The Taking of Miss Janie by Ed Bullins
"The Taking of Miss Janie" is a provocative play by Ed Bullins that explores complex themes of race, gender, and social dynamics in America during the late 1950s. The narrative unfolds in Monty's California apartment, where Janie, a white woman, grapples with the emotional aftermath of her experience with Monty, who has taken advantage of their relationship. The play reveals the tension between the characters as it shifts back to their first encounter on a college campus, setting the stage for a deeper exploration of societal power dynamics and individual agency.
Bullins uses a series of monologues and dialogues to reflect on the characters' lives and the broader social issues of the time, portraying a vivid picture of the struggles faced by marginalized groups. As the play progresses, the atmosphere becomes increasingly charged with conflict, particularly with the arrival of Mort, an antagonist whose presence heightens the existing tensions. Characterized by his unflinching portrayal of the lives of disenfranchised individuals, Bullins challenges audiences to confront uncomfortable truths about race and identity. "The Taking of Miss Janie" stands as a critical commentary on the American experience, emphasizing the importance of understanding diverse perspectives in the context of historical and cultural struggles.
Subject Terms
The Taking of Miss Janie by Ed Bullins
First published: 1981
Type of work: Play
Type of plot: Social criticism
Time of work: 1960’s
Locale: California
Principal Characters:
Monty , a black student in his early twenties attending a West Coast universityJanie , a white student in her early twentiesRick , a black man in his early twentiesLen , a roommate of Rick and MontySharon , a young white woman who marries LenPeggy , a young black woman who needs and searches for loveFlossie , a woman who, like Peggy, turns to other women for loveLonnie , a white male who seeks association with blacksMort , a leftover hippie struggling to find a niche
The Play
The Taking of Miss Janie begins in Monty’s California apartment. Lights come up on Janie sitting on the side of the bed while Monty, exhausted from their sexual encounter, lies beside her. She tearfully expresses her confusion and disappointment. Monty, whom she has always thought of as a friend, has raped her. He counters by stating that she always knew their relationship would culminate in sex. He calls the love and caring of their relationship wasted and, in spite of her objections, continues his sexual domination of her.
A quick shift in time shows the two characters at their first meeting on the campus of a college in Southern California during the late 1950’s. She compliments him on his “black poetry” and asks to hear more; he invites her to a party at his apartment. The tension between them is clearly indicated in this first meeting, as he refers to her as “Miss Janie,” a pejorative reference to a white woman who was mistress of a plantation. Janie is unaware of the sarcastic import of the name.
The action shifts to the party as Len and Rick, Monty’s roommates, are interrupted in the midst of a lively discussion of political strategies and philosophies by the entrance of Janie, who is soon followed by Peggy. There is immediate rapport between Rick, Len, and Peggy, but Janie is clearly an outsider, the recipient of sarcastic comments from both Rick and Peggy. Others gather, and the play’s dynamic is clearly established. Between these people there is no common ground.
The play continues as, through a series of monologues and dialogues, the various characters portray events—past, present, and future—that summarize not only their lives but the times as well. With the arrival of Mort, the mood of the party becomes increasingly antagonistic. He is an addict in need of a fix and unable to control his anger. He insults and provokes Monty, and a fight ensues. Monty is beaten to the point of unconsciousness and thrown into the alley.
The action shifts back to the time and place of the opening scene, where the taking of Miss Janie is still in progress. This time, however, it is clear that Janie is a cooperative, if not willing, participant. When Monty asks her if she will fight or scream as he rapes her, she states that she and Monty know each other too well. The lights dim as he removes her clothes and pushes her onto the bed.
Critical Context
Ed Bullins was among the most prolific playwrights of the late 1960’s and 1970’s. As the principal writer for the New Lafayette Theatre, he created a panorama of characters never before seen on the American stage. These were not upwardly mobile blacks who struggled to present their frustrations in Standard English but people of the street, whose every gesture and utterance expressed the intense anger of the disenfranchised and powerless. Bullins, however, was not content merely to show black lives made to seem unimportant by racism; he challenged his audience to view itself through them.
The plays of this early period include In the Wine Time (1968), The Fabulous Miss Marie (1971), and Goin’ a Buffalo (1968). Some critics, black and white, were affronted by the harshness of Bullins’s vision and his use of profanity. Others described his work as powerful and uncompromising in its criticism of America’s political and social issues.
The Taking of Miss Janie is, in some ways, a departure from those early works. The New Lafayette plays were very definite attempts at mirroring the lives and concerns of black Americans in the 1950’s and 1960’s, but The Taking of Miss Janie expands its focus to attack those issues facing the whole of America during that period. When viewed in relation to Bullins’s earlier work, The Taking of Miss Janie demonstrates the author’s continued commitment to theater as political statement.
Bibliography
Bigsby, C. W. E. A Critical Introduction to Twentieth-Century American Drama. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1982-1985. Contains an article focusing on the sources of Bullins’s work, using interviews and commentary by the playwright. Also offers interpretive comment on Bullins’s early works, stressing the importance of its relationship to the Black Arts movement and the New Lafayette Theatre.
Bullins, Ed. The Hungered One: Early Writings. New York: William Morrow, 1971. A collection of early works, short stories, and sketches by Bullins. Although many of the pieces appear incomplete, they offer insight into the more mature works to follow.
Bullins, Ed. The Reluctant Rapist. New York: Harper & Row, 1973. The playwright’s first published novel, introducing various characters and themes found in his plays.
Fabre, Genevieve. Drumbeats, Masks, and Metaphor: Contemporary Afro-American Theatre. Translated by Melvin Dixon. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1983. Helpful commentary on the works of Bullins and other African American playwrights.
Peterson, Bernard L. Contemporary Black American Playwrights and Their Plays: A Biographical Directory and Dramatic Index. New York: Greenwood Press, 1988. Contains useful factual information about Bullins and his work. Bibliography, indexes.
Sanders, Leslie Catherine. The Development of Black Theater in America: From Shadows to Selves. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1988. Provides a helpful context for the interpretation of Bullins’s plays.
Sternlicht, Sanford. A Reader’s Guide to Modern American Drama. Syracuse, N.Y.: Syracuse University Press, 2002. Useful overview of the American theatrical tradition that comprises surveys of movements and trends, as well as analyses of individual authors, including Bullins.