AugustWilson.net
CHAPTER SEVEN:
Conclusion and
Opportunities for Further Exploration
By Michael Downing
April 1, 2004
"I'm definitely part of the [African American] story. I claim all 400 years of
it. And I claim the right to tell it in any way I choose because it's, in
essence, my autobiography--only it's the story of myself and my ancestors."
---August Wilson, 1994
"I am not a historian. I happen to think the content of my mother's life--her
myths, her superstitions, her prayers, the contents of her pantry, the smell of
her kitchen, the song that escaped from her sometimes parched lips, her
thoughtful repose and her pregnant laughter--all are worthy of art."
---August Wilson, 1995
August Wilson's reflections upon the modest life of his mother, Daisy Wilson, is
an appropriate ending point for this study of Wilson's work. It is in these
simple details--these daily particulars from the lives of seemingly unremarkable
people--that Wilson spins his thread in order to weave a mythological quilt that
is clearly more than a random collection of individual strands. When viewed
separately, the rumors, habits, gossip, conventions, stories, and songs of any
culture might seem--at best--amusing, or--at worst--common and even
inconsequential. In Wilson's hands, however, the ordinary becomes the
extraordinary, the trivial is transformed into the miraculous, and deleterious
cultural stereotypes are converted into sacred mythological archetypes.
Although many mythological aspects of Wilson's drama have been explored in this
dissertation, many more avenues of critical inquiry remain. One such project
would involve the extension of the critical apparatus contained within this
study to the two existing plays making their way into Wilson's literary canon
that have not been included in this analysis: Jitney! and Seven Guitars. Both of
these plays offer the opportunity to test the question of whether August Wilson
will continue to build a cultural mythology by converting stereotype to
archetype, whether he will implement fresh patterns of mythological expression
into his drama, or whether he will abandon his mythmaking tendencies altogether
in favor of another method of artistic expression.
Another possible pathway for future scholarly inquiry would involve a close
reading of a singular play in dissertation form. The emphasis here would be upon
tracing the evolution of the archetypal conversions in Wilson's plays in
microscopic rather than macroscopic fashion. In other words, instead of treating
five plays within the parameters of a dissertation, the scholar would treat a
single play, with individual chapters dedicated to individual characters.
To cite this page:
Downing, Michael. "Chapter Seven: Conclusion." AugustWilson.net. Date of Publication. Today's Date. URL.
All original information on this site is protected by copyright and belongs to its respective owners.