! ! ! Dutchman By Amiri Baraka ! ! - Amiri Baraka The story: A sinister, neurotic, lascivious white girl, Lula, lures to his doom, a young black man, Clay - a stranger she picks up in the subway. The man, who, at first, sees no reason to resist the girl's advances, realizes too late that he is being used by her. He then drops his socalled "white" disguise, and launches into a counter-attack against the girl, and at whites in general, leading to its haunting, shocking conclusion. To say much more would be to spoil it for those who haven't seen it. Interpretations vary, so whatever you see in it, is what you see in it. Although I think Baraka's intentions should be clear. It's been at the center of many a discussion I've been involved in over the years, since I first saw it a decade ago. Originally a 1964 off-Broadway play which both Freeman Jr. and Knight also starred in, Dutchman (the stage version) initially played to primarily white audiences, until Baraka moved it to a Harlem theater that he founded, in order to reach, and to educate his intended black audience. It was the last play produced by Baraka under his birth name, Everett LeRoi Jones. At the time, Jones/Baraka was in the process of divorcing his white Jewish wife and embracing Black Nationalism. It certainly shows. Freeman Jr's performance was lauded. The play itself won an Obie Award. Dutchman would later be adapted for the screen, with Freeman Jr. and Knight reprising their roles - a film we've featured on this site on more than one occasion, and will likely feature again in the future. ! ! ! ! ! In Amiri Baraka's play The Dutchman, Baraka utilizes metaphor, imagery, and irony to portray society as a machine, the strongest of which is Baraka's emphasis on the subway car as a metaphor for the perpetual forward motion and inescapability of racist, bigoted societal norms. Clay's death proves that a powerlessness to break away from the social machine is fatal. This complex metaphor, among his other compelling, eloquent devices, is an example of Baraka's own standard set forth in his essay, "The Myth of a 'Negro Literature.'" Baraka urges African American writers to rise out of the rut of mediocrity to produce "high art [...] that must reflect the experiences of the human being, the emotional predicament of the man, as he exists, in the defined world of his being" Baraka challenges the black community to produce art that portrays the human condition, and provides The Dutchman as a paradigm. ! In "The Myth of a 'Negro Literature'", Baraka details the faults of African American literature to date, and describes his vision of what it should look like. "It must be produced from the legitimate emotional resources of the soul in the world. It can never be produced by evading these resources" (167). This becomes an outline for Baraka's standards and devices in his own work, making use of his struggle and experiences to convey a message to the world. This mission is evident even as early as the title, The Dutchman, conveying a powerful connotation of the slave ship. The title, recalling slavery in the modern world, fits another of Baraka's standards: "Africanisms do exist in Negro culture, but they have been so translated and transmuted by the American experience that they have become an integral part of that experience" (169). By including The Dutchman in his literary work, both in the sense of the actual play and the cultural memory of the slave ship, Baraka makes his oppression a part of the American experience as a member of the community of high artists. Baraka further outlines his goals for black writing, noting that "the most successful fiction of most Negro writing is in its emotional content" (169). Indeed, each device that Baraka uses in The Dutchman is emotionally charged. An example of this is the metaphor of the subway car as a social machine. Once Clay has gotten on the subway, he can't get off until he is dead. This is particularly well illustrated by the image of the passengers assisting Lula in discarding Clay's body at the end of the play. "Sorry is the rightest thing you've said. Get this man off me! Hurry, now! [The others come and drag Clay's body down the aisle.] Open the door and throw his body out. [They throw him off] And all of you get off at the next stop. [... Very soon a young Negro of about twenty comes into the coach, with a couple of books under his arm. He sits a few seats in back of Lula. When he is seated she turns and gives him a long slow look. He looks up from the book and drops the book on his lap"(37). There are several themes at work in this scene. First, there is the emotional shock of Clay's murder, which serves to make the reader invest real, personal emotion in the play. This adds to the realism of the play. Second, the identity of Lula proves Clay's social position and rank. As a woman of thirty, with no sexual virtue who is mentally ill, Lula is the picture of what white society has deemed invaluable and powerless. However, when opposed to Clay, a young man with an education, the traditional would-be