Introduction
The play Rachel was written by Angelina Weld Grimke, an African American poet, in 1916. The play is educative and focuses on different issues experienced by people in the community. Grimke’s narrative has various themes that can help readers understand the significant aspects of the story. For instance, racism and motherhood have been used by Grimke to show how individuals from various families and backgrounds experience challenges in society. The technique of moral lessons is also encouraged in this story. Thus, Grimke’s work conveys that individuals should appreciate others regardless of their race, and families should live in love and unity.
The Analysis of the Play
The play Rachel centers around Mrs. Mary Loving, a mother who lives with her daughter Rachel. Mrs. Loving is also a widow since her husband was lynched. Although the family lives in poverty, Rachel and her mother have a loving relationship and an enviable bond. At the beginning of the play, readers learn that Rachel desires to have her children. She fills her mother’s house with little brown and black kids, to whom she lovingly tends. Nonetheless, she later learns that society is full of evil and opts not to bear her children. In addition, her mother kept the cause of the deaths of Rachel’s father and brother secret. However, it is revealed to Rachel, and she learns that her father and brother were killed. The story of their deaths made Rachel assume a negative attitude towards society. Mrs. Loving states that “my little George was a man. He never made an outcry. His last words to me were, Ma, I am glad to go with father” (Grimke 147). In this scene, racism is revealed to Rachel, making her conclude that society is unfair and full of wicked individuals. Moreover, Rachel believes that the community mistreats people and will not be fit for her children.
Furthermore, Rachel learns that many black people in different regions live in fear. She argues that “then everywhere, everywhere, throughout the south, there are hundreds of dark mothers who live in fear, terrible, suffocating fear” (Grimke 149). Thus, the theme of racism is used to show how prejudice can impact people’s lives and their behaviors in the community. Rachel also learns of the bias young people experience in schools and how it affects them, which prompts her to decide never to have children. Rachel states that “While he was leaving the school, white boys chased him through the street calling him nigger! Nigger!” (Grimke 207). Therefore, the audience can understand that different discriminatory scenes experienced by Rachel significantly changed her desires as she comes to realize the fate of black people in her country.
Conclusion
The play Rachel by Grimke informs the audience about the negative impacts of racism and the importance of the family. The play focuses on Rachel’s dream and how it has been crushed by racism. Grimke reveals that racial-based discrimination is one of the invisible forces that tear the desires of young people. Many cases of racism are reported in different states, leading to protests. Additionally, racial partiality is a significant menace in the United States that causes many deaths. Consequently, Grimke encompasses the theme of racism in the play to ensure that the audience can curb discrimination. In essence, the play Rachel is educative and addresses some of the challenges people face in society.
Reference
Grimke, Angelina Weld. Rachel. Oberon Books, 2014.