In an efficient and effective paragraph, make an intelligent literary observation about the play. This could address anything from set design to characterization to theme to dialogue. For example:
- Address how setting helps to develop the characters Harmond and Roosevelt.
- Address what the characterizations of Harmond and Roosevelt teach us about the evolution of racism and classism in America.
- Address in what ways this staging of the play seeks to represent the American Dream.
Posts
22 comments:
Katie Wheeler
Block 6
The setting of the office helped really helped develop the characters of Harmond and Roosevelt. Because we only see the two characters in the office, we only get to see that part of them: not the Harmond or Roosevelt we might see in their homes. It is really obvious that these two men really look up to famous African Americans: Harmond had a poster of Martin Luther King Jr., and Roosevelt had a poster of Tiger woods. This was interesting because it also let their personalities and priorities shine through. Harmond was a man who cared deeply about the city’s people, and equality for them. That is what Martin Luther King Jr. wanted to accomplish. As for Roosevelt, he cared a lot about money and (social) status. I think that Roosevelt wanted to get what was best for him, not the people/city. He wanted to please the other companies. Roosevelt also kept saying how he wanted to get super rich and go golfing twice a day. He wanted to be like Tiger Woods. The two characters of Harmond and Roosevelt are very different, which might be why they were such good friends.
Through out the play there is an obvious theme of the "little guy vs. the big guy." This same theme is also worded as the "Indians vs. cowboys." This competition entailed one main idea: right vs. wrong. From the little guy it seemed as though the law wasn't the supreme ruler, but rather it was ethics. In the case of old Joe's house, ignoring technicalities in the law, it was lawfully OK for them to sell his house; however, it was not ethical. In the end Harmond was able to recognize the place of ethics in this argument while Roosevelt could not. Old Joe and the carpenter would argue that he "didn't listen."
-Max F
Emma Peterson
The theme about ‘cowboys and Indians’ was shown frequently in the play. I remember the construction worker saying he was playing cowboys and Indians with Harmond’s brother before he died, and how they would always ‘trade off being the Indians’. It’s as if white people were viewed as the cowboys, and black people the Indians. Here, mayors may have been viewed as cowboys, and the people contradicting were the Indians. Maybe Harmond, living up to his father’s wishes, just wanted to be something he wasn’t. Then later in the play, the construction worker came in and talked about how he now was the Indian, and not the cowboy. Being something he didn’t want to be before. When Harmond was working on the house he was just following the plan, and going along with what was supposed to happen, but near the end he followed what he thought was right. He contradicted something that he once was fighting for, and showed that he could have a choice. In the end when he put the Indian paint on it showed that he went for what he believed in, and didn’t always have to go along with the crowd. Harmond showed he was something he’d been all along and now wanted to be, an Indian.
Harmond and Roosevelt are two typical black men working in a race conscious society. For the most part they seem t know this, but turn their attention away from those who are in power, and instead criticize those who are barely surviving. I noticed this a lot with the interactions between Raymond and Old Joe. Roosevelt was always talking about him like old Joe’s oddness and poor condition was his fault, and never once stopped to consider what or who put him in this position in the first place. This is where the brainwashing institutionalized black man is seen, otherwise, as referred to by the handyman, a Negro. He’s so brainwashed into believing that everything that was wrong with the black community, was the black community’s fault, even though certain things can’t be avoided in this racially tense society of discrimination. Roosevelt mentioned that he’s sick of hearing black folks “complain” about things, and this potentially ostracizes him from his own racial community. It is in these scenes, that the self-hate is shown.
Harmond on the other hand is in the middle. He’s running for mayor, and is even more racially conscious than Roosevelt about who controls the big business and such, but he doesn’t seem to want to deal with this much until Roosevelt becomes a part of the radio station WBTZ 107.9. Harmond is convinced that the station is only using Roosevelt’s face as a sign for diversity, and nothing more. That if the station, or any company for that matter, has a black face in the mix, then they feel that they aren’t racist. Harmond gives the example of 2 black people in a crowd of 14,000 white people, which all together sums up what Harmond may be trying to deconstruct in his run for mayor.
