Cloud Nine: social context

Cloud Nine: social context

Social Context of Cloud Nine

Colonial Context:

  • The play’s first act is set in the Victorian era, in colonised African territories. The colonisation of Africa mirrors the oppression and exploitation of individual characters.
  • Cloud Nine explores themes of imperial power and colonial subjugation, where characters like Clive, symbolise the British Empire’s dominance and control.

Gender and Sexuality:

  • Cloud Nine, penned in the late 1970s, reflects the post-1960s sexual revolution, challenging heteronormative standards and promoting sexual liberation.
  • Issues of gender identity, repression, and liberation are central to the narrative. The play uses cross-gender casting, particularly with Betty, to highlight the fluidity and complexity of gender identity.
  • The playwright addresses homosexuality, both male and female, underlining their struggles in a heteronormative society.

Feminism and Patriarchy:

  • Cloud Nine is a strong commentary on the patriarchal society, critiquing the subjugation of women and their lack of agency especially in the Victorian period.
  • The play also exhibits the feminist wave of the late 20th century. Act II’s setting reflects an era marked by feminist activism and the fight for women’s rights and autonomy.

Racial stereotypes and prejudice:

  • Drawing parallels between societal and colonial oppression, Cloud Nine addresses racial stereotypes, as seen in the portrayal of Igbo tribe member, Joshua.
  • The play confronts the reality of racial prejudice and the devaluation of non-white individuals, both in the era of colonialism and the late 20th century.

Class and Hierarchy:

  • The stratified social structure of the Victorian era is thoroughly explored in Act I, while Act II subverts this hierarchical structure signifying societal progression.
  • Wealth, status, and social class dictate character relationships. Clive’s character embodies the typical upper-class Victorian patriarch, controlling the narrative’s structure.

Analysis of the social context helps understand Cloud Nine’s complexity. The play’s historical narratives, gender dynamics, power structures, and social hierarchies are instrumental in the formation of characters, plot, and themes.