Detroit.
When I think of Detroit, two things come to mind: America
and Fire. Not Detroit the play, but
Detroit the city. I think, in many ways, this is why Lisa has titled her play
that way. The play is, in many ways, about the American Dream. People who want
that fancy life you see in magazines, who want to move up and get a new coffee
table just because they can. A few cities in America seem to embody this idea
more than others. San Francisco, New York, and Chicago are the ones that really
say it to me. Maybe Los Angeles. These big cities where dreams can come true
and millionaires can be made out of nothing. But that’s just one aspect. These
cities all embody the American Dream, and D’Amour could’ve named her play after
any of them.
That’s what the fire is for.
Chicago is famous for its fires. The city burned down in the
early 1900s, and fire has been a big thing ever since. Some cities are Apples.
Some are giant Hollywood signs. Chicago is fires. And boy are fires important
here. Campfires, Tables on fire, lighters. We see a plethora of fire references
for everybody to enjoy, and that is kind of what pegs down Chicago as the “city
to be” for the show.
Indeed. A play about the American Dream, that has lots of
fire in it physically, as well as metaphorically? I can see a strong reason why
you might title such a show, Detroit.
Oh I totally agree with this, but didn't think to even consider the fire as a motif for this. There is definitely some 'fire' that flies between the characters before actually elevating to a real fire towards the end of the play. Fire is not only destructive but it's also a great symbol for rebirth and purifying. To burn is to cleanse and rebirth comes from the phoenix who rises from the ashes. Even though the characters have experienced this tragedy and are suffering they can start over with a fresh slate.
ReplyDeleteI agree 100% that Detroit sets the stage for the show to be about the American Dream. This post is really similar to mine. I think that d'Amour is trying to discuss the state of the nation more than she's trying to discuss any kind of particular city. I didn't think about fire as a motif at all, and I certainly didn't see how it fit in with the title until reading this. That's a really interesting point.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really interesting motif to select for this play! It's usually the non-obvious motifs that are the most interesting, too! This is also a great way to relate Detroit to Anna Deveare Smith's Fires in the Mirror, too with, fire representing the main tensions within both plays. I also like that you pointed out other items in Detroit that actually foershadowed and referenced fire; I definitely did not pay close enough attention to thaese items to relate them to fire at all. So would you say that fire is related to the failure of the American dream, as everyone's dreams go up in flames? Or possibly fire could be related to the destruction of the city of Detroit and it's abandonment, just like a city that had been attacked by a fire would look like. Lots of great things to think about here!
ReplyDelete