Satire Thesis on "The Colored Museum"
             >From the start of things, the name of the play The Colored Museum is satire. When
             considering the word museum, I think of a place that holds historical artifacts of a culture
             for society to view. So by putting the two words together, "Colored" meaning Negro and
             "Museum" as previously explained Wolfe is telling his audience, figuratively, they are going
             to view a play about the black culture and their roots. At the beginning of the play, the
             audience is shown slides of African slaves being captured with drums playing in the
             background. All throughout this first sketch Miss Pat, the perky stewardess, constantly
             reminds her passengers and the audience to forget the drums which is a satire meaning to
             forget the past--the slavery, the torture and all the other sad parts of the past. Since the
             fourth wall was broken, I think Wolfe was not only telling his own black culture that they
             are forgetting their roots but society is also suppressing the black heritage. Miss Pat's
             name even is cynical because it describes her persona since she very well rehearsed that she
             has every thing down "Pat". The use of the shackles by comparing them to applying your
             seat belt was comical. It really grabbed your attention plus it symbolically is comparing the
             restraints there were used by the whites on the slaves as bondage. Wolfe continues on
             mentioning you can remove the shackles temporarily to stretch or dance. I believe he is
             referring to how the white society chooses to perceive the black culture through a small
             window as good dancers or athletes but draws the curtain so they can't see the entire
             picture or their woes. This type of attitude results in being very restrictive to a minority
             culture like the shackles. Another example of this is the comment, "Please refrain from call
             and response singing between cabins cuz it could lead to rebellion" exemplifies we do...