Ruined by Lynn Nottage

Women were the spoils, plunder, booty, prize, taken by force in this war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The themes are rape, exploitation and survival. What an existence to have to live in servitude. And then the final blow to be an outcast with a Scarlet R upon them in their villages to never return. And the equally sad thing about this is that they were being pillaged from both sides of the enemy lines. Mama allowed rebels from both sides to patronize her establishment.  How could these men have no respect for their country woman? They were just barbarians!  Mama perpetuated these acts of violence against these women. These were women that carried an indomitable spirit. Except for Sophie. She was a rebel within her own right. She had a way of escape, a plan, until her plan was foiled by Mama, I really believed that she and Salima would end up getting away. Josephine seemed like she was just so content in her current station in life she found herself in. 

 There was something about Mama Nadi that I saw in her like she was almost nurturing to these young women. And I think that in the end, it was because she had experienced what they were currently going through. In a way, she was a little protective over them because she didn't want them to be out there for the dogs (soldiers) to continue their wretched abuse. As she stated, that she was ruined, she really had a change of heart by offering a means for Sophie to have the medical attention to be repaired. We can apply this Bible verse to this act of kindness that Mama Nadi showed.
"You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position, so I could save the lives of many people." (Genesis 50:20 NLT)

 What struck you about the way in which this specific topic/theme is presented in the play? How did reading the play and processing the interpretation of this topic impact you?

 Opportunistic soldiers were taking advantage of each other’s women as another means of attack. It was very subtle in which it was introduced at the beginning of the play with sexual innuendos that there were plenty of women to pleasure men at Mama Nadi’s bar. This was apparent when Christian arrives, and Mama asks what he brought her, and Christian says,” Three.” and Mama says, “They look used. Worn.” Instantly, I knew she was referring to women. I saw how Christian was trying to offer her to get a bargain by say, “Two for the price of One.” it was business as usual. Women were being exploited by everyone. This is the world that we live in, Women are very valuable to the world and are taken for granted around the world by men and each other. I don’t like to hear of stories where Women are suffering because I am a woman and since the beginning of time women have been taken advantaged of.
What drew you to the article you chose to blog about in conjunction with the play? 

I selected and read the article within American Theater the Borders of Our Lives written by Marsha Norman who interviews Hillary Bettis writer of the play ‘The Ghosts of Lote Bravo’ because she talks about embracing her heritage and depicting the pain of exploited women in Mexico. It also mirrors the same stories about her own experiences of violence at the hands of men like in “Ruined.” I want to know why she wrote this play and the research she used to write this play. This play was written about women that have been exploited and the violence they have had to endure. The setting is in Mexico on the border where it is called feminicidio for femicide in Spanish. Many of the women work in sweatshops because of N.A.F.T.A. and also there is sex trafficking while getting across the border to find work.

What do you think influenced the artist(s) featured in the article to address this issue?

She wanted to understand what sort of circumstances in the world, in society, make women so disposable, that it’s okay to use and brutalize them with impunity. She grew up in a family with a lot of brothers and there were no girls and part of her survival was learning how at a very young age to navigate violence and men being tough. She had to learn how to stick up for herself and never show her feelings or vulnerability.

The playwright for the play, "The Ghost of Lote Bravo, Hilary Bettis says,.
she wrote this play with an American audience in mind because by the end of the play she wanted an American audience to find themselves rooting for a Mexican immigrant to cross the border illegally.  She wants them to understand, if you have children that are starving you're going to do anything to provide for them. If you see your children see violence and murder every single day and you know that just on the other side of the borders there’s a safe country where people can dream, can make a decent living, of course you're going to cross the border to work.  Her work was that through this play, people will value the lives of those suffering and being exploded in Mexico. She states that  Amnesty International state, "80% of migrant women are raped on their way to the U.S."  In fact, many women take birth control before their journey because they assume they'll be raped. And its women who suffer most because whenever things are bad women suffer the most. Hilary Bettis says she will spend her entire life trying in every way of fighting to bring attention to the explotation of the women eking out an existence to feed their children who are crossing the dangerous borders of Mexico and the United States to find work. She herself has experienced a hard life starting in her childhood, she experiences physical and sexual violence. She was abused at 6, raped at 14 and she's seen a fair amount of gun violence. By the time she was in 8th grade, a boy a pointed a gun at her head and told her that she was to be his girlfriend or else.

