Zoot Suit Essay

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We live in a complicated world full of great wonders as well as negative aspects such as corruption and discrimination, which seem to be continuous in everyday life events. Truly it is human nature to choose to live in denial, concerning undesirable occurrences affecting others, especially if one wishes to be accepted by society and avoid complications to one’s existence. As I read Zoot Suit I found myself growing an appreciation for Luis Valdez’s service in exposing to the world how corruption and discrimination are in fact a reality. In particular, certain scenarios from the play mirrored the real events that were occurring in different parts of the world and which were associated with injustice that transpired within the law system; hence, …show more content…
We can take for example the alter ego of El Pachuco who represented those individuals, such as Mexican Americans, who had pride in their heritage and yearned to stay true to themselves despite what the world had to say. Throughout the play this particular character became a potential remodel, which portrayed strength, determination, and dwelled within a subworld surrounded by acts of destruction. The scene of El Pachuco being overpowered and stripped, perhaps symbolizes the unfair triumph of the Alpha race over the minorities in the world. Within this particular scene Swabbie stated, “You trying to outdo the white man in them glad rags, Mex?” (81) Possibly this scenario refers to certain individuals’ beliefs that people should not deter from American norms as well as believing that if they must reform them by force, then they shall do it by any means necessary; whether it be by restricting their: customs, clothing, language, multiple arrests, beatings, etc. In fact, the Zoot Suit riots were initiated for the purpose of, “to annihilate the enemies of the American way of life” (81) Moreover, to me these examples speak of the reality of the times that the Zoot Suiters were in the spotlight, where social injustice prevailed, and when those targeted continuously sought different methods to survive

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