KHYLE EASTIN
I thought a turning point in the attitude of Harmond, and the moment in the play that really stuck out to me was the returning of the stolen golf clubs. Although I recognize many other themes presented in Radio Golf, I'm going to say that the battle of right versus wrong, moral versus unmoral, was the theme that stuck out most to me. As Harmond receives his stolen golf clubs, he is told they aren't his anymore. He is too busy staring at and fondling the clubs to pay any attention. As it becomes clear that his clubs were "stolen" for a reason (at least to the audience) the analogy sank into me, and was presented to Harmond as well. He was forced to pay Sterling Johnson (the man who "found" his clubs) for his own clubs back, and instantly did so without a thought. It was as if he'd do anything for the clubs. But as Mr. Johnson started talking, it was clear that money was the last thing on his mind. To me, this was the moment that Harmond realized what he had done to Mr. Barlow. The look in his eyes staring at his precious clubs showed me that he understood that taking something that isn't yours is not only unmoral, but illegal, and he had to "give" Mr. Barlow's house back to Mr. Barlow. It was at that moment in my mind the play changed direction, and Harmond became morally driven, rather than driven by success. This created more tension and division as he strays off "his plan" of success, and becomes a moral man, But that's for another post.
James Thornton
The stark differences in apperance between Harmon and Roosevelt and Elder Joseph Barlow and Sterling Johnson reflects the socio-economic background and priviliage of the two sets of people. Harmon and Roosevelt are nicely dressed in their suits and thier jewerly, whilst Johnson and Barlow are ragged and worn from the hardships of the city, of thier lives. This is never understood by Roosevel Hicks, but in the end of the play we see that Harmon realizes the importance and power of the position he is in and uses it to ultimatly help the people of pittsburgh, against the wishes of all.
It seemed the main character (Harmond) changed dramatically in the play. His view of the plans for the shopping mall changed dramatically. At first he wanted to obliterate all the houses that were in the way of his redevelopment complex. After Mr. Barlow came to visit him, his position on the redevelopment plan changed. He wanted for once in his life to follow “his” plan, not the plan that others set up for him. Once he strayed away from the plan, Rosevelt and Mame abandoned him, for they didn’t believe in his new way of thinking. I guess what I’m trying to say is how hard it is for someone to do something different when others believe in a different path. For the one who stands out would be criticized because of their different beliefs from the default belief of the majority of others.
Ryan Liengswangwong
Racism is a huge problem in this play, but the instigators are not white people, it's black on black racism. I found it hard to believe that the 2 other men (the construction worker and the man whose house was getting torn down) seemed to be apposed to Harmond winning the election. To me it seemed like all of the racism in the play was black on black racism. A good example of this would be when the construction worker insulted Roosevelt and continued to criticize him and how he seemed to be turning into a white man, and doing whatever a white man asked. I found it interesting that racism is not only a problem for white people, but it also goes back to the idea of some people may want to try and adapt to others cultures but some may want to stay true to their own culture which indeed causes a lot of tension in this play.
-Kelsey Morgan
I think that the props used in the play significantly helped develop several of the characters in the play. Right away you could see the differences and personalities of Harmon and Roosevelt. Harmon’s desk had a poster of Martin Luther King Jr. and other political posters on his wall showing that he was a more serious and what seemed to be a responsible politician. On the other end there was Roosevelt’s workspace that had a poster of Tiger Woods and his radio station. These posters helped us understand that Roosevelt was a more energetic and not as politically involved individual. Another prop that had an impact in the play was money. Both Old Joe and Sterling refuse money from Harmon in the play because money isn’t as important in their lives as it is in Harmon and Roosevelt’s. This speaks to their characters by giving them a sense of purity and not being corrupt by money or greed. Both of these props helped develop the characters in the play and gave us a deeper understanding of who they are.