How would you explain their agenda for what they hoped the work would accomplish based on how it is described in the article? How does it compare to the motivation Nottage had to write Ruined? First the comparisons that I see are that both playwrights met women of third-world counties that were devalued, and sex was the weapon of choice used against these women without consent. They also had to work under deplorable conditions to survive.

Based on your interpretations from the readings, how have these works impacted society in a positive (or negative) way? Cite specific examples from Chapter 21 in Enjoyment, from the online article you selected, and from and the commentary on the play/playwright in Bedford.

Being that being that Mexico is so close to America, this play sheds light on the fact that weapons that are coming from the United States are purchased legally and traced to Mexico which is being used by the cartel to further their carnage against Mexican women. Many of the goods that these women manufacturers in the sweatshops, travels by trucks in which the cartels drugs are also being transported into the United States.  The cartel also participates in the sex trafficking of these women who also happen to work in the sweatshops. These are clothes made by exploited women in Mexico that Americans are wearing. For theatrical responses to 911 mentioned in our textbook. "The Enjoyment of Theater," these types of plays speak to social injustices around the world. These are also identity Theatre plays written by African-American and Latinos women. (Enjoyment pgs. 337-341) Women are becoming very successful as playwrights.
Just like the War on Drugs with the cartel in Mexico and the increase of the violence that's perpetuated against women in Mexico, "Sexual violence against women as a side effect of Civil War in Africa is for most Americans are remote subject." (Drama pg. 1844) As I may have mentioned in the past that we are so removed from the effects of war imposed upon the citizens of the country that the war is taking place, we here in America can be informed by plays like these. I like plays about social injustice and political subjects that impact people. It provides important information and makes current international policies transparent. It is my belief that American government will only interfere in another countries political climate, if it's to the advantage of the American people.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Playwright Tennessee Williams

                                                                                                                               

     There are a lot of things that are taking place in this play, "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof." There's Love, Homosexuality, Alcoholism, Lies, Truth, Abuse, Death. Could it be a possibility that the reason Brick does not want to have sex with Maggie is because he in fact is homosexual and at one time, had an affair with Skipper? The answers all lie in the truth. One of the observations that I noticed is, why does Maggie continue to stay with him if he does not want to really be with her? Plus, he hit her with his cane. She even goes as far as to say if she knew that she would never have sex again with Brick, she would kill herself.

After all, she's dying inside to have sexual contact with her husband while in the meantime, he appears to be very depressed, drowning in his alcohol addiction. This truly is a coping mechanism for his unhappiness. Alcohol is helping to numb the lie. Could it be that he's still grieving the loss of Skipper, his "best friend?"  I think it's also a combination of the fact that Maggie slept with Skipper.

 The truth may come from Brick’s own "Mendacity" of his sexual orientation. Just like Skipper wanted to dismiss his sexual orientation by having sex with Maggie, Brick married Maggie to cover up his sexual identity. I also believe that since Maggie didn’t come from money, the only reason why she's staying with Brick is to cash in on the 28,000-acre plantation when Big Daddy dies. In many ways, Maggie and Mae are just alike coming from humble beginnings and both expecting to be beneficiaries of their husband’s inheritance. The Character we see least of in this play is the Matriarch, Big Mama, who I’m not sure is happy if Big Daddy will live or dies.

But before Big Daddy dies, he needs to find out the truth from his son as to if he's gay.  I can also say, I believe that another theme in this play is denial because of the denial of Big Daddy's terminal cancer. They're all lying to him about his spastic colon.  Another lie that Big Daddy made aware of was his disdain for Big Mama. Another loveless marriage.

Even Gooper was only concerned with what he could benefit from his father’s death. He’s had to contend with the fact that Brick is his mother’s favorite son. Maggie, even to the end, was relentless in getting Brick to make love to her. Still, when and how did she become pregnant?  I believe everyone was angry and very selfish in this play. Everyone is lying and manipulative and trying to take control of  everyone's lives. They just all seem so dissatisfied with everything. Even before Maggie said she was the "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" I had come to believe that she was the cat because of, for a lack of a better term, "in heat."