image of success and normalcy, ironically Lula becomes all powerful just because of her race. Lula's absolute command of the other passengers shows Baraka's stance that race is the ultimate determining factor in society. Third, the closing stage directions convey a sense of hopelessness through the ever-moving sustainability of the subway car. When the next young man enters the car, it is clear to the reader that he is Lula's next victim, and so the social machine forges on, destroying everyone in its wake. Imagery is an important means of conveyance for Baraka. Lula is an Eve character throughout the play, constantly eating apples and tempting Clay with her overtly sexual advances. In the beginning of the play, Clay didn't try to make any advances toward Lula; in fact, he found his attraction to her inappropriate: "The man looks idly up, until he sees a woman's face staring at him through the window; when it realizes that the man has noticed the face, it begins very premeditatedly to smile. The man smiles too, for a moment, without a trace of self-consciousness. Almost an instinctive though undesirable response" (4). Very quickly, the reader sees that social convention plays a large part in Clay's life, inhibiting him and informing his instincts. Lula is white, the "forbidden fruit", and she will tempt him with it. "You want this? [...] Eating apples together is always the first step. Or walking up uninhabited Seventh Avenue in the twenties on the weekends. [Bites and giggles, glancing at Clay and speaking in loose sing-song] [...] Would you like to get involved with me, Mister Man?" (11). Lula tempts him with her sexuality, but also with inhibition. Baraka includes the "Seventh Avenue" line as a metaphor to convey what each might gain from this experience. Lula would feel young again by being with Clay, using him to feel like she is in her "twenties" again. Clay would gain the freedom of inhibition, as is exemplified by Baraka's use of the word, "uninhabited" as a play on words with "uninhibited". Baraka foreshadows Clay's downfall with the apple. "[Trying to be as flippant as Lula, whacking happily at the apple] Sure. Why not? A beautiful woman like you. Huh, I'd be a fool not to" (11). Clay is not yet aware of Lula's toxic nature because he is blinded by her beauty. The image of the conductor is also significant. He is the image of how white Americans traditionally view black Americans. "There is Uncle Tom. [...] Let the white man hump his ol' mama, and he jes' shuffle off in the woods and hide his gentle gray head" (32). The conductor embodies this image. "[Then an old Negro conductor comes into the car, doing a sort of restrained soft shoe, and half mumbling the words of some song. [...] Lula turns to stare at him and follows his movements down the aisle. The conductor tips his hat when he reaches her seat, and continues out the car]" (38). Baraka also uses irony to show the absurdity of stereotypes. Throughout the play, Lula claims that she knows Clay, knows his type, even though they have just met. "'You look like you live in New Jersey with your parents and are trying to grow a beard. That's what.' [...] 'How'd you know all that? Huh? Really, I mean about Jersey... and even the beard. I met you before?'" (8-9). Indeed, Lula does know things about Clay, and this is because up until the end of the play, Clay is the mediocre middle class depiction of black America that Baraka so disdains. Clay is passive for the entire play, letting Lula call him names without protest, and insult him without any consequence. "'In college I thought I was Baudelaire. But I've slowed down since.' 'I bet you never once thought you were a black nigger.' [Mock seriousness, then she howls with laughter. Clay is stunned but after initial reaction, he quickly tries to appreciate the humor. Lula almost shrieks]" (19). Clay is, at this point, everything Baraka stands against. He accepts his assigned place in the world, and does nothing to combat it. However, when Clay stands up for himself in his monologue at the end of the play, he becomes Baraka's paradigm. "Thus, the Negro writer if he wanted to tap his legitimate cultural tradition should have done it by utilizing the entire spectrum of the American experience from the point of view of the emotional history of the black man in this country: as its victim and its chronicler" (169). Clay has been the victim throughout the play, taking Lula's bashes in stride. Now, he has become the chronicler. "You don't know anything except what's there for you to see. An act. Lies. Device. Not the pure heart, the pumping black heart. You don't ever know that. [...] And I'm the great would-be poet. Yes. That's right! Poet. Some kind of bastard literature... All it needs is a simple knife thrust. Just let me bleed you, you loud whore, and one poem vanished" (34-35). Here, Lula's stereotype of Clay is finally proven wrong, both to her and to the reader. "If I'm a middle class fake white man, let me be. And let me be in the way that I want. [...] I'd rather be a fool. Insane. Safe with my words, and no deaths, and clean, hard thoughts, urging me to new conquests" (34-35). Baraka shows that even when Clay was sucked in by the Lula's sexuality, he never fooled himself by thinking she, or white society, would accept him. "He is an American, capable of identifying with the fantastic cultural ingredients of his society, but he is also, forever, outside that culture, an invisible strength within it, an observer" (171). This is Clay, personified. But his actions could never go without consequence, and rendered Clay "just another dead American" (171). Works Cited Baraka, Amiri. Dutchman and the Slave. New York: William Morrow and Company, 1964. 