-Spencer
The characterization of Roosevelt teaches the audience about the evolution of classism and racism in the United States. By the 1990s, racist actions had generally become more subtle than those of three decades before. However, Roosevelt's character represents how some white people would use African Americans to make them appear to be diverse and open or to get possibly affirmative action-esque policies' benefits. In that situation, they are being used, and not actually wanted for being hardworking or any other trait that one generally desires in a business partner or employee. There is not only a rift between blacks and whites in the play, but between wealthy blacks and poor blacks. The lower class blacks are portrayed as thinking that the wealthier blacks have turned their backs on their own race. Roosevelt, representing the wealthier blacks, distances himself from the blacks who, according to him, are lazy, and therefore their poverty is their own fault. Before African Americans had the economic opportunities that would allow some to be wealthy, this gap would not have existed. Though race divides whites from blacks, class seems to divide some blacks from others. Roosevelt's characterization teaches the audience about these nuances regarding classism and racism. ~ Miel
Among other things, the setting of the play really stuck out for me. During the course of the play it is reiterated every time that the door is opened that the location of the office is not in a good spot, as you hear sirens of ambulances and cops. Also the room they are in looks a little grungy and dirty, but it is just a place to work. So for its function it’s fine. Yet what’s interesting about the setting is that Harmon and Robinson seem to be on the way up and are going golfing with wealthy white people but they go back to this not so nice office of theirs in a bad part of town. They are living the “American dream” but cant get rid of their past. Harmon went to Cornell College and is now a prime candidate for mayor of the city but still works in a bad part of town. At the beginning of the play all he wanted to do was follow in his fathers footsteps and be successful business man but being successful did not bring him joy. As much as it did bring him money he was disregarding everyone else and doing deals under the table. This setting just gives us the idea of where he is now but how he doesn’t want to be there in the future. He wants to have so much more then that: money and fame. As his wife said, “ You would have been mayor, then a Senator,” yet he throws that all away to do what is just. He sees that doing the right thing is more important then having endless amounts of money. This setting they are in may not be nice but it brings them back to their roots where Harmon figures out truly who he is as an individual.
-Owen Duncan
I think the office really helps summarize the whole play. It is beaten up and somewhat gloomy, but Harmond and Roosevelt occupy this space with the intention of rebuilding "The Hill," which from the descriptions of the characters in the play is very much like the office, beaten up. Although the office is not new and clean, there are small areas of the office that show hope. The Martin Luther King poster stood out. Harmond was obviously for black rights, so that poster showed his belief, something meaningful to him a room filled with old dirty stuff. Like te office, Harmond and Roosevelt wanted to rebuild "The Hill" and they wanted to start with a small strip of land. They believed in this new development, and were ready to commit to a renaissance in an old, beat up town.
Michael Meline
I found a parallel between the Indian and Cowboy theme and the themes between white and black, Negro and nigger. I thought it was interesting how everyone has this conflict within themselves about their identity or whom they want to be in order to succeed. One example that really stuck out was how hard Roosevelt (?) was trying to appease to the white radio station owner that he lost sight of what was right just because he wanted to be important, to have status. He was trying to be, as Sterling described it, a Negro because he thought that would get him ahead. Another example was how Harmond had tried for so long to please his father that he hadn’t been living his own life, but once he is put in the situation where he must choose for himself he finds his true self by identifying with what he thinks is right rather than what everyone is telling him is right. The parallel is that when Sterling was little he got to choose whether he was the Indian or the Cowboy and he and his friends would change characters, in the play, the characters get to choose who they want to be, Negros, or the opposite. They get to choose what they feel is wrong or right and they get to choose their own identities based on their own values and morals.
Cathryn Grothe
In the play, most of what I noticed was how Harmond’s wife and his brother, Roosevelt seemed as if they were unwilling to try to understand or acknowledge he other black people that lived around Harmond’s office (the hills?). When Harmond suggested moving back there his wife was completely opposed to it. She said she didn’t want to go backwards. She didn’t want to be associated with those people and the misperception that go along with them. She was ashamed of where she had come from and thought that the person she was now was too good to be living there. Roosevelt was very similar in this way. He distanced himself greatly from the people living in that area. He refused to see their points of view on the house being torn down. Even when he became aware that the house was acquired illegally, he didn’t even give it a second thought. He felt that he had come too far, he had become too “powerful” to be stopped by people that reminded him of something lower and weaker than himself. The play did a fantastic job of developing each character to the fullest, but when you try to understand their way of thinking you realize that the problems presented to them shouldn’t be so easy to answer; they aren’t clearly cut.
