for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf: A Choreopoem: Analysis of Major Characters
**Overview of "for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf: A Choreopoem" - Major Characters Analysis**
"For colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf" is a choreopoem that explores the lives, struggles, and resilience of African American women through a series of poetic monologues. The work features seven distinct characters, each represented by a color, who express their experiences with love, violence, identity, and sisterhood.
The Lady in Red is the dominant voice, sharing powerful narratives about the emotional and physical trauma faced by women, while Lady in Orange embodies creativity and the longing for connection amidst societal misunderstandings. Lady in Yellow captures youthful exuberance and the complexities of reliance on external validation for love. Sechita, or Lady in Green, offers a mystical perspective on strength and resilience. Lady in Purple emphasizes the importance of mutual support among women, and Lady in Blue presents a somber view of isolation and longing. Finally, Lady in Brown introduces the choreopoem with reflections on the challenges faced by women, highlighting historical significance and cultural pride.
Through these characters, the choreopoem addresses profound themes of empowerment, love, and the enduring struggle against societal constraints. Each voice contributes to a rich tapestry of shared experiences, underscoring the collective journey of healing and self-discovery among women of color.
for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf: A Choreopoem: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Ntozake Shange
First published: 1975; revised, 1976
Genre: Play
Locale: Outside various U.S. cities
Plot: Social realism
Time: The 1960's and 1970's
Lady in Red, the dominant character in this work (she has the largest number of lines). She recites the most violent and emotionally moving poems in the drama, including those that demonstrate the brutality and anguish endured and experienced by African American women. Like all the other characters in the drama, she has a feminist point of view. She recites poems titled “no assistance,” “latent rapists,” “one,” and “a nite with beau willie brown.” In “no assistance,” she berates a lover who has failed to assist her in developing and maintaining a relationship; in “latent rapists,” she points out that rapists often are known to their victims; in “one,” she portrays the image of a glittering seductress who cries herself to sleep after her romantic activities; and in “a nite with beau willie brown,” she tells the story of a crazed Vietnam veteran who throws his children out the window. Her pieces address the major themes of the drama.
Lady in Orange, a poet and a dancer. With a feminist outlook, she expresses a love of the arts of poetry, song, and dance in the poems “i'm a poet who” and “no more love poems #1.” The first poem declares that she is a poet who wants to write, sing, and dance but who cannot communicate with people anymore. In the second poem, she declares that she needs love even though the world considers her to be evil and a nag, thereby expounding on a primary theme in the drama, the misunderstanding of women and failures of communication between men and women.
Lady in Yellow, who represents youth and liveliness. She recites “graduation night,” a selection about a fun night of dancing, parties, and lost virginity, and “no more love poems #3,” about the unfortunate dependence of women on sources outside themselves for love. The author uses this poem to affirm the drama's assertion that strength must be found inside oneself and in the friendship and support of other women.
Lady in Green, called Sechita, a dancer in a poem that is strong with images of Egyptian royalty and mixed with references to New Orleans “conjurin.” Sechita has performed in many places and has taken her mystical and magical aura along with her sometimes tattered appearance. She recites the lively and amusing poem “somebody almost walked off with alla my stuff,” which affirms the need to find strength within oneself.
Lady in Purple, who expresses the need for mutual support and understanding among women in the poem “pyramid.” In “no more love poems #2,” she begs her lover to allow her to love him, furthering the theme of unrequited love found throughout the drama.
Lady in Blue, who is given somber pieces, as symbolized by the color she wears. The poem “i used to live in the world” portrays an isolated character trapped by a six-block section of Harlem, her universe, thus demonstrating the tragedy of a woman without supportive female companions. In “sorry,” she points out the uselessness of the word, along with all the ramifications of the word when used as an excuse after inflicting pain on someone. In “no more love poems #3,” she asserts her need for love. These poems demonstrate the tragedy that isolation and pain cause in the lives of black women.
Lady in Brown, dressed in a neutral color not of the rainbow. She introduces the choreopoem by reciting the first major poem. She deals with the earthly matters of the world that her color denotes through her recitations of “dark phases,” a poem about the pain and misunderstanding that often accompany the youth of black women, and “toussaint,” a piece with historical, social, and cultural significance as well as one denoting the pride that comes from learning about the contributions of black people throughout history.