In your essay, be sure to:

• Present a clear, debatable thesis that directly engages with the prompt.
• Analyze at least two or three specific scenes or dramatic moments (e.g., the Juba dance, the bone people vision, the final self-scarification) as supporting evidence for your argument.
• Explore how Wilson employs dramatic elements — such as symbolism, dialogue, staging, and the blues/spiritual tradition — to enhance his theme.
• Address counterarguments or complications: Does Wilson imply that reconnecting with the past is healing, painful, or a mix of both? How does this tension enrich or complicate your thesis?
• Conclude by linking your argument to the play's historical context: the Great Migration and the enduring legacy of slavery in early 20th-century America.

Length

4–6 pages (approximately 1,000–1,500 words)

Format

MLA or as specified by your instructor

Write a well-organized essay in which you argue that Wilson uses the motif of the "song" — especially the idea of discovering one's "song" — as a metaphor for reclaiming identity and cultural heritage. In your essay, make sure to:

Support your argument with specific textual evidence, and reflect on how Wilson's broader aim — to document the African American experience throughout the twentieth century — influences the play's themes.

Suggested length: 4–6 paragraphs | Timed write or take-home essay

• Identify and analyze at least two characters whose journeys illustrate the struggle to find or reconnect with their "song."
• Examine how Herald Loomis's spiritual and psychological transformation serves as the emotional and thematic peak of the play.
• Discuss how Wilson incorporates African spiritual traditions (e.g., the Juba ceremony) to suggest that cultural memory is key to self-liberation.

Your essay should:

• Present a clear, defensible thesis that goes beyond merely summarizing the plot
• Analyze at least two or three characters (e.g., Herald Loomis, Bynum Walker, Martha Loomis) as representations of Wilson's thematic argument
• Investigate how dramatic elements such as symbolism, dialogue, and staging bolster your claim
• Connect the play to its historical context (the Great Migration, the legacy of Joe Turner's forced labor) as supporting evidence
• Conclude by considering the play's lasting significance regarding questions of identity and freedom