Study Notes on Marita Bonner and "The Purple Flower"

Copyright Information

  • Copyright 1990. Indiana University Press. All rights reserved.

  • May not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except for fair use under U.S. or applicable copyright law.

  • Printed on 3/19/2023, EBSCO Publishing: eBook Collection (EBSCOhost) via the University of Arizona.

Book Edition Details

  • American drama—Afro-American authors

  • Women and literature—United States

  • American drama—Women authors

  • Afro-American women—Drama

  • Afro-Americans—Drama

  • Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  • Manufactured in the United States of America.

Notable Playwright: Marita Bonner (1899-1971)

  • Biography and Background

    • Born in Boston, 1899.

    • Educated at Brookline High School and Radcliffe College, graduating in 1922 with an A.B.

    • Taught in West Virginia and Washington, D.C., at Armstrong High School.

    • Attended Georgia Johnson's famous S Street gatherings and became a member of the Krigwa Players.

    • Published in Opportunity and Crisis magazine from 1925 to 1941.

  • Influence of Georgia Douglas Johnson

    • Encouraged Bonner to write plays, leading to her first play, The Pot Maker.

  • Significant Works

    • The Pot Maker (1927): A play with rural and simple settings.

    • The Purple Flower (1928): Depicts the black man's struggle for freedom with allegorical elements.

    • Exit: An Illusion (1929): Explores themes of love and acceptance within the black community.

    • Muddled Dream: Another play written but not extant.

  • Awards and Recognition

    • The Purple Flower won the 1927 Crisis award for best play.

    • Despite its acclaim, none of her plays were produced due to technical challenges.

  • Personal Life

    • Married William Almy Occomy in 1930 and moved to Chicago, raising three children.

    • Died in 1971.

Key Themes and Concepts in The Purple Flower

  • Notable Question

    • Why are colored women perceived as a "gross collection of desires"?

  • Playwright Adrienne Kennedy's Influence

    • Received an Obie award for Funnyhouse of a Negro (1962).

    • Kennedy's surrealistic style paralleled Bonner's earlier work in The Purple Flower.

  • Style and Technique

    • Bonner's work is characterized by a deviation from realism, using allegorical characters and settings.

  • The Play’s Characters

    • Sundry White Devils: Metaphorical representations of oppression with elaborate descriptions, referred to as artful dancers and tricksters.

    • The Us's: Represents the marginalized black community, described variably in skin tones.

Setting and Structure of The Purple Flower

  • Time: The narrative takes place in a metaphorical middle ground: "The Middle-of-Things-as-They-Are."

  • Place: A significant backdrop featuring the open plain, symbolizing a struggle between aspiration (Somewhere) and despair (Nowhere).

  • Stage Design: Divided horizontally, creating a visual distinction between the upper world of the White Devils and lower world of the Us's, where much of the action occurs.

Key Scenes and Dialogue in The Purple Flower

  • Dynamics of the Us's and White Devils

    • Discussion of futility and resistance against oppression.

    • Various characters express their feelings about their labor and societal expectations.

  • Symbolism of the Flower

    • Represents the promise of life and aspiration; its unattainability is a central theme in the play.

  • Significant Quotes from the Play

    • Characters engage in debates about the efficacy of work and leadership in changing their plight.

    • Emphasis on the blend of hope, despair, and the quest for identity and freedom.

Conclusion and Legacy

  • Marita Bonner's work, while largely unproduced during her lifetime, laid the groundwork for future black female playwrights.

  • Her unique voice and stylistic choices contributed significantly to the richness of African American literature and drama before 1950.

  • Continuing relevance of themes like race, gender, and identity in contemporary discourse.