3-38. Baraka, Amiri. "The Myth of 'Negro Literature'." Within the Circle. Ed. Angelyn Mitchell. Durham and London: Duke University Press, 1994. 165-171. http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/watch-now-amiri-barakas-dutchman-black-mansneuroses http://voices.yahoo.com/amiri-barakas-imagery-metaphor-irony-the-1306897.html?cat=9 ! Compiled and written by Sarva Deslauriers Over the past few weeks we have been spending our time discussing "The History of African American Entertainment" the artists who have made substantial impacts to the genre, to the culture at large and how we view these values, issues, histories, and social conflicts today as we reflect on the past. ! We have been doing this with the vehicle and lens of Art and entertainment, the compelling stories and dynamic characters of our recent Black American History that have sprung from the roots, remembering's and re-telling's of what actually happened in our past and how we as a society wrestled with it then, and today. ! This week you watched Dutchman. Here we have a playwright who are challenging our view of the past and how the struggle for certain races to succeed, forced to assimilate into a white dominated world view are hampered and faltered not only by modern society, the social norms and decorum or - code of conduct - of the day, but also by the personal struggle and need for self identity in the face of a very rooted value system (Jim crow) that had been lived in and ascribed to since the days after Reconstruction.! Now that you have done the reading and are able to reflect over the past two weeks, I would like you to wrestle with this quote from Notes on Dutchman.! “Baraka challenges the black community to produce art that portrays the human condition, and provides The Dutchman as a paradigm”........."It must be produced from the legitimate emotional resources of the soul in the world. It can never be produced by evading these resources"! ! ! - What is the human condition that Baraka speaks to? ! ! - How is the SYMBOL of the Dutchman (The name of an infamous 18th century slave ship) and the train that the play takes place in provide a "PARADIGM" for more effective storytelling? ! - How do we understand the human condition (as Baraka sees it) in a better way? ! - What do you feel are "legitimate emotional resources of the soul"? ! - What does Baraka mean when he says this? Do you agree with his stance? Why or why not?! ! Now, as we look at this topic through the lens of our present day and 2018, how do you feel we are doing as a society in providing entertainment and the telling of stories (Theatre, film, T.V.) about civil rights generally, black history, and how we have progressed as a society since the first time that Dutchman or A Raisin in the Sun, first made an impact on the American public and body-politic?! ! ! Start a thread and in subject put (your full name) - Minimum 150 words - Use complete sentences and correct grammar. Student 1 - What is the human condition that Baraka speaks to? I think the human condition that Baraka speaks to is the conditions and hardships that African Americans went through at the time. Baraka puts those hardships in perspective by giving the antagonist Lulu the same racist, one-sided beliefs that a lot of America had at the time and which can also still be relevant today. - How is the SYMBOL of the Dutchman (The name of an infamous 18th century slave ship) and the train that the play takes place in provide a "PARADIGM" for more effective storytelling? I feel that the train helps provide a place for more effective storytelling because the entire film was staged and shot in one place, so the main focus was on the characters there was no distractions or side stories straying away from the characters. I also think that the train and it's "stops" could be a representation of the passing of time - How do we understand the human condition (as Baraka sees it) in a better way? Ultimately, by learning about it and walking in someone else's shoes. If we're not able to treat people with respect then it's a lost cause. The human condition I feel is something that definitley needs to be acknowledged, everyone has a story, a different background, different experiences which shape and mold them into who they are today. - What do you feel are "legitimate emotional resources of the soul"? My personal definition of legitimate emotional