The unreliable black musician Floyd Barton has great plans to go to Chicago and make more records, trying to get his reluctant girlfriend Vera to accompany him. However, he commits the mistake of robbing a loan office and burying the money in the yard, which is witnessed by his lunatic tubercular friend King Hedley, who eventually kills him with his machete to gain possession of the money, which in his belief was destined to him by the legendary “Buddy Bolden,” according to his late father’s legendary promise.
This drama deals with kings, and a king to be born. It is a prophesy in this regard. The plot is rolled up backwards: first, the audience observes a circle of friends after the funeral feast for one group member, Floyd Barton; then, the setting is a couple of days before his publicly unresolved murder, and some components of the rising action are: a discussion of the men whether knives or revolvers are better for killing (48-49), a boxing fight of Joe Louis witnessed on the radio (57-58), young sensual and pregnant Ruby arriving quite unannounced to stay at her Aunt Louise’s house (61), Hedley killing an annoying rooster (69), Hedley receiving his machete (92-93), Ruby giving herself to old sick Hedley out of mercy (95), Poochie getting shot when robbing a loan office (101-102), Vera giving in to accompany Floyd to Chigaco (103), Floyd and his band members and friends coming back from the Blue Goose where they had an exceptionally well-received gig (106), and Floyd’s burying the money from his loan office robbery being discovered by Canewell (107-108). The climax is Floyd being threatened by Hedley with his machete to give him his money (109), but the audience is not absolutely certain that he gets killed. The falling action plays after the funeral again, and brings the solution to the murder case: Canewell is the only witness that Hedley is in the possession of Floyd’s money, which he allegedly received by the mysterious Buddy Bolden (112).
The theme of this drama is a persiflage about how the American Dream of an aspiring young black musician (with only one hit record so far) is shattered, because the protagonist is corrupted, and eventually killed by an insane man in fulfillment of the oracle of the latter’s mythical African father.
Table of Contents
1. Title of Text and Author
2. Set of Characters
3. Setting
4. Plotline
5. Theme
6. Character Analysis: Floyd “Schoolboy” Barton
Objective and Research Focus
This critical analysis explores the intricate thematic layers of August Wilson’s play "Seven Guitars," focusing on the protagonist Floyd Barton’s pursuit of the American Dream, the influence of mythical African traditions, and the complex interplay between crime, race, and unfulfilled potential within the context of the 1940s.
- The role of blues music as a medium for cultural identity and resilience.
- The symbolic intersection of violence, prophecy, and blood rituals.
- The psychological and social dichotomy between traditionalism and modernism.
- The characterization of Floyd Barton as a tragic, self-destructive individualist.
- The cyclical nature of fate and doom as foreshadowed in Wilson’s wider dramatic cycle.
Excerpt from the Book
6. Character Analysis: Floyd “Schoolboy” Barton
“I’m going to Chicago. If I have to buy me a graveyard and kill everybody I see. I am going to Chicago. I don’t want to live my life without. Everybody I know live without. I don’t want to do that. I want to live with. I don’t know what you all think of yourself but I think I’m supposed to have. Whatever it is. Have something. Have anything. My mama lived and died she ain’t had nothing. (…) She got to do without the fire. Some kind of warmth in her life. I don’t want to live in a cold house. It’s a cold world let me have a little shelter from it. That’s all I want. Floyd Barton is gonna make his record. Floyd Barton is going to Chicago.” (87) [Floyd to Carter]
Floyd is not only the one who bears the mark (77), he is also planning to leave his artistic mark and make his record, for he is one of Wilson’s characters who has found his own “song,” and wants to sing it to the world. In contrary to Levee in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, he seems to be strong and committed enough to pursue his target, although he has similar problems of keeping together a functioning band. Alas, he does not get the chance that Bynum and Herald Loomis in Joe Turner’s Come and Gone had, or Berniece in The Piano Lesson, with their songs, because he is killed by Hedley’s machete before he can reach self-fulfillment. Floyd will never go to Chicago, just like the unsuccessful Levee, who will face punishment for manslaughter rather than becoming an accomplished musician.
Summary of Chapters
1. Title of Text and Author: Establishes the bibliographic foundation of the play "Seven Guitars" by August Wilson.
2. Set of Characters: Lists the central figures of the play, including the protagonist Floyd Barton and the antagonist Hedley.
3. Setting: Identifies the time and location of the drama in a 1948 Pittsburgh backyard.
4. Plotline: Provides a synopsis of the dramatic conflict centered on Floyd’s aspirations and his eventual murder by the delusional Hedley.
5. Theme: Analyzes the core motifs of prophecy, kingship, and the shattered American Dream through the lens of character motivations and rituals.
6. Character Analysis: Floyd “Schoolboy” Barton: Examines the multifaceted persona of the protagonist, detailing his roles as an architect of his future, director of his social sphere, avant-garde rebel, and dreamer.
Keywords
August Wilson, Seven Guitars, Floyd Barton, Hedley, Blues music, American Dream, Pittsburgh, King Hedley II, symbolism, ritual, prophecy, drama, African American identity, character analysis, fatalism.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this critical analysis?
This work provides an in-depth thematic and character-based examination of August Wilson's play "Seven Guitars," exploring how the characters navigate systemic oppression and personal ambitions.
What are the central themes explored in the text?
The central themes include the elusive American Dream, the persistence of African ritualistic traditions, the impact of historical legacy, and the tragic consequences of crime and corruption.
What is the primary research question?
The analysis seeks to understand how the protagonist Floyd Barton's search for self-fulfillment and his defiance of societal norms contribute to his tragic demise within the context of the play's cyclical worldview.
Which analytical method is employed in this paper?
The paper utilizes a literary-critical approach, drawing on textual evidence, stage directions, and comparisons to other works in Wilson's dramatic cycle to interpret symbolic actions and character developments.
What does the main body of the paper cover?
The main body offers a detailed plot summary, an extensive thematic discussion on prophecy and ritual, and a structured analysis of Floyd Barton’s distinct personality traits.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include August Wilson, Seven Guitars, Floyd Barton, Blues music, fatalism, symbolism, and African American drama.
How does the play "King Hedley II" inform this analysis?
The analysis frequently references "King Hedley II" as it provides necessary context for foreshadowed events, family secrets, and the eventual resolution of the murder mystery initiated in "Seven Guitars."
Why is the role of blues music considered essential in the play?
The author argues that blues music acts as a "will-to-power," providing the characters with an identity and a voice that transcends their immediate, racially defined socio-economic hardships.
What role does Hedley’s insanity play in the narrative?
Hedley's insanity is depicted not merely as a mental illness, but as a vehicle for his belief in his father's prophecy, making him a complex instrument of fate that eventually destroys the protagonist.
What is the significance of the "marker" mentioned by Floyd?
The marker represents Floyd's desire to honor his mother and gain independence from the past, serving as a symbolic gesture of moving forward, which ironically contradicts the play's focus on ancestral ties.
- Quote paper
- Dr. Christina Lyons (Author), 2006, Critical Analysis of August Wilson's "Seven Guitars", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1132984
