Langston Hughes masterfully created a powerful and raw play with his writing of Mulatto. The exposition comprehensively describes the play’s background information, setting, and details of the main characters. The exposition essentially helps the audience to understand the purpose of the play and what each element and character add to the theme. Mulatto takes place during the 1930’s; it is set in the south on a large plantation in Georgia. The majority of the play takes place inside the Big House on this plantation. The following main characters are three-dimensional and significantly add to the conflict in this play.
Colonel Thomas Norwood is a widowed plantation and slave owner in his sixties. He is a stubborn and quick tempered man. Norwood …show more content…
One such event is when Fred Higgins arrives at the front door of Colonel Norwood’s and heatedly informs him of Bucks inappropriate behavior around town. He continues to tell him that “a darkie’s got to keep in his place down here” (Hughes 1622), and that Norwood needs to stop being decent to him and get him under control or the white folks in town will have to handle him. The next rising action occurs when Bert defiantly uses the front door, which is explicitly designated for white people only, in front of the Colonel. The Colonel is outraged by this and draws his pistol; Cora intercedes and stops him from killing their son. These scenes inevitably lead to the ultimate …show more content…
In the south, they were still being punished with lynch mobs and were segregated from the whites. This was during the time of the Great Depression and blacks were the first to be laid off and the last to gain employment (The Gale Group, INC). I assume the blacks who still held jobs working in fields and on plantations were somewhat grateful to even have a job during this difficult time. Civil Rights movements were actively working toward equality and African Americans were becoming more educated. This play was historically accurate in showing all of what was going on in the Deep South during this time. This play is still relevant and important today; it is exceedingly necessary to know ones history and to learn from
Colonel Thomas Norwood is a widowed plantation and slave owner in his sixties. He is a stubborn and quick tempered man. Norwood …show more content…
One such event is when Fred Higgins arrives at the front door of Colonel Norwood’s and heatedly informs him of Bucks inappropriate behavior around town. He continues to tell him that “a darkie’s got to keep in his place down here” (Hughes 1622), and that Norwood needs to stop being decent to him and get him under control or the white folks in town will have to handle him. The next rising action occurs when Bert defiantly uses the front door, which is explicitly designated for white people only, in front of the Colonel. The Colonel is outraged by this and draws his pistol; Cora intercedes and stops him from killing their son. These scenes inevitably lead to the ultimate …show more content…
In the south, they were still being punished with lynch mobs and were segregated from the whites. This was during the time of the Great Depression and blacks were the first to be laid off and the last to gain employment (The Gale Group, INC). I assume the blacks who still held jobs working in fields and on plantations were somewhat grateful to even have a job during this difficult time. Civil Rights movements were actively working toward equality and African Americans were becoming more educated. This play was historically accurate in showing all of what was going on in the Deep South during this time. This play is still relevant and important today; it is exceedingly necessary to know ones history and to learn from