Dutchman and The Slave by Leroi Jones, Also known as Amiri Baraka Essay

Dutchman and The Slave by Leroi Jones, Also known as Amiri Baraka - Essay Example As both plays are told within the time frame of the 1960s, the mentioning of such relationships would prove essential in terms of achieving a greater understanding about the era of that time. The Vietnam War would be in full swing and the introduction of the civil rights act, would allow for the opportunity for individuals of African American descent, to have the opportunity to experience things that their ancestors would not have been able to do before them, such as vote. The introduction of such debate into the national debate would create greater commentary on the part of both sides of the racial landscape. In Leroi Jones’ ‘Dutchman’ & ‘The Slave’, he would seek to illustrate the intricacies of the relationships that inter-racial couples seek to have. This period of time in the 20th century, would serve as a deciding point for many in the nation as a whole. The decision of where they stood in their own cultures and also, where they stood in terms o f their ability to be involved with one another in terms of being romantically involved. In the ‘Dutchman’, the play begins with the introduction between Clay and Lula. Clay is an African American man, while Lula is a Caucasian woman. The characters are introduced by means of their presence aboard a cable car and the action taken by Lula of sitting down next to Clay. The flirty level of dialogue exchanged between both characters, as the train was moving along, would be an example of engaging in an intimate relationship with one another, without the inclusion of the physical aspects, or at least in the beginning. Just as both genders would find themselves with different perceptions about things, so would be the case for members of differing nationalities. The character of Lula would take a more physical response toward the character of Clay, in terms of initiating their intimate contact. When Clay proceeded to make an idle comment about the