Imamu Amiri Baraka’s Dutchman is a play rooted in symbolism. It can be traced throughout the entire play: the language, the setting, the plot, the movement, the dialogue, and even the title, Dutchman, itself. Baraka does a good job intertwining both the realistic and symbolic in effort to get his theme across. Baraka’s fierceness and intensity really help to develop the symbolic nature of the play. This symbolism can be particularly seen in …showed first 75 words of 721 total…

…showed last 75 words of 721 total…strongly during the play, and eventually climax with Clay’s verbal outrage. An outrage, which I feel was totally justifiable. The use of symbolism can make or break a play. And in the case of the Dutchman, symbolism is what makes the play so passionate and indulging. Baraka’s continual symbolic reference to racism is what I felt was the entire issue that he was trying to express to our civilization: racism and ignorance kill.