A Feminist Analysis of Cloud Nine Essay -- essays research papers fc

Feminist Analysis of bribe NineIn 1979, Caryl Churchill wrote a womens liberationist profligacy entitled blotch Nine. It was the result of a workshop for the Joint Stock Theatre separate and was think to be about sexual politics. Within the writing she include a myriad of different themes ranging from homosexuality and homophobia to fe mannish objectification and oppression. Churchill clearly intended to raise questions of gender, sexual orientation, and race as ideological issues she accomplished this generally by cross-dressing and role-doubling the actors, thereby alienating them from the characters they play. (Worthen, 807) The play takes part in devil acts in the primary we see Clive, his family, friends, and servants in a straight-laced British Colony in Africa the second act takes place in 1979 London, scarce only twenty-five years have passed for the family. The choice to contrast the Victorian and Modern era becomes vitally important when analyzing this text from a materialist feminist view materialist feminism relies heavily on history. Cloud Nine is a materialist feminist play within it unmatchable can find examples that countenance all the tenets of materialist feminism as outlined in the Feminism dismissal (Bryant-Bertail, 1).The system of patriarchy allies itself to economic former (Bryant-Bertail, 1). In the first act of the play, several references ar made that allude to the economic power being held by the men. The play opens with the line Come arrive at, sons of England, come gather in your pride (Churchill, 810) and in Clives opening speech he makes several fatherly references I am father to the natives here, and father to my family so dear (810). In the next song the line The forge of war shall weld the chains of brotherhood secure (810) can be found. It is fire to also note that intermixed with these lines are references to Queen Victorias sovereignty. some(prenominal) lines such as, we serve the queen wherever we may roa m and Oer countless numbers she, our Queen, Victoria reigns supreme (810) can be found. The author intended these lines to be ironic and humorous. Even though the male characters are the ones saying them, they really dont have any respect for her as a person, just as a figure. Women are hierarchized into classes (Bryant-Bertail, 2). In this story many of the women are in separate classes. I... ...up psychology is not isolated, only considered in relation to big institutions (Bryant-Bertail, 2). The entire play is aimed directly at this tenet. In move One, all of the characters think one way and act another. For example while Ellen may actually be a lesbian in love with Betty, she goes ahead and marries Harry because it is the objurgate thing to do. However, in Act Two, the characters no longer quality the need to hide what they are from each other. Overall we are left to compare these competing mindsets not just to each other but to the larger institutional psychology Act O ne is blatantly Victorian and Act Two is set in the 1970s. The author purposefully chose these two eras because they so heavily contrast each other. The rigidity of Victorianism and the liberation of the late 70s when compared with the characters show us that times may change but what people think doesnt. Works CitedBarry, Peter. Beginning Theory An Introduction to literary and Cultural Theory. Manchester Manchester University Press, 1995Churchill, Caryl In Worthen, W. B. ed. The Harcourt Brace Anthology of Drama. Fortworth Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 2000.