EVALINA BOND
it seemed to me that even though Harmon and Roosevelt were well dressed, drove nice cars, and were powerfull, they did not seem as wise as Elder Joseph Barlow and Sterling Johnson. This was a parrallel to classism in this country. Just because they had risen to the top, Harmond and Roosevelt, does not mean they were any better than Barlow and Johnson. In some ways they were just more privelged. At one point, Harmond shows how he had been following a plan his whole, showing that he was given an oppurtunity to succeed while Barlow and Johnson may have never received that oppurtunity. Barlow and Johnson really gave Harmond a reality check about his life.
-Conner
n the play, the underlying theme of right vs. wrong dominated the conflict of the rebirth of the HIll. Once Harmond discovers that the house is not his to sell, he is faced with the moral dilemma of whether or not he should destroy it to put in his own development. In doing this he would be making a lot of money and be seen as an active member of the community who is geared towards improvement, which would aid his campaign for mayor. What he is doing is technically legal, and could be pulled off easily. However, Old Joe brings to light that somebody actually owns that house and plans to live in it, and it is morally wrong to sell it and tear it down. Harmond looks into this and is torn between two paths: the path of political and social success, and the path of personal and moral righteousness. This conflict breaks down his life as he tries to find middle ground, which he quickly realizes is impossible. He loses everything and decides to move on and pursue the just path of helping Old Joe.
-John Irwin Blake, esq.
The main theme of the plays that were created by August Wilson is how racism has changed in the past century and how slavery has impacted the lives of African Americans. When I first read about this series, I had assumed that Radio Golf would address the issue that people seem to believe that racism is an issue of the past. We think, “well, our corporation has two black people, so we aren’t racist. As a matter of fact, they never mingle with the 200 white people, they always stick together. They are holding our company back from complete integration because they cut themselves off from us.” However, I was surprised to find that it place emphasis instead on an effect of slavery that I hadn’t thought of before. It brought to light the fact that there isn’t only a division between the white and black people, but also one exists between members of the black community as to how to go about bringing the issue of racism into the 20th century. The racism that is part of our lives today isn’t as obvious as it used to be and is more like a sly fox that quietly slinks between conversations and through minds faster than you can catch it. Before, you could look around and see the signs screaming at you from every direction. Blacks couldn’t eat with whites, drink from the same fountains as whites, go to the same school as whites, and didn’t have the same job opportunities. Now, America has to think of new ways to address the issue that the privileged white, straight, American’s have a hard time seeing, but stabs at the minorities every day. The two different strategies are represented throughout the play by mainly Roosevelt and also his partner for the first part of the play. Their plan is to tear down all of the problems with black society and throw their history into the past to pave the way for a system in which they purposefully blind themselves to the discrimination of the white people I described above and place themselves above the poor blacks in an effort to become goody goodies and suck ups to the whites in order to reach new heights. The problem with this theory is that it allows the white people to think that the two blacks in their workforce are the exceptions to the black stereotypes. This is because this strategy helps some of the blacks, but leaves the majority of them in the dust. The metaphor used in the play to address this theory is their plan to tear down the city and place a white suburb replica in it’s place. This plan seems perfect in the plans, but in reality, it doesn’t directly help the people pull themselves out of poverty and fight to prove the negative stereotypes of their culture wrong and work for equality. Instead, it puts up a fake face of luxury. The other strategy is presented by the construction worker and the homeless man. They think this is the wrong way to go because it pushes the blacks critical history out of their minds. Making them forget who they are and try to become the white American male that everyone pressures them to be. This side of the argument is portrayed through the homeless man’s house that actually holds the history of the strong and influential black woman, Aunt Esther. She is actually the aunt of Roosevelt’s partner and by tearing this house down, he is destroying his family and history as an African American.
