The Alienation of Man: Pages 1  2  3

by Donald B. Jeffries

Written for a class project for American Studies: Contemporary Problems in American Culture (University of New Mexico), December 22, 1971

This play is to be read, rather than acted out, although it can be staged theatrically. It is more an epic poem in ‘play format’ than an actual play. Only the first act and the second act, first scene are contained below, as I haven’t decided on the rest. It will eventually consist of about four acts, with many scenes, but these will need considerable effort to accomplish properly and I don’t feel that it would be good to just put a foul effort upon this paper. I have in my possession the rough draft of the completed play, but these are more notes than actual scripts.

Act I

Players: Man - White middle-class, white-collar worker

                Mom - HIs wife, who is quiet and matronly

                Son - His son, who is in high school, the machine of the State

The scene opens in the living room after a meal. The mother isin the kitchen, while the farther and son are talking together.

Man:

Another day

Another million dollars lost to the government

It’s so good to be home

                                    Worked hard all day

                                    Good to get home

See the family

Be happy, be satisfied

                                                        You know, son

This is the greatest country on earth

And we have so much freedom

        A man can be his own man here

            His own boss

Son:

Yes, father                I know

    Today in school we learned about

    Andrew Carnegie and Vanderbilt

There were great men   

They made this country what it is

            They fulfilled the American Dream

Individuals such as they

            Made America a great place to live

And we learned about General Custer

    How he slaughtered the savages

    who tried to stop our Manifest Destiny

How he helped clear the way for

    the building of a great nation

And how the Indians

    murdered such a great man

We studied about the blacks

    Now - although at one time they were slaves

        They were freed

And how they are now so well treated as equal citizens.

Man:

But, you know son

    We treat those niggers with kindness

                    and they spit on us

    We lend them a helping hand

                    and they riot

                        and pillage our cities

    We give them decent jobs and homes           

                    and they shoot down

                        respectful law enforcement officers

Some people just don’t appreciate what they’ve got

    The grass is always greener on the other side

                    so some people think

    But let me tell you, my boy,

If you love your fellow man

    and respect the rights given you by the Constitution

You’ll always be happy.