A Midsummer Night's Dream

I really had a difficult time reading this play and trying to keep a track of all the characters.  I had to keep looking back and forth and rereading it, to keep everything intact. To cut down on this, I ended up reading the modern version alongside the textbook version. (Drama) I was reminded of how if a daughter from a middle eastern custom doesn't obey her father he has the right to kill her, such as the case with Hermia to her Father Egeus. It was interesting to see how even back then young women protested an arranged marriage. I would believe that would be going against Sharia law today and the father could carry out an "Honor Killing." What an awful option to be given to Hermia to live single like a nun or die a barren virgin. I like the way she stood her ground and decided that her soul didn't even give her permission to marry Demetrius and she was content to remain a virgin or die. Well, this is a first, to see that there is a play taking place within a play as part of the wedding celebration for the Duke.  As I read the character bottom is to play, a Lover that will kill himself for love, I'm wondering if Demetrius will kill himself for the love of Hermia.  I think it's very ironic this play “A Midsummers Night’s Dream” is about couples in love and the play within is about two people in love with a fantasy of fairies. I'm also able to see how Titiana, The Queen of the Fairies speaks to Oberon, King of the Fairies and paints a picture of what their surroundings likes while they're dancing in Fairyland. So now, I’m seeing that the fairy character Oberon can see and interact with Hermia, Demetrius, Lysander and Helena. I believe the structure of the plot is where the play “A Midsummers Night’s Dream" is the solution to the unrequited love of the two characters Demetrius and Helena whose love is being rejected. Cupid's arrow and Oberon's flowers can be given to the recipients that want love so desperately. It also looks like there's three scenes with three separate sets of characters are taking part in this play when Peter Quinces' part comes to light. It looks like Peter Quince and his characters are trying to overcome their staging and design issues. It also looks like they're trying to overcome their storyline in order to avoid scaring the women that will be in the audience viewing the play. So, it looks like the solution to getting someone to fall in love worked with Tatiana the fairy and Bottom who had the head of a donkey. When the fairies come on the scene, it looks so magical, mystical and whimsical! It seems like this play, "A Midsummer Night's Dream” is not a comedy, but really a tragedy. There's more sadness than laughter coming out of this play. This is a real twist for both men to end up being in love with Helena. I’m sure that Hermia really became confused to find her Lysander and Demetrius has fallen in love with Helena from the love flower Juice. Since everyone is sleeping and this is called, “A Midsummer Night’s I'm wondering is this a dream for all of them or a nightmare?

"Everyman" Assignment 1C

While reading this play, I enjoyed the way in which it was written like a rhyming poem. This play get to the core of our immortality in the deciding factor of where we're going to spend eternity. I question whether the playwright's background was in the church having written a play from a theological standpoint. When Beauty, Strength, Discretion and Five Wits enters the play at the recommendation of Knowledge and Good Deeds, I question why it was so important for these characters to help Everyman with his pilgrimage into death.

The playwright A.C. Cawley really brought the characters to life in "Everyman." When the character God speaks, it's almost as if he speaks with a jealous tone.  Although this is written in 1495, if I were in the audience I felt it to be actually, timeless. Cawley spoke  today's mind frame of greed in our society. Sin does continue to go on without the feelings of repercussion. It is also interesting to note that in the beginning you hear God speaking but then you hear Jesus come alive and say that he died for us and the mention of the shedding of his blood after hanging between the two thieves.  I also found it quite intriguing that Everyman would try to bribe death with a thousand pounds. I can definitely agree with a commentary that the writer Cawley may have been a man of the cloth or had great influence from his church to create such a theological theme. I believe that the character friends to Everyman shed light on the fact that these are attributes that are not standards worthy of giving credit to get into Heaven. This character shows so much empathy for Everyman's impending doom. But as I move through the play, I see that every character decides that they won't travel with him on his journey to his grave and I wonder why does the playwright keep leading us to believe that each character he comes in contact with will go with him?  What came to mind in this play was that if every one of these characters were to go with him they would also have to account for their own life before God of all the characters, I think the main important ones was knowledge and Good Deeds because Good Deeds is going to account for what he's done here on Earth and knowledge is the force that allows him to do good deeds. This play shows us that only you can come before God and give an account of your life here on Earth. And in the end, all you can take with is your good deeds that you've done on this Earth. For Jesus to be mentioned so much in this play, I think that the underlying theme of the play is introduced in the beginning of  the play when, ( I will paraphrase) God/Jesus is speaking saying, "Every man lives after his own pleasure and everyone is going to have to give an account of their Own actions on Earth." It seems throughout the play, there is a lot of reference to greed and riches which connects to the seven deadly sins of pride and envy. No one can take that Journey for you just like no one could take that Journey that Jesus died for Everyman. God / Jesus leaves us alone to determine whether we will be with them in eternity.

