Latinologues

In reading Rick Najera's dramas, one is able to see and feel the scene as you flip the pages and read the spanish diction in each of his plays. In reading, " Captured by Feministas" and "You Know How to Whistle, Don't You?", the audience is able to capture a message from this hispanic author and see a play right before their eyes.
   In "Captured by Feministas", the whole story was well put together that the audience can easily envision how the author wanted to play this scene. In reading this drama, it can be said that the genre is tragicomedy. In reading the conversation that the captured man had with the feministas, there was so much action involved but there was lightness to his words that added comedy to the situation. In reading the story and analyzing the characters, it can be seen from two different points of views. In reading through it once, it can be said that the captured man is the antagonist. He is seen as the villian, the man who puts women or underestimates women and sees them as below men or even below mankind. The women are then seen as protagonists, taking control of the situation and standing up for womens rights, saving the day, and making sure they are seen as humans and equals. In another point of view, the women are like men, capturing the man and treating him like a victim. The women are seen as men, with guns all tough and inhuman wanting to kill the man, so it can be said that the women are antagonists and the man is the protagonists.  Diction also plays another important part in reading this drama for the audience to envision this scene. In reading it, the names of each of the characters are hispanic names, and the different spelling of cetain words. For example the captured man makes a point that he would want to spell "women" as "womyn" with a "y" and asks the question to the women " who needs men?" In reading the whole scene, the captured man is convincing the feministas to let him go by praising women and seeing them as idols or as their equals. His fear and his diction adds comedy to the story which lightens the mood but also makes women laugh at the man who is vulnerable to the situation against a group of women. The theme is clearly expressed in the title and in this play. Feminism. It is all about women being free and being humans and seen as mens equals. It is all about seeing women as capable of doing what women can and seeing then as individuals as well.  In reading the play, I truly enjoyed it. The words and the way it was written, catched the audiences attention word by word. The opening scene makes you wonder what happened and in reading the dialogue you are forced to be in between a conversation between a helpless man and strong women. It was humorous and full of life and description that it was clear to what the author wanted his audience to envision and what he wanted his audience to learn in the end.
   In reading, "You Know How to Whistle, Don't You?", this was a different play that had a different message in the way it was written with the characters, imagery, and diction. In reading this I believe the genre is tragedy. In seeing the converstation and how each line for each character was said in a specific way. The author clearly wrote in paranthesis to the audience how each line was read, whether it was read plainly, angrily, threatening of if one of the characters weeped. The story was full of anger and depression against the rage of not being to be free in ones homeland. There is so much hate for Fidel castro that the characters want to be free. In reading this from the play, Castro is seen as the antagonist, causing injury or problem to the characters. He is seen as a villian to the characters, a man and a woman, who want to be free to live and marry, and these two are seen as the protagonists In fact, America is seen as the hero. The characters want to escape to California and start a new life there, so in order to escape being enslaved in cuba, they turn to America as their savior. In reading this play, it can be easily read since the author clearly puts how each line should be read. In choosing specific spanish words, or a sentence in spanish, it shows or represents the spanish pride and what this story is all about. In how the author is describing each line, it can be easily read and the audience can imagine the scene in their minds. In reading this play, the audience can easily see the theme in the repeating diction or line "Cuba Libre". This means, Free Cuba. In seeing the repetition in words, the theme is about freedom. National freedom. The couple wants to live, love and breathe freely but are imprisoned in their own country by a dictator. They can no longer be who they are or live a life freely in the home country that they were born in and love, they have to turn away in order to live. In reading this play, I can feel the tension of the characters as they are fearful for their lives and how escaping is only their option. In reading this play, I imagine myself fleeing america to another foreign country because of being enslaved by my own country there is no other choice but to live. It gives me a chance to be thankful and respect what I have. The play gives the audience insight into what people in other countries are suffering from, and to never take advantage of what we have.