In Amiri Baraka play “The Dutchman,” is basically about the relationship that blacks and whites go through in the United States during the 1960s or the Civil Rights Era. It is said that his play is based off the “Flying Dutchman.” The Flying Dutchman is basically a ghost ship that is said to sail the sea forever. In The Dutchman Clay is bound to be either killed, in jail, or just another black working under the white man. The characters Lula and Clay seem to act out what our mom, dads, aunts, and uncles went through during the civil rights era. Lula is characterized as “White America,” and Clay represents the stereotypical “Uncle Tom”. In Amiri Baraka’s Dutchman, the readers can see that the play centers around the language, characterization, and as well as identification during the 1960s.
The play opens with Clay, a young black guy, on his way to a friend 's party. Glancing through the window of the subway car he rides, he sees Lula, an attractive white woman. Lula who is like thirty years old boards the train and introduces herself to Clay who is like in his late twenties. Over the course of the slow train ride, Lula and Clay basically seduce …show more content…
There were many stereotypes throughout the play. Such stereotypes like when Lula would say “…..you’re a well- known type…..I know the type very well,” Clay would respond by saying “Without knowing us specifically?”(65) .Clay had been the victim throughout the entire play, absorbing Lula’s insults and laughing them off. Lula’s stereotype of Clay is finally proven wrong at the end of the play. “If I’m a middle class fake white man, let me be. And let me be in the way that I want… Safe with my words, and no deaths, clean, hard thoughts, urging me to new conquests.” Baraka showed that even though Clay was sucked in by Lula’s sexual temptations, he was never fooled into thinking that she or “white,” America would ever accept
The play opens with Clay, a young black guy, on his way to a friend 's party. Glancing through the window of the subway car he rides, he sees Lula, an attractive white woman. Lula who is like thirty years old boards the train and introduces herself to Clay who is like in his late twenties. Over the course of the slow train ride, Lula and Clay basically seduce …show more content…
There were many stereotypes throughout the play. Such stereotypes like when Lula would say “…..you’re a well- known type…..I know the type very well,” Clay would respond by saying “Without knowing us specifically?”(65) .Clay had been the victim throughout the entire play, absorbing Lula’s insults and laughing them off. Lula’s stereotype of Clay is finally proven wrong at the end of the play. “If I’m a middle class fake white man, let me be. And let me be in the way that I want… Safe with my words, and no deaths, clean, hard thoughts, urging me to new conquests.” Baraka showed that even though Clay was sucked in by Lula’s sexual temptations, he was never fooled into thinking that she or “white,” America would ever accept