사회적 분위기 변화와 어거스트 윌슨에 대한 평가의 변화
Shift in the Social Mood and Change in the Evaluation of August Wilson
0
조회
0
다운로드
1
인용
0
참고문헌
키워드
초록
Focusing on the critical and audience responses to the 2001 Broadway production of August Wilson’s King Hedley II, this paper argues that the change in the evaluation of Wilson was essentially the aftermath of the shift in the social mood toward conservatism in the 1990s. The paper first looks into the responses of critics and audience to the play’s Broadway production and highlights that a major objection to the play stemmed from the fact that the play represents African Americans as victims of white racism. Wilson’s former plays represented similar racial issues and won applause and praise. Then, why did King Hedley II’s 2001 Broadway production drew extremely negative responses from both critics and audience? The paper suggests a societal change as a convincing answer to the question. The societal change was triggered by the economic expansion in the 1980s, which contributed to the expansion of the middle class both in the white community and the black community. The expansion of the middle class in turn intensified the shift in the social mood toward conservatism in the 1990s. Conservatism tends to keep a distance from racial issues in general and the discourse of victimization in particular. On the basis of this observation, the paper concludes that the change in the evaluation of Wilson was a casualty of the shift in the social and cultural mood in the 1990s.
Abstract
Focusing on the critical and audience responses to the 2001 Broadway production of August Wilson’s King Hedley II, this paper argues that the change in the evaluation of Wilson was essentially the aftermath of the shift in the social mood toward conservatism in the 1990s. The paper first looks into the responses of critics and audience to the play’s Broadway production and highlights that a major objection to the play stemmed from the fact that the play represents African Americans as victims of white racism. Wilson’s former plays represented similar racial issues and won applause and praise. Then, why did King Hedley II’s 2001 Broadway production drew extremely negative responses from both critics and audience? The paper suggests a societal change as a convincing answer to the question. The societal change was triggered by the economic expansion in the 1980s, which contributed to the expansion of the middle class both in the white community and the black community. The expansion of the middle class in turn intensified the shift in the social mood toward conservatism in the 1990s. Conservatism tends to keep a distance from racial issues in general and the discourse of victimization in particular. On the basis of this observation, the paper concludes that the change in the evaluation of Wilson was a casualty of the shift in the social and cultural mood in the 1990s.
참고문헌 (42)
- Ambush, Benny S, "Culture Wars", African American Review, 31, pp.579~586 (1997)
- Baker, Houston A, "Generational Shifts and the Recent Criticism of Afro-American Literature", Black American Literature Forum, 15, pp.3~21 (1981)
- Barnes, Clive, "Fiery ‘Fences in New York Post 27 March 1987. Quoted from New York Times Theatre Critics' Reviews", pp.316~ (1987), Critics' Reviews, Inc
- Bigsby, Christopher, "August Wilson; The Ground on Which He Stood in The Cambridge Companion to August Wilson", pp.1~27 (2007), Cambridge UP
- Bogumil, Mary L, "August Wilson's Relationship to Black Theatre: Community, Aesthetics, History and Race in The Cambridge Companion to August Wilson", pp.52~64 (2007), Cambridge UP
- Brantley, Ben, "The Agonized Arias of Everyman in Poverty and Pain", The New York Times, E1~, pp.신문자료 (2001)
- Brustein, Robert, "A Homeboy Godot", The New Republic, 226, pp.25~26 (2002)
- Brustein, Robert, "The Lesson of ‘The Piano Lesson", The New Republic, 202, pp.28~30 (1990)
- Brustein, Robert, "Subsidized Separatism", The New Republic, 215, pp.39~42 (1996)
- Bryant, A, "The Stroyteller", New Crisis, 108, pp.43~46 (2001)
- Burbank, Sergei, "The Shattered Mirror: What August Wilson Means and Willed to Mean", College Literature, 36, pp.117~129 (2009)
- Canby, Vincent, "Unrepentant, Defiant Blues for 7 Voices", The New York Times, C1~C32, pp.신문자료 (1996)
- Ellis, Trey, "The New Black Aesthetic", Callaloo, 38, pp.233~243 (1989)
- Feingold, Michael, "The Sorrow and the City", The Village Voice, pp.46~ (2001)
- Fluker, Elayne, "King Hedley II: Ruling the Stage", Essence, 321, pp.58~ (2001)
- Franklin, Nancy, "Rage and Redemption in August Wilson’s America", The New Yorker, 77, pp.110~111 (2001)
- Gantt, Patricia M, "Putting Black Culture on Stage: August Wilson's Pittsburgh Cycle", College Literature, 36, pp.1~25 (2009)
- Henry, William A, "Exorcising the Demons of Memory", Time, 131, pp.77~78 (1988)
- Herrington, Joan, "King Heldley II in The Cambridge Companion to August Wilson", pp.169~182 (2007), Cambridge UP
- Isherwood, Charles, "King Hedley II", Variety, 382(7), pp.76~80 (2001)
- Jacob, John E, "Racism and Race Relations", Vital Speeches of the Day, 7, pp.214~216 (1990)
- Jefferson, Margo, "Broadway Choices: Old World Edifice or Sleek Machine", The New York Times, 10~, pp.신문자료 (2001)
- Jones, Chris, "Homeward Bound", American Theatre, 16, pp.14~19 (1999)
- Joyce, Joyce Ann, "Warriors, Conjurers and Priests: Defining African-centered Literary Criticism" (1994), Third World Press
- Kanfer, Stefan, "Kings and Commoners", New Leader, 84, pp.45~47 (2001)
- Lyons, Bonnie, "An Interview with August Wilson", Contemporary Literature, 40, pp.1~21 (1999)
- Madhubuti, Haki R, "In Memoriam August Wilson; 1945-2005", Diverse; Issues in Higher Education, 11, pp.19~ (2005)
- Mitgang, Herbert, "Wilson from Poetry to Broadway Success", The New York Times, C15~, pp.신문자료 (1984)
- Morehouse, Ward, "Powerful ‘King’ Traces the Black Experience", Christian Science Monitor, pp.16~ (2001)
- Nadal, Alan, "Introduction in August Wilson: Completing the Twentieth-Century Cycle", pp.1~13 (2010), U of Iowa P
- Parks, Susan_Lori, "The Light in August: An Interview", American Theatre, 22, pp.22~78 (2005)
- Plimpton, George, "August Wilson: The Art of Theater XIV", The Paris Review, 153, pp.66~94 (1999)
- Puddington, Arch, "The Question of Black Leadership", Commentary, 91, pp.22~28 (1991)
- Sheridan, Earl, "Conservative Implications of the Irrelevance of Racism in Contemporary African American Cinema", Journal of Black Studies, 37, pp.177~192 (2006)
- "August Wilson: What Is His Legacy, Really"[URL]
- Simon, John, "Blue Notes and Blue Ribbons", New York Magazine, 29, pp.68~69 (1996)
- Toomer, Jeanette, "King Conquers Broadway", New York Amsterdam News, 92, pp.21~48 (2001)
- "The Vanishing Point", The New York Times, 7~, pp.신문자료 (2005)
- Whitaker, Charles, "Is August Wilson America's Greatest Playwright", Ebony, 56, pp.80~83 (2001)
- Wilson, August, "The Ground on Which I Stand", American Theatre, 13, pp.14~20 (1996)
- Wilson, August, "King Hedley II" (2005), heater Communications Group
- Wilson, William Julius, "The Declining Significance of Race:Blacks and Changing American Institutions" (1979), U of Chicago P