Cultural Heritage - Case Study Example

s the assignment was due Comparative Literacy Introduction Our world, since its ‘origination’ has been a place of continuous activity. Activity in the sense, humans has been showing activeness both mentally and physically, which have transformed our globe from a primitive one to an advanced one. The activities are normally carried out by the humans, organizing themselves into different countries or nations and importantly societies. Human societies in this world are divided by caste, creed, religion and geographical boundaries. That is, among these different structures of societies, the activities of people of particular cultures are unique because they practice certain activities, which are distinct and different from the other people in a defined geographical area. Each society has its own culture and heritage, and its members are always trying to preserve this cultural heritage throughout their lives. Thesis `In this paper we are going to compare the two plays, “The Rez Sisters” by Tomson Highway and “Ma Raineys Black bottom” by August Wilson in context to the theme of perseverance of a cultural heritage. “The commencement of resistance and self-liberation by the supressed people is not infrequently linked with the survival strategies of key cultural patterns, manifested through various art forms” Background The play “the Rez Sisters” follows the story of seven women who are related to each other by birth or marriage and their resolution to travel to Toronto to partake in the “The Biggest Bingo in the World”. All the women have their own dreams and ambitions. And to fulfill these dreams they need money and to obtain this money they are going to participate in the bingo. The play “Ma Raineys Black bottom” consists of scene of a recording studio where Ma Rainey and her band members are creating a record. The play depicts the conflicts between the black band members and their white executives. There are also conflicts between the band members and the play ends with one band member killing another. The characters in the both plays are living in unfavorable circumstance but still they take every effort to conserve their culture and heritage. This notion of preserving their culture is prevalent in all the human beings irrespective of their nationalities and race The Rez Sisters and the Theme of Cultural Heritage Both these plays deal with different stories and settings but still there are some similarities in them. A cultural heritage is rediscovered through the lives of the characters, these characters are holding on to the culture of their native place. The seven women in the play “The Rez Sisters” are living in a reserve. They are natives but considered inferior to the whites who have dominated their country. Their life in a reserve is miserable and they want to escape from there. In order to realize their dreams of a better life, they decide to take a trip to the city of Toronto to participate in the game of bingo. It is during this journey that they realize the need of having their own cultural identity. Their behavior and characters portray beautifully the culture of the natives. The women through their attitudes reveal the native heritage which was somewhat lost in the modern times. Although their life in a reserve is tough still they face the hardships of their lives with humor and optimism. This optimism can be seen in the words of Pelajia, one of the seven women in the play, “When some fool of a being goes and puts us Indians plunk down in the middle of this old earth, dishes out this lot we got right now. But I figure we gotta make the most of it while we’re. ( Highway, 115). Their lives present the situation of the natives in the society of whites. The whites are considered to be superior and everything that is white is desired by the natives for being a white means having a better education and better future. The obsession with white objects is so intense that Philomena, one of the characters in the play plans to buy a white toilet with the money she hopes to win in the game. For her, the white toilet is symbolic of a better life, “My new toilet ! White ! Spirit white !” (Highway, pg.45). The thoughts of these women give an insight to the culture and heritage of the natives in the country of Canada. Their dreams tell a lot about the circumstances they are living in. They are desperate to change their lives and escape from the reserve in search of an enriched life. In the end they realize the value of their true identity and culture. And they wish to preserve this culture in a society where the culture of the whites is more prevalent. The Theme of Cultural Heritage in Ma Raineys Black bottom The other play “Ma Raineys Black bottom” depicts lives of the black people in the American society. The play opens with a scene in the recording studio where the band members of Ma Rainey and the director of the studio, Sturdyvant along with Ma Rainey’s agent are waiting for the arrival of Ma Rainey. The band members are talking among themselves and during this conversation we realize the differences that exist between the band members. Their arguments disclose the attitude of the band members and their thoughts about their life in the society of whites. Toledo, the piano player in the band presents the position of a black man in the society in his following words, “The colored man is the leftovers. Now that’s the colored man gonna do with himself? That’s what we are waiting to find out. But first we gotta know we the leftovers. Now, who….But we don’t know that we been took and made history out of”. (Wilson, pg.58). The band members in the play represent that part of the society which is oppressed by the whites. These characters in the play have suffered at the hands of the whites and thus they are representative of the history of the black society. But they realize that the times are changing and there will a chance in the future for their development. Even while living a society subjugated by the whites, Toledo feels that the black people should follow their own culture, “As long as the colored man look to white to put the crown on what he say…. then he’s never gonna find out who is and what he’s about……He’s gonna find out what the white folks want him to be about(Wilson. Pg.37). This attitude of Toledo divulges his desire to preserve his cultural heritage and his true identity. The cultural heritage of the Africans living in the American society is depicted in the play through the struggles and conflicts of the band members with their white executives. Their music also belongs to their culture but the white people fail to appreciate the source of this music. Ma Rainey asserts this fact in the following words, “White folks don’t understand the blues. They hear it come out, but they don’t know how it got there. They don’t understand that’s life’s way of talking”. (Wilson, pg,82). Ma Rainey feels that through her music she is expressing the history of the blacks. Their music is an expression of their culture and heritage. And Ma Rainey and her band members are resolute to defend their culture in spite of the fact that the whites are not so supportive of their cause. Ma Rainey wants to show the whites the power of blacks so she is quite demanding with her executives. She realizes the value of her music, “This be an empty world without the blues. I take that emptiness and try to fill it up with something”. (Wilson, Pg.83). Ma Rainey is aware of her history and culture. She aims to uphold her cultural identity in the society of whites. The band members are also holding on to their heritage even in difficult situations of their life. Instead of blindly following the traditions of whites they wish to create their own identity. Their struggles have given them the strength to resist the power of whites and stand up for their rights and culture. The lives of Ma Rainey and her band members express the plight of the blacks in the white society. Ma Rainey is proud of her culture and presents this culture to the world through her art. Her executives are aware of the profit her songs rake in but they are least concerned with their culture. Conclusion Both these plays deal with the same theme of perseverance of cultural heritage. The characters in the plays are preserving their cultural heritage in adverse circumstances. The play “The Rez Sisters” rediscovers the heritage and culture of the natives. The seven women in the play are bearers of this culture. Although they desire their lives to be like the lives of the whites still they value their own culture. At the end of the play they emerge from the shadows of the identities influenced by the whites and resolve to follow their own culture and traditions. The culture of the natives was present in the Canadian society, only there was a need to bring it to the attention of the world. In the same way the play Ma Raineys Black bottom brings forth the history and culture of the blacks living in the country of America. Ma Rainey and her band members are using their art as a way of asserting their culture in front of the world. The play describes the lives of the black people in times when they were discriminated for the color of their skin. And during these times Ma Rainey and her band members struggle to maintain their cultural identity. Works Cited Highway, Tomson. The Rez Sisters, Fifth House, 1988. Wison, August. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Theatre Communications Group, 2007. Read More