Clifford Odets’ Waiting for Lefty Essay example - 801 Words

Clifford Odets’ Waiting for Lefty In his play Waiting for Lefty Clifford Odets attempts to stir up the weary American public of the 1930s by providing examples of everyday people who, with some coaxing, rise above the capitalist mess theyve inherited and take control of their destinies. In his work, Odets paints the common man as honest, sacrificial, and exploited, while big business and the government are portrayed as the proletariats enemies, anonymous corporations of rich men intent on shattering dreams. Odets makes his point clear: in order to survive in the cutthroat world of Depression-era America, one must band with others, make necessary sacrifices, and live for oneself, not for a paycheck or in a deluded fantasy-state.†¦show more content†¦The strike-within-the-family context elucidates for the common man the power the workers, when unified, wield over the employer. Odets critiques big business lack of sympathy in the second episode, which stars Fayette, a corrupt industrialist, and Miller, a naà ¯ve, idealistic young lab assistant. When Miller expresses concern over the industrialists proposal of a new poison gas, Fayette replies, If big business went sentimental over human life there wouldnt be big business of any sort! Later, as Miller wistfully describes his brother who died in WWI, Fayette superficially condoles, Yes, those things stick. Hows your handwriting, Miller, fairly legible? (15) The common mans idealism wins out in the end, however, after Fayette asks that Miller spy on his superiors; says an irate Miller, Sure hard feelings!...Nothing suave or sophisticated about me...Enough to want to bust you and all your kind square in the mouth! (17) The punch he lands on Fayette is a call to the workers of the U.S. to stand up for themselves and to risk their jobs for the preservation of their values. This feature is repeated in the Labor S py Episode, as a man in the crowd chooses union over fraternal loyalty and betrays his brother, a strike-breaker:Show MoreRelatedBlues for Mister Charlie2234 Words   |  9 Pagesaccording to Yvette Hardie, a famous director, the play is â€Å"filled with liveliness and zeal. It is like a thunderous battle cry.† Many critics say that if you look at the entire picture of the play clearly, the play mirrors Waiting for Lefty of three decades ago, when Clifford Odets rallied labor to its rights. Blues for Mister Charlie therefore uses literary weapons that were established in this country many years ago. To make a brief idea about the story, Blues for Mister Charlie is based on theRead MoreBrief Survey of American Literature3339 Words   |  14 PagesAgrarians Poets, novelists, critics (the New Criticism) - John Crowe Ransom - Robert Penn Warren - Allen Tate - Cleanth Brooks Modern Drama Social criticism - Elmer Rice, The Adding Machine (1923) - Clifford Odets (leftist playwright), Waiting for Lefty (1935) Symbolism Expressionism - Eugene O’Neill (1888-1953) Eugene O’Neill (1888-1953) Emperor Jones (1920) The Hairy Ape (1921) Desire Under the Elms (1924) The Iceman Cometh (1939) Long Day’s Journey Into Night