A society unmasked: Globalization and the drama of Suzan-Lori Parks.

摘要

The drama of Suzan-Lori Parks examines the extremely oppressive, though often invisible, class structure at the center of contemporary American society and culture. An investigation of Parks' entire body of dramatic work within the context of the cultural criticism of Zygmunt Bauman and other similar authors illuminates the tangible consequences contemporary economic and cultural practices inflict upon the privileged and suffering alike. This study considers Parks' drama within the context of globalization and reveals many subtleties within her work including: the complexities/contradictions of human relationships in a society reliant on and driven by consumption, the impact of personal/national/social identity in a society of simulated/commodified history and experience, the restructuring and re-negotiation of gender/class/race relationships, and the necessity to re-examine and re-write historical narrative in order to gain a fuller understanding of contemporary identity.