Discrimination In Slaughter City
Naomi Wallace wrote “Slaughter City” in 1996. Her play shined a light on the terrible working conditions that are still going on even in today’s society. “Slaughter City” documents the workers of a slaughterhouse (set in the now and then) and their struggle to survive the despicable working conditions, class disparities and discrimination of race and gender. The play is written in a very non-realistic style, making it suitable for any time period.
When we first meet Cod she is in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire talking to a seamstress. There is a fire blazing all around them and the sound of a fire truck siren is in the distance. The Shirtwaist Factory Fire in 1911 was one of the most infamous industrial accidents in U.S. History. The …show more content…
Roach experiences the discrimination of being both a female and an African American worker during her time. Maggot experiences the difficulty being a women on the packing line, and Tuck experiences how difficult it is be an Africa American in a manager role. Cod experiences the discrimination of being a scab worker and of Irish decent. The diversity of the characters is intentional in multiple ways. Wallace uses the difference in her characters to express what is still experienced in the work-place today, but also to show how slaughterhouses operated in the 20th century. Phillip Armour, like many slaughterhouse owners, had a great fear of a unified labor force. He encouraged the hiring of diverse, non English-speaking workers as he viewed ethnic and racial tensions as a distraction from labor issues within management. Armour knew if the different ethnic groups were fighting each other, they were less likely to fight with him …show more content…
Many people feel that they can relate to her characters struggles in everyday life. “Slaughter City” is written as a non-realistic play without a time period so that it can still be
Palumbo 4 produced and adapted to discuss topics that never go away and are usually just swept under the rug. Many are still affected by discrimination, class disparities and unsafe work conditions in their everyday lives. “Slaughter City” is a muckraker of the theater, written to shed light on a topic that never disappears and has never fully been
When we first meet Cod she is in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire talking to a seamstress. There is a fire blazing all around them and the sound of a fire truck siren is in the distance. The Shirtwaist Factory Fire in 1911 was one of the most infamous industrial accidents in U.S. History. The …show more content…
Roach experiences the discrimination of being both a female and an African American worker during her time. Maggot experiences the difficulty being a women on the packing line, and Tuck experiences how difficult it is be an Africa American in a manager role. Cod experiences the discrimination of being a scab worker and of Irish decent. The diversity of the characters is intentional in multiple ways. Wallace uses the difference in her characters to express what is still experienced in the work-place today, but also to show how slaughterhouses operated in the 20th century. Phillip Armour, like many slaughterhouse owners, had a great fear of a unified labor force. He encouraged the hiring of diverse, non English-speaking workers as he viewed ethnic and racial tensions as a distraction from labor issues within management. Armour knew if the different ethnic groups were fighting each other, they were less likely to fight with him …show more content…
Many people feel that they can relate to her characters struggles in everyday life. “Slaughter City” is written as a non-realistic play without a time period so that it can still be
Palumbo 4 produced and adapted to discuss topics that never go away and are usually just swept under the rug. Many are still affected by discrimination, class disparities and unsafe work conditions in their everyday lives. “Slaughter City” is a muckraker of the theater, written to shed light on a topic that never disappears and has never fully been