Caribbean Playwrights
Caribbean playwrights
Final Essay exam
Essay
During this semester we have been studying Caribbean playwrights. In one way or another, these playwrights relate. Issues like poverty, economic problems, racism, gender discrimination, rituals and others are common problems seen in the playwrights. In each one of them we can see how the characters during the drama try to solve their situation and sometimes without thinking about the consequences. Even if the drama is different there is always found a black character that in one point or another passes a tragic situation. I decided to compare three plays, which are: An Echo on the Bone by Dennis Scott, Jean and Dinah by Hall Tony, Rhome Spencer and Susan Sandyford and Smile Orange by Trevor Rhone. During the 3 playwrights there is specially found the economic problems. In An Echo in the Bone the funeral of Crew is going on and Rachel, the protagonist and his wife, doesn’t have money to do a funeral. Before Crew dies, a white man offered Rachel a job. She was his lover for a time and slept with him two times. He was back in town and had a house that needed a housekeeper. Rachel had a family formed with her husband, her boys and her daughter – in – law. Here is how Rachel rejects the job.
STONE: You’ll have a staff of about four, I think, it’s a big old house, though I’ll probably close down half of it. Maybe make in into a museum. There’s some fine stuff there from the past. My wife never appreciated it. Solid stuff. Enduring.
RACHEL: Thank you for the offer, Sir. I will ask around in the village if you want. (Scott.2.192-193).
In the necessity of money she was forced to borrow things from the market and pay them when she had the money. She owed money to Madam. This dialogue shows how she owed money and didn’t had money to pay for the ritual of a funeral.
RACHEL: I don’t have tears left inside me, boy. For thrirty years this land take all the moisture the is in me, and nor it take my man too. I don’t have nothing
Final Essay exam
Essay
During this semester we have been studying Caribbean playwrights. In one way or another, these playwrights relate. Issues like poverty, economic problems, racism, gender discrimination, rituals and others are common problems seen in the playwrights. In each one of them we can see how the characters during the drama try to solve their situation and sometimes without thinking about the consequences. Even if the drama is different there is always found a black character that in one point or another passes a tragic situation. I decided to compare three plays, which are: An Echo on the Bone by Dennis Scott, Jean and Dinah by Hall Tony, Rhome Spencer and Susan Sandyford and Smile Orange by Trevor Rhone. During the 3 playwrights there is specially found the economic problems. In An Echo in the Bone the funeral of Crew is going on and Rachel, the protagonist and his wife, doesn’t have money to do a funeral. Before Crew dies, a white man offered Rachel a job. She was his lover for a time and slept with him two times. He was back in town and had a house that needed a housekeeper. Rachel had a family formed with her husband, her boys and her daughter – in – law. Here is how Rachel rejects the job.
STONE: You’ll have a staff of about four, I think, it’s a big old house, though I’ll probably close down half of it. Maybe make in into a museum. There’s some fine stuff there from the past. My wife never appreciated it. Solid stuff. Enduring.
RACHEL: Thank you for the offer, Sir. I will ask around in the village if you want. (Scott.2.192-193).
In the necessity of money she was forced to borrow things from the market and pay them when she had the money. She owed money to Madam. This dialogue shows how she owed money and didn’t had money to pay for the ritual of a funeral.
RACHEL: I don’t have tears left inside me, boy. For thrirty years this land take all the moisture the is in me, and nor it take my man too. I don’t have nothing
References: Dennis Scott, An Echo in the Bone. 1985. Print. Hall Tony, Rhoma Spencer, and Susan Sandiford. Jean and Dinah Speak their Minds Publicly. Vol II. Playwrights Canada, 2003. Print. Contemporary African Canadian Drama. Rhone Trevor. Smile Orange. 1981. Print.