Genre
Dramatic play
Language
English
Setting and Context
The plays are set in Kingston and South Africa.
Narrator and Point of View
The narrator is not part of the play.
Tone and Mood
The tone is jittery, and the mood is tragic.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonists are Crackwalker, Lucy, Mandy and Dee.
Major Conflict
The major conflict in 'The Crackwalker is when the couple's baby dies because of their vacillation. Theresa is a mentally unstable woman, but her husband puts up with her. In the play 'Pink,' the conflict is when Nellie is shot dead during a demonstration against the oppressive apartheid rule.
Climax
The climax in 'Pink' is when Lucy openly criticizes apartheid despite being a white girl. Lucy's stand against segregation in South Africa is a wake-up call for the whites to treat the blacks with dignity. In 'The Crackwaker,' the character, Crackwater comes to Alan's aid, and he is considered a significant member of the society despite being painted as a useless mad person.
Foreshadowing
Theresa’s mental instability foreshadowed her troubled marriage with Alan.
Understatement
The protest against apartheid rule is understated. After Nellie (an old white woman) is killed, people realize that not all whites support segregation.
Allusions
'The Crackwalker' alludes to the significance of appreciating people the way they are. For instance, despite being labelled as a mad man, Crackwaker proves that he is a useful person in society.
Imagery
The narration of the events during the apartheid protest and the burial of Nellie depicts vivid sight imagery. The images of Lucy crying are eminent in the play, thus enabling readers to see how the events unfolded.
Paradox
The main paradox is that despite the assumption that all whites are racists, Nellie and Lucy are the exact opposite because they hate segregation. Nellie takes part in a protest against apartheid, and she is shot and killed.
Parallelism
N/A
Personification
Apartheid rule is embodied as an ogre that destroys black lives.
Use of Dramatic Devices
Theatrical satire is used in the play. For instance, in 'Crackwalker,' the baby's death is blamed on the couple's indecisiveness. In 'Pink,' it is paradoxical that despite Nellie and Lucy being whites, they support blacks to fight against apartheid.
