Address one of the following topics (or you may propose, via e-mail, another topic, related to the play ) in a carefully crafted argumentative literary analysis of roughly 750 words.
How does the play’s historical frame shape our understanding/interpretation of the play? Or how does the play force us to rethink our understanding of history?
The play features only two characters, though there are a number of external forces that exert pressure on the action of the play. Those forces represent different areas of life. Consider the way that one external force (or external forces in general) shapes the meaning of the play, or help to frame an exploration of politics, race, toxic masculinity, drama, etc.
Think about the play in the context of the history of minstrelsy. What is the play saying through its engagement with the “performance of race?” What does the play suggest by inverting the traditional dynamics of minstrelsy?
The play only has two characters. If you were directing a production of the play, who would you cast in the roles? Focus your discussion on characterization and theme and why you think the actors you have chosen are perfect for the roles.
