf community and those who were born deaf are not accepting towards those who become deaf later in life. She would know this first hand since she grew up as the only hearing member in a deaf family. It is ironical that the people who are often discriminated against (the deaf) would discriminate among members of their community. It is then not surprising that Sylvia is hesitant about joining the deaf community while Billy is excited about it. The play evokes both emotional and intellectual stimulation in the reader. It shows how people need to feel they belong and those who feel like they do not belong are often isolated.