Transformations of the African-American Self in Adrienne Kennedy’s "Funnyhouse" and "Owl"dom
Keywords:
Adrienne Kennedy, African-American identity, theatrical representation, postmodern self, cultural identity, binary oppositionsAbstract
This article analyzes the transformational representation of the African-American self in two plays by Adrienne Kennedy, Funnyhouse of a Negro (1962) and The Owl Answers (1963). The paper explores how Kennedy's work challenges traditional Aristotelian notions of representation, which have historically marginalized non-white and female subjects. The article argues that Kennedy's plays introduce a contemporary notion of cultural identity that is multiple, fragmented, and gendered. This study examines the political implications of Kennedy's theatrical strategies, which offer audiences ambiguities and multiple subject positions to contemplate their own identities. The author contends that Kennedy's innovative approach paves the way for a new mode of representation that resists binary logic and embraces the heterogeneity of cultural experience.
(The abstract and keywords were prepared retrospectively for indexing purposes using AI-assisted tools and editorial review, based on the original article. They did not appear in the original publication.)
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