Three Plays Analysis - Essay Sample

Introduction

Lorraine Hansberry play "A Raisin in the Sun" explores on lives of an African American family that lives in Chicago in the 1950s. It is a family of four living in a three-bedroom apartment. The family shares bathrooms with the surrounding neighbors. The play gets developed at a time when it was difficult for blacks to thrive economically because of the high levels of racism. Prejudices and racism forces the family to forego the dreams to deal with the obstacles they encounter. During this period, the great depression of the 1930s is already taking shape; many Africa Americans lose their jobs, making them more vulnerable. Luis Valdez uses his play, "Los Vendidos" to explore the problems encountered by Mexicans interacting with the native Americans. Valdez presents the play in a satirical manner, but this helps the audience to get the attitude of the native Americans towards the Mexican- Americans. Although the play sounds comic, it explores on grave issues that Mexicans face in the hands of Americans during the 1960s. Luis Valdez's play Zoot Suit reveals racial discrimination against Los Angeles Chicano population during world war II in the 1940s. This paper seeks to explore how the three plays got influenced by the second world war and African American and Mexican American civil rights movements.

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Lorraine Hansberry play "A Raisin in the Sun" explores the lifestyle of a low-income African American family. The family gets a golden opportunity to deal with their poverty through a life insurance policy amounting up to $ 10,000 processed by their late father. The mother of the family is known as Lena Younger. Lena's family is in a huge dilemma and unable to decide on how to use the money. Walter, the oldest child, wants the money to be invested in a liquor store. The family views the business as immoral. However, Walter assures his son that is safe, "You wouldn't understand yet, son, but your daddy's gonna make a transaction...a business transaction that's going to change our life (Hansberry 18)." Beneatha, Walter's younger sister, who is in college, wants the money to facilitate her medical education. Lena wants to invest the money in buying the family a house and use the rest to pay for Beneatha's education. The family, together with Walter's wife and son, comprises of five people living under impoverished conditions. The family only has one bedroom, and all of them share one bathroom. Bearing in mind the state of conditions Walter's wife is even considering aborting their unborn child because she feels that their situation will not allow the baby to lead a good life. Racism has pushed the family into difficult conditions; they cannot afford proper housing like their white counterparts.

Walter is a great business person who aspires to have a good life and own luxurious property. However, he does not want to challenge the system to achieve his success; he dreams of getting an office job that can help him elevate his standards. However, his efforts prove futile because racism slows down his ambitions. Lena uses some of the money to pay a deposit for a house in the white neighborhood. She sees his son's effort and entrusts him with the family money believing that he will pay for his sister's college education. Unfortunately, Walter engages in business with two men who make away with all the money. The family has a house to pay for and some college fee to cater for, and it has lost everything. The story elaborates on how many African-Americans during the era found themselves in difficult conditions trying to thrive under the white-dominated nations. They neither got adequate jobs nor opportunities to succeed. They were left to live under miserable conditions, both materially and environmentally wise. Walter proves to be a hardworking character, but his skin color limits his potential. The case of Walter is not different from that of many African Americans; their success was limited.

Valdez uses his play, "Los Vendidos," which brings into audience's attention the challenges Mexican-Americans face, including social injustices, racism, and class segregation. The issues are evident in the play at several points. For instance, Miss Jimenez demands a robot that behaves in American fashion. Sancho's encounter with Jimenez at his shop also portrays Jimenez has a character who down looks upon the Mexican culture and feels that American culture is way more superior. Jimenez refers to Sancho English as bad when he uses a Spanish accent to pronounce her name. Jimenez's actions at Sancho's shop reveals as a character with ego and confusion. She wants a Mexican model, but she wants the car to behave as Americanized. She says, "I don't care. You still don't understand what we need. It's true we need Mexican models, such as these, but it's more important that he be American (Valdez 8)." Valdez reveals an American society that is too obsessed with their culture and down looks upon the Mexican culture. Americans are driven by their ego; they believe in their superiority in terms of their product and everything. In the play the American's seem view themselves as more superior compared to the Mexicans. The play explores the challenges the Mexican Americans faced in the 1960s living amongst the white native Americans.

