Exploiting Sarah
The play's premise is that Sarah Baartman is being exploited by first the sideshow owner and then subsequently the doctor; however the irony in this is that she is also being exploited by the book's author, who, rather than writing an accurate historical account of everything that Baartman endured, she takes the general life circumstances of Sarah and uses them to create a play that brings her own agenda to the stage rather than Sarah's.
Sarah Exploiting the Imperialist Colonials
Sarah seems exploited by the colonial imperialism that allows the Europeans to treat the citizens of their Empires as possessions; however, she also manages to exploit this characteristic in them. Sarah wants fame and fortune and she knows that in order to get it she will have to find a way to leave South Africa and get to Europe. She manages to exploit the European colonials in South Africa to take her to Europe, thereby getting what she wants by making them think they are the ones in charge.
Sarah's Gonorrhea
Because Baron Docteur is a promiscuous man with many lovers he contracts gonorrhea which he then passes on to Sarah. Rather than blaming himself for this, he becomes angry with Sarah for contracting it from him, and conspires to have her imprisoned for the rest of her life.
Baron Docteur Irony
When the Baron Docteur liberates Sarah from the sideshow it would seem that he is doing her a great favor; however, she actually doesn't want to leave the sideshow because she loves the fame and adulation that she receives.
Baron Docteur as a Hero
We believe that the Baron Docteur is going to be the hero of the play because he liberates Sarah from the sideshow, and brings her into his home as a mistress. However, this is ironic because he turns out to be even more exploitative than the Mother Showman, and it is because of his actions towards her that Sarah dies an untimely death, alone, on a jail cell floor.