~Helen~
Brian Reichert
Block 6
Setting is very important in developing the characters of Harmond and Roosevelt. First of all, there is the set itself. This is the Bedford Hills Redevelopment Corporation office. This is the only place where the audience is able to watch interactions between characters, and so most of the understood character development occurs there. The setting is the place where Harmond and Roosevelt are together. Gradually, their differences in beliefs are illuminated by their interactions and dialogue. A part of the setting is the area where the Corporation is, the Hills. The Hills is suffering. It seems to be an armpit of the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In this area, there exists a house that plays a pivotal role in the story. The existence of the house could, possibly, be considered a part of the setting, but the house is more of an important object. The time is important in addition to the place. The time, I believe is 1997. The civil rights movement has happened, but the idea of racial consciousness is very important. Companies do not want to appear conscious of different people's races. Partly because of this, companies are very equality mind. The rich white man referenced in the play essentially pays Roosevelt to be his token black in order to make a deal better for himself. This is the only reason that Roosevelt is paid, and Harmond has a problem with this payment based on race. Because of this, the time setting indirectly affects the characeter development of Harmond and Roosevelt as it illuminates the debate over being n***er versus being a negro who kisses the a** of the white man. Setting affects the character development of both Harmond and Roosevelt.
Calder
Radio golf was a fascinating production that inspired me to reconsider how I live my life and the actions I take that affect everyone around me. But what part of the story I found most interesting were the roles of Old Joe, Sterling, Harmon, and Roosevelt. When you think of modern day America you see that rich people and successful businessmen are the smartest and most intelligent. They went to collage and graduate school and moved up in the ranks. And then there are the hobos and the minimum wage workers that are the “little people.” But who is really smarter? In the play we found that it is the lower class people who are the wisest they know the difference between right and wrong.
I found it ironic that Harmond got his golf clubs stolen, but were then purchased back illegaly. This reminded me of the house that they bought from Old Joe illegaly. I think Old Joe may've stolen the clubs to prove a point to Harmond, that it doesn't feel good to have your property stolen. Harmond points out how he has his initials on the clubs, so they belong to him. Old Joe feels that the house belongs to his name, he should be able to keep it for himself, as Harmond did with his clubs. It is never said that Old Joe stole the clubs, but I think he did so to prove a point. -Jared
I find it interesting that Harmond decided to leave the door open in every scene except for the last one. Is this some sort of symbolism? Every time someone would leave, Harmond would close the door behind them. The few times that Harmond would leave to look at something, he would keep the door open. I believe that this symbolizes that he only trusts himself, and that he wanted to keep the "purest form" of himself by locking others out (except for Roosevelt). In the end, he takes a can of paint and goes outside, but closes the door this time. Does he realize that he had assumed a pose, painting himself in different colors?
Hannah
Over and over again, Old Joe reinforces the contrast between his poverty and Harmond’s relative wealth. He shares anecdotes that describe Harmond eating ice cream in a car, while everyone else walks. He mentions that, as a child, Harmond would sit on a porch while it rained, while everyone else could have drowned. It is evident that despite his dark skin, Harmond has led a privileged life compared to the African Americans who, like Old Joe, live on the margins of society.
Harmond wants to believe that the system is fair. It seems that he can finally earn the respect of the people around him and that the power of change lies just beyond his fingertips. He pays taxes, follows the law, and settles comfortably into modern society, which he deems just and orderly. Although Harmond understands that the racial tensions have not completely dissolved, it is through this social system that he strives to earn political power.
Old Joe threatens Harmond’s neat, organized world with dozens of memories that reflect racial discrimination. For example, when the policeman, a part of modern American society, arrested Mr. Green essentially for his race, the people who cared about him lacked the power to prevent such incidences. Harmond rationalizes that he will change said discrimination when he becomes mayor; however, when it comes to Old Joe’s house, he is torn between his role as a “big man” in America and his loyalty to both his race and moral compass.
So, Harmond faces the questions: Will he, like the whites, gain so much power that he can break the rules? Will he leave behind his morals at the expense of blacks like Old Joe in order to maintain his position as the “big man”? By conforming to the system and bulldozing Old Joe’s home, will he honestly follow his dream of bringing change to society? Or will he be just another white person’s mayor?
This cognitive dissonance explores the decision faced by African Americans as they must choose between joining society (like Roosevelt) or following their moral compass. This theme of the contrast between privilege and morality is epitomized by the question posed by this play: How much of your identity will you trade for acceptance?
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