Seminar paper from the year 1998 in the subject American Studies -
Literature, grade: 2, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (FB05
Englisches Seminar), course: The City in American Literature and
Culture, language: English, comment: corrected and revised.
Keywords: August Wilson, African-American, drama, black music,
blues, jazz, alienation, identity, bible, sins, 10 commandments,
abstract: This paper will be concerned with the possible ways of
construction of identity or the loss of identity - particularly the
African American identity - in the modern metropolis as it is
described in August Wilson's play Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. Which
ways to construct a proper identity present themselves to the
characters in the play and what will happen when they fail to
acknowledge and accept these ways? In this regard, I will examine
the relevance of music, society, and Christian religion. Chapter
Two will show that it is essential for the understanding of the
alienation of the individual, in this case specifically the
alienation of the African American musician, to take into
consideration the differences between rural South and urban North
and the different kinds of music connected to them. From the
contrast of South and North, i.e. rural and urban springs the
conflict between the old, down-home blues and the new, urban blues,
which will later become swing or jazz respectively. The chapter
will further address the question which impact this conflict will
have on the life scripts of the individual characters. Moreover,
the connection between the musician, his instrument, and the music
will be examined and explained. Chapter Three will explore the
various facets of alienation and their respective sources in more
detail. Moreover, it will identify and further illuminate possible
ways of forming identity and which processes endanger and impede
the formation of identity. Therefore, it is first necessary to
diagnose how Wilson and his characters' actions describe the urban
en
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