Dutchman and the Slave: Two Plays

by LeRoi Jones

Book Overview

"Dutchman is designed to shock--its basic idea, its language and its murderous rage." --New York Times

Centered squarely on the Negro-white conflict, both Dutchman and The Slave are shocking plays--in ideas, in language, in honest anger. They illuminate as with a flash of lightning a deadly serious problem--and they bring an eloquent and exceptionally powerful voice to the American theatre.

Dutchman...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0688210848
• ISBN13: 9780688210847
• Release Date: January 1971
• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Length: 96 Pages
• Weight: 0.26 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.6" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

A classic

LeRoi Jones, now known as Amiri Baraka, wrote Dutchman in 1964, but its themes of racism and fear still resonate today. A must for anyone studying African American literature and contemporary drama -- it is a seminal work. The Slave is less successful -- its message is muddled and the dialogue stilted -- yet it is worth reading to get a complete view of Baraka's work.

civil rights

Wow. I think this play portrays an aspect of the black community that cannot be felt by any other community without some feelings of disingenuity. The rage present in the play is overwhelming. The sense of danger and loss is also present, but more subtly so. This play is also very ambiguous and wanting interpretation. I say "wanting interpretation" because Dutchman seems to call for the reader's own interpretation purposefully... the criticism around it is enough to spark a debate, but still the critical aspects are not overwhelmed by the immediacy of emotion and action.

beautiful

A great representation of race relations in america (in the revolutionary '60's as well as representative of today), man's relation to woman, and the irony and tension that is comes package in. For no other reason, the mythology and theological references are delightfully handled. Sadly, this work is one of the most underrated and underread works of the 20th century.

One of the most affecting plays I've ever read.

An excellent play that captivates with a brutal examination of race relations...timeless

Absolutely brilliant. Incredibly powerful.

Very rarely does a play have this kind of impact on me; I don't think a play has ever affected me so much before I saw it done. I can honestly say that "Dutchman", along with "King Lear" and "Waiting for Godot", is one of the most brilliant, powerful pieces I've ever been lucky enough to read.