|
Jitney, Act Two
Study Guide:
Time: The Next Day
Act Two, Scene
One (61-83)
- How is Wilson setting
up the approaching catharsis by having Doub
and Turnbo hold forth about Lena
Horne and Sarah
Vaughn?
- Look at Turnbo's speech about women, money and violence.
(63) Why are most men destined for violence?
- When Youngblood finds
out that the shop is being closed down, he blames the 'white man' for
another injustice. What advice does Doub give him about getting along in the white man's
world? What point is he trying to make about his experience as a
gravedigger in Korea? (64-66) Whose philosophy
does this advice reflect?
- When Rena and Youngblood
finally have it out, what obstacles must they overcome in order to
reconcile? What doubts are creeping into Rena's mind? What frustrations
haunt Youngblood? What kind of heavy lifting must these two young people
do in order to make their relationship work? How does this episode
relate to Wilson's overall theme in the play? (72-77) (VIDEO: "Maybe I Did Do It All Wrong")
- What advice does Becker
give the young couple when he finds out that they have bought a house?
(77-79) (VIDEO: "All You Got Is Each Other")
- Describe the two dreams about
life that Fielding and Booster have lost. Why does Wilson juxtapose the
two? (80-83)
Act Two, Scene Two
(84-87
Act Two Scene Three
and Four (88-96)
- Unpack the political meaning of the play's
conclusion. How does Becker's death relate to Wilson's point? What will
happen to the jitney drivers?
- What about Booster's response and
the play’s final moment?
|
