This was an extra credit opportunity for my English 1B class. We had to see this play and respond to it answering these five questions given to us by our professor.
1. My English 1B course required me to see this play. The play was titled "Bonded" and was written by Donald Jolly. The play was about the quest for freedom, not only from slavery but from the guilt caused by the attraction to the same sex.
2. Miss Pat is a character in "Git On Board" in The Colored Museum by George C. Wolfe and Jack is a character from Bonded by Donald Jolly. These characters are similar because they tell the truth that no one wants to admit to themselves. That African Americans during slavery were supposed to "stay in their place".
3. The Corporate Man in “Symbiosis” in The Colored Museum has a similar attitude and perspective on his life to Lily’s perspective about her life in Bonded. The Corporate Man see’s the world from a white perspective. This is the reason why he throws away all his cultural items. He does not want anything to remind him of where he came from or who he is. In that era, you had to follow the ways of the white man in order to be successful in the business world. Lily’s character in Bonded was a slave during the play’s era. Some of the things that she saw were a must would be getting married or “jumping the broom” and having lots of children for her master’s to use as slaves too. She also believes that slaves should not try to escape from their masters. When Sonny asked her to run away with him she told him no because she was dependent on her mistress, or master. Both of these characters just try to fit into the norm of their society. If they don’t follow what is right they feel as if they will be punished. They are just trying to survive in the world and living to see tomorrow.
4. A motif, according to our class glossary, is something- a theme, symbol, image, phrase, object, character- that recurs in a work. Based on our classes African American Motif’s list, the motifs that I found apparent in the play Bonded would be Intimidation, Terrorism &Threats or Acts of Violence and The Continuing Vernacular/ Oral Tradition. The example of Intimidation, Terrorism & Threats or Acts of Violence I saw in the play was when the new slave, Asa, came onto the plantation. He came in chains and had to be stripped down to be washed and then was redressed in rag-like clothes. Another slave named Sonny had scars of being whipped. Also, threats of selling slaves, like Asa, to other masters were in the play as well. The example of The Continuing Vernacular/ Oral Tradition I saw in the play was when Asa sang the song his mother taught him that came from their culture in Africa. Also the way the slaves dance in the play symbolizes the way their ancestors did in Africa; cultural dancing.
5. I enjoyed seeing this play. It opened my eyes to the African American culture, a culture that I did not know a lot about. It also showed me that everyone is a slave in their own way and trying to free themselves. Whether it be trying to free themselves from the guilt of being attracted to the same sex, like the characters in the play, or trying to free themselves from the societal norm that is placed upon their heads. They need to act a certain way because society tells them to; if they don’t they will get punished in some way. I learn a little from everything in my life; from movies I watch, books I read, people I talk to. There is always a little life lesson we can all learn in our daily lives. We just have to keep our eyes and ears open and they will find a way to us.
