A racial concern: Adrienne kennedy's diary of lights

Harvey Young*, Megan Geigner

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

This article emphasizes the representation of 1950s culture in Diary of Lights. It examines the artistic and cultural references made by the play's major characters, beginning with Billie and followed by Roy, Eddie, Aisha, Mohammed, Margo, Aaron, and Ellen, and chronicles how they expose the tensions inspired by racism and prejudice in an integrationist (or post-segregationist) period. It concludes with a discussion on how the play reimagines aspects of Kennedy's biography in order to more accurately capture the feel of living in the 1950s.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)40-54
Number of pages15
JournalModern Drama
Volume55
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 2012

Keywords

  • Adrienne Kennedy
  • Diary of Lights
  • black experience
  • integration
  • racial concern
  • racism
  • segregation

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Literature and Literary Theory

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'A racial concern: Adrienne kennedy's diary of lights'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this