Essay on "Dutchman," a Play Written by Amiri Baraka"

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Dutchman," a play written by Amiri Baraka, an African-American writer who was a strong supporter of the Black Nationalism movement in the 1960s, is a parody of the way people or race -- and ethnicity -- is treated in America. Prejudice is thought to be non-existent, but it is alive and well practiced in a covert manner with implicit rather than explicit prejudice occurring. When explicit prejudice does occur, bystanders prefer to look away and ignore the spectacle making them immune to its occurrence. This is what happened on the train between Lula and Clay where Lula eventually kills Clay and is moving onto her next prey, but the other passengers pretend to be immune to the spectacle.

I found the play striking with Lula the protagonist approaching Clay, a Black man in a sexual come-on, where she starts off by being flirtatious, bending over him and trying to engage him in flirtatious communication. She shifts to ridiculing him on his clothes and telling him that he is not really Black because he is educated, wears a three-button suit and because his "grandfather was not a slave" She further infuriates Clay by dancing in the train and ridiculing him by asking him to join her and "do the nasty. Rub bellies." Clay yells at the other passengers, retorting to Lula that she knows nothing about him, and calling her and the other riders " ofays'. He forces her on the seat next to him, slaps her twice, and comments that the neuroses of black man can be cured only with the murder of White people, specially with the murder of Lula. He then apologizes and prepares to take his leave. Whilst Clay is bending down to pick up his books, Lula stabs him in front of the others who do nothing to stop the attack. They

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then help her toss the body off the train and get off the subway at the next stop. Lulu moves on to her next victim, another Black man dressed in a similar style. In the meantime's, the train conductor enters the compartment, dancing a 'soft shoe' movement.

The story can be interrelated in numerous ways. It may tell us something about the troublesome times in which we live where people are apathetic to violence, not only that that is perpetrated to race but to any wrong or injustice that is committed in their sight. They simply do not wish to be involved. Although the play portrayed a Black as victim of this violence, it seems to be that apathy to injustice in general is a component of our times. This impression is reinforced by the fact that it wasn't only White people who watched the crime. Black people were spectators too. All watched and participated in throwing the body overboard. None did anything to prevent it.

Secondly, the play may reflect too on the arbitrary response to crime in our society. Women, by virtue of their gender, are oftentimes the ones who are least frequently punished even thoguh they may be conspicuously responsible for their crimes. Society has… READ MORE

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Quoted Instructions for "Dutchman," a Play Written by Amiri Baraka" Assignment:

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Dutchman Guidelines

Most of us at one time or another have experienced stereotyping on some level ***** whether it was directed at us or we witnessed someone else being placed into a *****category***** based on race, religion, sexual orientation, or even just by the way we were dressed. Whether the claims that were made were true or not, we likely felt upset about the experience, even angry enough to want to react. In the 1960s, the civil rights movement for African Americans had reached a peak when ***** Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. Black Americans were angry and frustrated by how they were treated by the White majority. Leroi Jones, a middle class African American from New Jersey, was no exception, writing essays, poems and plays that addressed the rage Black Americans felt. *****Dutchman***** is one of his plays that strikes hard at the conflict, weaving metaphor with strong dialogue throughout each of the two scenes, to display a bleak image of how hate can taint what on the outset seems a harmless slice of life.

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For this essay assignment, pretend that you are a critic seeing this play for the first time at the Cherry Lane Theatre in New York City. In a 3-5 page essay, provide a semiotic analysis of the play using various elements discussed in class. Construct a specific and argumentative thesis statement that makes an assertion about what the play tells the viewer about American culture and the race problems at the time. For example, you might assert that Clay just wants to blend into White American culture and hide his anger for the White majority throughout his adulthood. Then by analyzing the play, you will support your thesis statement by choosing moments in the dialogue that are related to your claims. Other support should include ideas and assertions from the reviews and biographical materials we have read for this unit as they relate to your argument. Remember, because you are a critic, you are allowed to discuss whether you would recommend the play and WHY. Your opinions are valuable, but you must support them with the text.

Objectives:Â .

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To provide a central thesis statement and to support that thesis with evidence from your analysis.

To think critically about the play and offer analysis of the dialogue as well as the author*****s notes in italics beside the dialogue.

To utilize other *****s theories to help support and/or articulate your own opinions.

To use five or more concessives in your essay

To practice how to put PIE in body paragraphs, as well as the *****models***** for writing analytically.

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