Themes on Master Harold... and the boys
English, GCSE
Racism/Prejudice:
SAM. Then don’t say he’s my boss
HALLY: He’s a white man and that’s good enough for you
Friendship:
The episode at the end of the book when Hally leaves and Willie goes up to Sam in order to distract him therefore he starts to bring up other subjects and they start to dance together.
Disability:
HALLY: Do you want to know what is really wrong with your lovely little dream, Sam? It’s not just that we are all bad dancers. That does happen to be perfectly true, but there’s more to it than just that. You left out the cripples.
(Idea that cripples are the ones that cause more collisions whilst dancing and that it is difficult to achieve a perfect ballroom dance with cripples. The cripple is Hally’s father, which is always causing collisions to the family).
Alcoholism:
When Hally smashes the brandy bottle symbolizes Hally giving up on this father, the end of his patience, which brings up his anger.
Conflict:
The conflicts in the play are symbolized by the collisions of the ballroom dancing
Freedom:
The freedom in the play is symbolized by the episode of the kite.
Education:
On the play Sam educates Willie at the beginning whilst Hally educates Sam and vice versa. At the end Willie also educates Sam with the same lesson Sam gives Willie at the beginning about using violence.
Family:
In my point of view there are two family’s on the play Willie, Sam and Hally and Hally and his parents. The family relationship between Hally and his parents is mostly shown the phone call episode.
Growing up:
Hally grows up in a racist era whilst he daily lives with two black men which educated him and followed his childhood. Therefore although he is influenced by his parents and society to act one way he deals with the two men in different way.
Religion:
Religion is a theme of discussion between Sam and Hally that by the play we get the sense that is several times brought up. Sam is catholic whilst
Racism/Prejudice:
SAM. Then don’t say he’s my boss
HALLY: He’s a white man and that’s good enough for you
Friendship:
The episode at the end of the book when Hally leaves and Willie goes up to Sam in order to distract him therefore he starts to bring up other subjects and they start to dance together.
Disability:
HALLY: Do you want to know what is really wrong with your lovely little dream, Sam? It’s not just that we are all bad dancers. That does happen to be perfectly true, but there’s more to it than just that. You left out the cripples.
(Idea that cripples are the ones that cause more collisions whilst dancing and that it is difficult to achieve a perfect ballroom dance with cripples. The cripple is Hally’s father, which is always causing collisions to the family).
Alcoholism:
When Hally smashes the brandy bottle symbolizes Hally giving up on this father, the end of his patience, which brings up his anger.
Conflict:
The conflicts in the play are symbolized by the collisions of the ballroom dancing
Freedom:
The freedom in the play is symbolized by the episode of the kite.
Education:
On the play Sam educates Willie at the beginning whilst Hally educates Sam and vice versa. At the end Willie also educates Sam with the same lesson Sam gives Willie at the beginning about using violence.
Family:
In my point of view there are two family’s on the play Willie, Sam and Hally and Hally and his parents. The family relationship between Hally and his parents is mostly shown the phone call episode.
Growing up:
Hally grows up in a racist era whilst he daily lives with two black men which educated him and followed his childhood. Therefore although he is influenced by his parents and society to act one way he deals with the two men in different way.
Religion:
Religion is a theme of discussion between Sam and Hally that by the play we get the sense that is several times brought up. Sam is catholic whilst