Drama

Cultural Analysis
Culture means:
Habits of thoughts
Feelings, behavior created by humans and passed down to others.
It is not practiced in all human groups, however.
Connected to: racial identity, ethnic and geographical context.
Culture:
Historical context matters.
Chapter 18 – Cultural Analysis
Can be varied such as: American culture of the 1950’s, Greek culture, lifestyle cultures, gender issues.
Cultural approach to literature contends that every work is a part of its social context.
Madame Butterfly
Cultural stereotypes: submissive Oriental woman, diplomat, man pretending to be a woman.
Fantasy element in relationship.
Story of deceptions, time flashes back and forth
Play within play
Exploring cultural themes
Classify the characters: social class, education level, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation.
Identify stereotypes that you may have and the ones that the characters exhibit.
Power and oppression are important in culture studies.

Cultural themes:

Remember human universals.
Use literary criticism and popular publications.
Google “stereotyping of various cultures”
Casebook - Fences
Complex story of deceptions (like Butterfly)
Racial issues, family problems, money concerns, symbols (fences, baseball, legal problems, sexual tension and indiscretion.
August Wilson wrote this with James Earl Jones in mind as “Troy.”
Viewed as the black version of Death of a Salesman by some critics.
Fences
Disturbing deceptions:
Cory not working at the A&P
Troy’s affair with Alberta
Troy’s claims of walking 200 miles to Mobile, his actual baseball skills.
Gabe’s WWII injury
Troy’s encounter with death (and devil)
Troy
Worsens his condition through bad choices.
Fits the concept of tragic heroism:
He cannot accept that times have changed and
destroys his relationship with his son.
Doesn’t listen to anyone but himself (tragic flaw).
Displacement because of his bad choices, past and present.
Critics view him as larger than life, crippled by what his dad did, values passed to the next generation and what that may mean.
Sport is a salvation and hope.
Gender critic p. 842
Shaped by his father
Struggles with identity
Sexuality drives him
Affairs, children by three different women
Evokes sympathy at times
Loner cut off from others
Trifles by Susan Glaspell
Play became a short story “Jury of Her Peers”
Remarkable feminist view (written 1916)
Differences between men and women in rural setting.
Insensitive men, women band together against injustice of law toward women (women could not vote or serve on juries at this time).