resources of the soul are all memories, instances and experiences that we can reflect on and shape us into who we are today. - What does Baraka mean when he says this? Do you agree with his stance? Why or why not? I think that the answer stated above can also be applied to this answer, therefore, I agree with his stance if that is ultimately what he means to say. The reason why I agree is because I truly believe that emotional resources of the soul are anything that you've gone through that has helped make you into who you are today. - Now, as we look at this topic through the lens of our present day and 2018, how do you feel we are doing as a society in providing entertainment and the telling of stories (Theatre, film, T.V.) about civil rights generally, black history, and how we have progressed as a society since the first time that Dutchman or A Raisin in the Sun, first made an impact on the American public and body-politic? In this day and age it's sad to say that we are still dealing with racial profiling and issues regarding race or minorities as a whole. Society has gotten a lot better than it was back then and it's still progressing. As far as entertainment goes, there has a been a lot of minority driven casts and I only hope to see more of that. I can't say it enough, everyone has a story to tell and different cultures to be shared whether it be on screen or off it. Student 2 -What is the human condition that Baraka speaks to? In my opinion the human condition Baraka is speaking to is emotional content. To be precise if we were to reenact this film today it would be labeled as a dramatic film with an emphasis on melodrama. In Dutchman Baraka uses the elements of Melodrama to create characters that are single dimensional. Throughout the symbolism portrayed in film Baraka wanted the audience to know that Black America has been seduced by white america. Baraka uses Lula as an example because she represents all the elements of America. Although these are not complex, they display elements of birth, grow, mortality, and conflicts that are experienced everyday. - How is the SYMBOL of the Dutchman (The name of an infamous 18th century slave ship) and the train that the play takes place in provide a "PARADIGM" for more effective storytelling? Unfortunately, many slaves on these ships faced tortue and did not survive there final trip. Here the train symbolizes the the “unknown” and not knowing if you are going to survive the trip. In addition, the symbolism that surrounds the train such as a picture of the devil, shows that he is in a vulnerable position in the train. Baraka once again, is trying to tell his audience to be mindful of the history of black america and that greed is always tempting them. - How do we understand the human condition (as Baraka sees it) in a better way? There is not set of principles that describe how the viewer sees the human experience. Film is a type of art and everyone sees and experiences art in there own ways. This is determined by our past and current experiences. Personally, there are certain “human conditions” that i will not experience compared to Baraka. Baraka, was able to incorporates key elements of the human condition by including his own personal experiences and how the black community was changing. - What do you feel are "legitimate emotional resources of the soul"? In my opinion legitimate resources of the soul is to be able to feel empathy towards others and be able to communicate our thoughts and feelings towards other people. Essentially being able to feel and learn about the human condition. Our soul and consciousness is what separates us from one person to another. So learning about the human condition are legitimate emotional resources of the soul. - What does Baraka mean when he says this? Do you agree with his stance? Why or why not? Plato described the soul and body as two different identities. Plato believed that a body or person is defined by his soul. For this reason, I believe legitimate resources of the soul can be described as experiences or understanding that help us understand and communicate with other people. Film is able to fill that empty resource by making us experience art emotionally, physically, and intellectually. Now, as we look at this topic through the lens of our present day and 2018, how do you feel we are doing as a society in providing entertainment and the telling of stories (Theatre, film, T.V.) about civil rights generally, black history, and how we have progressed as a society since the first time that Dutchman or A Raisin in the Sun, first made an impact on the American public and body-politic? In my opinion I feel like there could be more done to discuss and learn about the civil rights in general. Sadly, Hollywood is more focused on making money then actually teaching and changing society as whole for the better. The reason there is not a market for these films is because our educational system has failed children in learning about the human experience, and the bad side our history as a nation. Nonetheless, as america becomes more diverse and liberal these topics will be displayed on film because we will have a new generation of filmmakers with different ideologies. Student 3 1) What is the human condition that Baraka speaks to? The human condition Baraka is speaking about refers to producing work that doesn’t attempt to hide the truth of how African Americans felt and experienced that time period. He also seems to be indicating that for African Americans to show their full potential and demonstrate pieces of art that they need to embrace and showcase how they truly felt in this period. 