Luis Valdez's play "Zoot Suit" reveals racial discrimination against Los Angeles Chicano population during world war II in the 1940s. Henry Reyna and his gang, the 38th street gang, are incarnated and charged against mistakes they did not commit (Valdez 23). They are held responsible for killing Jose Williams, yet they did not do so. The judge presiding over the case is biased and does everything he can to ensure that they remain under custody. The policing is biased and targets individuals of specific colors. According to Valdez, blacks get held into custody against the mistakes they do not play any part. Zoot suit groups get formed to voice against discrimination and racial segregation of the dark. However, the groups are subjected to torture and get incarnated over minor things such as their dressing codes. Claims get raised that the group targets to outdo the Americans. Luis Valdez's Zoot Suit presents a society dominated by whites who oppress the blacks to continue with their dominance. In a nutshell, the three plays unmask the racism that existed in American society and to initiate advocacy for rights of all, no matter the skin color. The plays uncovered the dark side of American culture and assisted in starting helpful social movements.

Howe and Gordon's play "Indian Radio Days" illustrates how the Indian-Americas struggles to fight against colonial dominance. The play connects humor with historical events such as the arrival of the French in the gulf coast. Like the title suggests, the play is in the form of a radio show. The narrator interviews natives and non- natives with historical experiences. The Indian Americans live under impoverished conditions according to how Howe and Gordon describe them. One of the interviewees referred to as Choctaw man seems to live in misery. Howe and Gordon say, "The Choctaw is dirty. He is forty years old. He is mostly naked. Bird feathers stick out of his hair. He is carrying some skins. Written on his chest in big block letters is: 'LIFE'S A BEACH (Howe & Gordon 115)." The Choctaw man seems to be living under impoverished conditions. The case is no different for most Indian Americans living in the USA at that time. The radio shows reveal the fact that the Americans are the most dominant group in the USA at that time, it makes them segregate other groups racially. After all, it is their home, and they are the majority; they feel more superior to other races.

In Valdez's play, "Los Vendidos," the Americans use their dominance to suppress the Mexican- Americans. The native Americans feel that they are more superior compared to the Mexicans, as Jimenez reveals. Native Americans think that their fashion is more superior compared to that of Mexican- Americans. For instance, Jimenez feels that a can get modeled in a Mexican way but operate in an American way. Valdez uses his play to illustrate how native Americans mistreat the Mexican- Americans with a notion that they are better. Jimenez complains about her attendant's bad English. She feels that the Mexican accent is not good enough. In Sancho's shop, Jimenez keeps questioning whether the attendants speak in English; Jimenez underestimates the capabilities of the Mexicans. She says, "How about that. But tell me, does he speak English (Valdez 3)?" Jimenez feels that the English language is superior to that of the Mexicans; this is a wrong perception. The Americans take advantage of the Mexicans because they think that it is their nation, and they are the majority. The natives feel special, and this makes them down look upon other cultures

David Henry Hwang uses his "play yellow" face to explore race and assimilation in America. Hwang puts himself in the center of the play as he tries to explore the Asian identity and Race in the USA. The play presents the 1990s controversies over color blind (Hwang 68). DHH a non-Asian character, plays a leading role in Hwang's play. Hwang presents a possibility that the Americas can be assimilated into Asian cultures and Asians into American as well, and this can help deal with the conflicts between the two. The play also explores the life of David Henry Hwang's father, who was the first Asian-American to own a federally chartered bank. The Asians are treated inappropriately by the Americans because of their skin color; they do not get equal opportunities likes the white. The Asian-Americans face strict legal restrictions compared to the native Americans; for instance, the case of two Chinese- Americans who find themselves in difficult situations trying to clear their names. The play explores the challenges the Asian communities face as they try to interact with Americans. The Americans use their dominance to suppress the Asians.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, the three plays indicate that the fact that the Americans are the most dominant groups in their native nations makes them undermine others. The Americans use their position to exploit others because they feel that they are more superior to other races. The three plays reveal the dark side of American history, an America that was reluctant to tolerate other races.

Works Cited

Hansberry, Lorraine. Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun. Samuel French, Inc., 1984.

Howe, LeAnne, and Roxy Gordon. "Indian Radio Days: An Evolving Bingo Experience." Seventh Generation: An Anthology of Native American Plays. Ed. Mimi Gisolfi D'Aponte. New York: Theatre Communications Group (1999).

Hwang, David Henry. Yellow Face. Dramatists Play Service Inc, 2008.

Valdez, Luis. Luis Valdez-early works: Actos, bernabe and pensamiento serpentino. Arte Publico Press, 1990.

Valdez, Luis. Zoot Suit & Other Plays. Arte Publico Press, 1992.