Question.2454 - Fires In The Mirror Download Fires In The Mirroris not a traditional "play" but a performance involving a genre that, following Anna Deavere Smith's process, is referred to as "documentary theater." Write two paragraphs in response to these two points included in the handout with scenes from "Fires...": 1. Respond with your understanding of what Dr. Cornel West means in his statement in the foreword, "Fires in the Mirror is a grand example of how art can constitute a public space that is perceived by people as empowering as opposed to disempowering." 2. Respond with your understanding of how this statement by Anna Deavere Smith in the introduction, relates to her style of work: "I had not controlled the words. I had presented myself as an empty vessel, a repeater, and they (the words) had shown their power."
Answer Below:
1. Respond with your understanding of what Dr. Cornel West means in his statement in the foreword, "Fires in the Mirror is a grand example of how art can constitute a public space that is perceived by people as empowering as opposed to disempowering." Dr. Colonel West’s one of the important statement, “ "Fires in the Mirror is a grand example of how art can constitute a public space that is perceived by people as empowering as opposed to disempowering” suggests how the African Americans are disempowered and dehumanized because of their race. Along with the African Americans, the Jewish struggle is also referred here. This text was based on the victims of dehumanization through their interviews where they have narrated their story and struggle by acting and performing according to the script. While acting, the people were more aggressive, strong and outspoken which shows that in real life they had to undergo the brutal treatment by remaining submissive and subservient to the Americans but when it came to art, these people were empowered and their dialogues were so strong that it showed how frustrated and disgusted they were after victimizing dehumanization in America. Therefore, West says that Fire in the Mirror is one of the best examples to show how art becomes a medium of empowerment. 2. Respond with your understanding of how this statement by Anna Deavere Smith in the introduction, relates to her style of work: "I had not controlled the words. I had presented myself as an empty vessel, a repeater, and they (the words) had shown their power." The statement of Anna Deavere Smith in the introduction gives an insight to one of her memories when she understood the power of words. When she had a conversation with Shakespeare’s teacher, Juanita Rice, she learned in the first class about speech as an action and how words can turn into our action. Juanita Rice asked Smith to take any of the sonnets of Shakespeare and keep on repeating it unless she comes to an inference. She was not asked to think or analyze the sonnet rather just to utter each words repeatedly. Likewise, Smith took a poem of Queen Margaret’s “The Duchess of the York.” Eventually, she followed the guideline of the teacher and repeatedly uttered all the fourteen lines of the poem. The power of these words came into her realization when one day she was traveling and ended up in a completely different world which she has never expected. She had no idea how the words had an impact on her. Therefore, she said that she had no control on the words and she didn’t think even about those words that she repeated. But still the words were functioning on her mind which she believes is the power of words. This suggests that when we read something again and again, we tend to develop a strong passion towards reading that creates an impact in our life and let us to see the world from various perspectives. Reference Smith, A. D. (2015). Fires in the Mirror. Anchor.More Articles From Ethics
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