Contemporary drama has the potential to educate and entertain an audience. How does the play East is East manage to simultaneously make us laugh when teaching us so much about human life?

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Marika Spence 10f

Contemporary drama has the potential to educate and entertain an audience. How does the play East is East manage to simultaneously make us laugh when teaching us so much about human life?

Drama plays an important part in everybody’s life, it could be that it entertains us and educates us. Drama can be shown in many different ways either through T.V, plays or films for example: Coronation Street and Eastenders.

       They educate us in experiences beyond our life such as the theme of East (Bradford) vs. west (Salford) and domestic violence. The play also has the capacity to entertain us. Although the clash of cultures is a serious situation at times it also creates humour, the playwrights` devices to mix the humour with the serious issues is a very effective device.

          The play East is East tells us the story of a dual – heritage family the father (George) who is a Muslim man from Pakistan has married a catholic woman from Salford. They have seven children 6 boys and 1 girl. George and Ella (wife) both have a strong vision of themselves: George wants his children to be accepted by the Muslim community and live by its rules and customs; Ella is still a catholic woman and has influenced her children. The play considers the loyalties of the children – Are they Muslim or catholic? And do they fit into the Salford of 1971?

     East is East is based on a strong family surrounded with love but still have their downs. George is just trying to do what he thinks is best for his wife and children but not exactly in the right way, the children seem to want to live the English life but George is not having that which brings out  drama throughout the play.

      George comes across to the audience as a very abusive and aggressive man, also very disrespectful to his wife and family:

        “you not need to know my bloody business mrs”

This shows Georges lack of respect to women and in a way it is prejudice because it shows that George sees Ella as someone that should do what she is told because she is his wife and he must know her business but she can not know his. You learn from this quote that George has no respect for women in general.

George is a very forceful man as he forces his religion on his children he has his youngest son, Sajit circumcised:

      “not our religion see”

 This quote is George telling Sajit that he has to be circumcised because it is against Islamic teaching where really Sajit has not decided that he wanted to belong to the Muslim religion.

           George’s power is also when he arranges a marriage for two of his children Abdul and Tariq against their will which sets off a lot of confrontation in the khan household.

     “go with bloody English girl? They not good, go with other men, drink alcohol, no look after”

George is trying to argue his point about English women. What George said about English women is hypocritical due to him being married to an English woman. George’s attitude is: you do as I say not as I do.

          During the end of the play we see a softer side to George, when he expresses his love for his family.

             

               “I no want to bloody hurt you, I love my family”

 

As George says this he begins to cry “George starts to cry” which brings out a lot of emotions and the audience begins to feel sympathy for George. All he tried to do was help his family and tried to show the community that they are not below there standards.

          Ella is a good, strong, working mother and wife despite everything she puts on a smile and gets on with life. She has a good friend Annie but most of their relationship is based around gossiping. Ella’s life is surrounded by her children and no matter what she stands behind them but Ella is also stuck in the middle of the culture clash.

        During the visit from mr Shah Ella tries her best to be apart of the religion and to make sure her children look the part:

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      “Walekum – a- salaam”

this shows ella`s efforts to fit in with the Islamic culture:

       “he’s erm…just been circumcised…”

Ella again attempts to make herself look good to Mr Shah, she tries to show her family are within and worthy enough for the Islamic religion.

        No matter what, Ella is not allowing another person that enters her household, who thinks he is better than them and besides that she welcomed him into her home and treats him with respect. Then Mr Shah’s feelings about ...

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