Tripmaster Monkey Wittman Character Analysis

Individuality and community are the two defining characteristics for humans. Driven by both his rage and vanity, Wittman in Tripmaster Monkey by Maxine Kingston searches for a balance of these principles. As a character, Wittman is a confused artist. He is trying to be an individual in contemporary society, but finds this impossible because people think of him as different. Wittman correctly comprehends that this is because of the color of his skin. Wittman wants people to view him as American and he is aware that they do not. Additionally, his level of education makes him aware of the harm that stereotypes cause and how they disenfranchise, but instead of forging his own identity he cares how others view him. He cannot be an individual …show more content…
Wittman wants us to think that his play is an open platform for improvisation, he steals the show through his rant and creates a captive environment for everyone involved. Wittman and his friends organizing his play as a way "to do something communal against isolation." (XX) Wittman believes that if you can come together then you can assert legitimacy, and thus brings chaos to establishment –Wittman is the monkey, a figure known for being a trickster and he wants to use this to represent what he would do if he could. He imagines the monkey doing what he would never, and by creating a play with improvisation he is letting everyone do what they want albeit within his constraints. The play is a success, "each member of the Tyrone family or the Lomans can be a different color" (52). Wittman creates characters that fit the actor’s individuality as opposed to fitting the actor with the character. His version of a community does not escape stereotypes, but embraces what individuals want to input into their own community, but it has to be within his play. AGAIN MAKE THIS CLEAR NO POINT? MORE