2) How is the SYMBOL of the Dutchman (The name of an infamous 18th century slave ship) and the train that the play takes place in provide a "PARADIGM" for more effective storytelling? The name Dutchman and the train have parallels between each other because the inhabitants of both are slaves to the journey each entailed. Clay was stuck in the train interacting with Lula until the train came to a stop. It wasn’t until the end when Lula killed Clay and got other passengers to get Clay off of her do we as viewers begin to truly understand the severity of the situation. It was that point viewers became aware that regardless of how noble or prestige the African American was, they were still inferior to a person of any caliber, so long as they were white. Lula who was clearly insane and mentally ill still proved at the end of the film that she was superior, that whites were superior. This is the time period that African Americans dealt with and Baraka wanted people to be aware of these disgusting actions. 3) How do we understand the human condition (as Baraka sees it) in a better way? I think we see the human condition in a better way just of virtue of many years passing by. Through laws and social acceptance we have almost bridged the gap and made all races near equal. We also understand the sins people made all those years ago and reflected upon them to try and never repeat. By accepting the dark deeds done by ones in the past, we can learn from them and attempt to never repeat those mistakes. 4) What do you feel are "legitimate emotional resources of the soul"? I feel this phrase refers to that only people who have truly experienced something, are the only ones eligible enough to talk or make a media about it. This could also mean that an event should only extract genuine emotions from the viewers and try not to get a reaction that would be said to be half-hearted. 5) What does Baraka mean when he says this? Do you agree with his stance? Why or why not? I think Baraka is saying much like I said above, that only people who genuinely experienced something can truly talk about that something. I would agree with it to an extent. Many deeper rather dark sides of human nature are best explained through people who witnessed or experienced the event. Granted, stuff like comedies doesn’t necessarily need that genuine experience to pull off a comedy, but I don’t know if Baraka interpreted humor and laughter as a genuine emotion. 6) Now, as we look at this topic through the lens of our present day and 2018, how do you feel we are doing as a society in providing entertainment and the telling of stories (Theatre, film, T.V.) about civil rights generally, black history, and how we have progressed as a society since the first time that Dutchman or A Raisin in the Sun, first made an impact on the American public and body-politic? I think we have genuinely improved in our understanding and respect of different racial cultures. I would say this is the closest we've ever been as a nation to having every race being equal and I only see it improving. I don’t watch enough media to be able to say whether we as a society do well at portraying civil rights or black history, but I would like to think we have. Example of the responses. 1 I really liked reading about how you perceived Baraka's intentions with his play the Dutchman. What really stood out for me was your interpretation of the symbol as a "powerful reminder of slavery", I believe that is a great understanding and I did not think of that while I was going over the question. The Dutchman is a great representation of the oppression that African American endured in the past and with the new oppression that White society throws at them now. I also agree and had a similar response for how people understand the human condition better through art since it explains and reminds people of the history of what people went through and if people today do nothing about it, history will repeat itself. 2 Good point on question 2 where you mention the part where Lula acting recklessly and the bystanders just watching does give the feeling that she has power. No one could stand up to her because she was white. Also I liked the way you say she enslaved him by the way she was seducing Clay good analysis. As you mentioned in question 4, empathy is a good way at solving racism. With empathy we are able to understand the issue better and fight towards equality for all.
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