So, Lysistrata wants to find a way to end the war, so that all the women of various townships in Greece will be at home with their man. Sounds like a consensus that all the women agree with this idea. Until she mentions the idea of giving up sex, the idea becomes no longer appealing. What is more appealing for these women will be to satisfy their long awaited
yearnings for their husband’s loins. This sounds like where the very same idea came from in the Chiraq movie by Spike Lee filmed in Englewood on the South-side of Chicago a few years ago. It looks like the women are determined to fight for what they
want, which is the end the war and have peace.  These were some sassy woman with a lot of guts! They we're really trying to punk the men, short of calling them cowards. I like the way the commissioner told Lysistrata, The insolence of women."  I wondered if one of the women would give in before the play is over. I love the way Myrrhine teases her husband Kinesias! I'm in laughter over the formality of an erection that the chorus mentions on page 173 verse 110.
Something that I've noticed in this edition of this play is the language. Some of it is spoken as if it's a person in the south.  Also, the men are really complaining about their "pelvic paralysis." End the end, the pact of peace started the party with drink, wives and dancing.  This play really is about shifting power from the men at war who become sex deprived at the thought of women or encountering a woman to the woman banding together for the common good of peace for their country.

Doubt and faith are the underlying theme. Could it be that were also being told to have faith. Faith in ourselves, faith in God, faith and trust in our fellow man? Really, all we have is to trust in God when we have been betrayed. Sister Aloysius doubts that the young teacher is a good teacher and able to control and manage her students. She also feels the young teacher's students are not afraid of her enough.
What is really leaping off the pages here is that there's
doubt all through this play. It is very apropos that this play is called what it is.

 Without any evidence, how can someone accuse a priest of molesting a child when the child doesn't even come forth? Just because they see the priest take the child to the rectory, how does this thought come into her mind? I see a lot of mystery in this play. The Senior Sister even doubts herself that anything will be done if she comes forward with this accusation.
It looks like apart from doubt, the themes in this play are guilt, shame and defeat playing out. Sister Aloysius is a busy-body that's out of tune with reality. It's people like this that falsely accuse someone and have them going to jail for a crime they didn't commit. I like the way Father Flynn says, "Well. If I had judged my conversation with Donald Muller to be of concern to you, Sister, I would have sat you down and talk to you about it. But I did not judge it to be of concern to you." Before it was mentioned, I believed that Sister Aloysius was out for him because for some reason, she did not like him. The truth was really distorted in this play.  The truth was doubted. When Father Flynn tells Sister James, "The most innocent actions can appear sinister to the poisoned mind," I'm reminded of the story of a Pastor that car broke down and he went into a bar because that was the only place that he could make a phone call because there were no cell phones in those days and when he came out of the bar, someone spread rumors in the church and accused him of drinking. Mrs. Mueller goes to tell the Sister that she believes that she has it out for Father Flynn .
What's really the twist was when Mrs. Mueller said let Father Flynn have her son Donald and implied that he may be gay. Mrs. Mueller even go as far to say that the sister does not know for sure that there is a relationship between her son and Father Flynn. Here we see the doubt again. I truly understand the character of the The Antagonist Sister Aloyius. In the end, the Father still gets to work in his profession and he gets a promotion at another church. "What the devil meant for Evil, God turns it around for Good."
Genesis 50:20

The parable seen in this story shows the moral character one should possess, as well as, one of The Commandments that says that, “"We should not bear false witness against thy neighbor." Exodus 20:16
Sister Aloysius Spoke unjustly against Father Flynn to the prejudice of his reputation.