International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research

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A Widely Indexed Open Access Peer Reviewed Multidisciplinary Bi-monthly Scholarly International Journal

Call for Paper Volume 6 Issue 6 November-December 2024 Submit your research before last 3 days of December to publish your research paper in the issue of November-December.

Fragmentation of Identities: Adrienne Kennedy's Funnyhouse of a Negro

Author(s) Meenakshi J Sahu
Country India
Abstract Funnyhouse of a Negro (1964) is an Obie winning play penned by a prolific writer, Adrienne Kennedy. Premiered at the 4th Street Theatre in New York City, the play has earned significant recognition for its innovative approach and poignant exploration of racial and psychological themes. The play was awarded with an Obie for Best New American Play in 1965, marking a significant milestone in Kennedy’s career and in the landscape of American Drama. Set against the backdrop of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement, the play reflects the era’s racial tensions and societal pressures. The play follows Sarah, a young black woman struggling with a fractured identity. Through a series of disjointed scenes and dialogues, Sarah adopts multiple personas that represent different facets of her racial, cultural, and psychological self. This paper aims to analyze Sarah’s identity by exploring the symbolism of each persona and the impact of her parents. This paper argues that Sarah’s personas are not arbitrary but represent her profound psychological conflict and the impossibility of reconciling disparate aspects of her identity.
Keywords Kennedy, Identity Fragmentation, Racial conflict, Internalized racism, Symbolism.
Field Sociology > Linguistic / Literature
Published In Volume 6, Issue 4, July-August 2024
Published On 2024-08-31
Cite This Fragmentation of Identities: Adrienne Kennedy's Funnyhouse of a Negro - Meenakshi J Sahu - IJFMR Volume 6, Issue 4, July-August 2024. DOI 10.36948/ijfmr.2024.v06i04.26781
DOI https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2024.v06i04.26781
Short DOI https://doi.org/gt8gt5

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