Theme: Ownership and Wealth

Theme: Ownership and Wealth

Overview

• The Cheviot, the Stag and the Black, Black Oil explores the theme of ownership and wealth largely in the context of land ownership.
• The play critiques how ownership fuels inequality and exploitation within the Highland society.

Land Ownership

• Wealth and power in the play are tied to land ownership. The ability to acquire and control land shapes power relations within the society.
• The play portrays the Clearances where tenants were forcibly evicted, signifying a major shift in land and wealth distribution in the Highland society.

Wealth Inequality

• The play highlights the economic disparity in the Highland society. The wealth of the landlords starkly contrasts with the poverty of the crofters.
• This wealth inequality contributes to social unrest and resistance, particularly by the lower socio-economic classes.

Exploitation

• Wealth and ownership lead to exploitation of both the people and the land. The landlords, driven by greed and economic gain, exploit the crofters and destroy local ecology.
• This exploitation reveals a capitalist worldview where profit is prioritised over human wellbeing and ecological sustainability.

Resistance to Ownership

• The crofters’ struggle against eviction and exploitation depicts a fight against the notion of absolute ownership. Their resistance underscores their connection with the land.
• The collective action of crofters disrupts the status quo, challenging the power dynamics, and advocating for a more equitable system of land distribution.

Imperialism and Colonialism

• The play portrays how wealth and ownership are tied to imperialism and colonialism. The acquisition of land and resources overseas mirrors the exploitation of the Highland society.
• This colonial narrative forms the backdrop for the analysis of ownership and wealth within the Highland society.

Transformation of Land Ownership

• The play presents a historical progression from feudalism to capitalist landlords to corporate ownership. Each change exacerbates inequality and exploitation.
• This transformation provides a critique of capitalist transformation and its adverse effects on the Highland society.

Significance

• The theme of ownership and wealth is central to understanding the power relations, social conflict and resistance within the Highland society.
• It offers a critique on consumption-driven capitalism and recorded effects of inequality in the society, thereby highlighting the need for political and social change.