Essay Example: What Is The Theme Of Sweat By Lynn Nottage

Sweat was a meaningful production as there are many important themes to take away from the story. It highlights serious problems in society such as racism, economic strain, drug abuse, and toxic relationships. Throughout the entirety of the play, alcohol was utilized as a prop by almost all the characters. No matter if it was during Jessie’s birthday celebration, Tracey’s birthday celebration, or just a casual hangout at Stan’s bar. Characters such as Jessie use alcohol to cope with their problems to the point of being out of control, which was an important symbol specifically used by Jessica Hightower, Scenic and Properties designer of Sweat. This contributed to the story of the play, as we continually see different scenes centered around drinking, especially after work or on stressful days. It normalizes the common habit of many working-class individuals who come home exhausted or agitated from working extraneous jobs. A lot of wrong things can be said under the influence, and I believe most of their arguments all began with the abuse of alcohol. For example, after Cynthia was promoted to Warehouse Supervisor, Tracey was very upset which led her to drink and smoke. She used these substances as coping mechanisms which also led her to say racist comments about her own friend. This specific scene supports how the usage of alcohol as a prop was continually utilized as a coping mechanism for many characters.  

Due to a lot of anger and resentment throughout the production, there were various racial slurs that stuck out to me because of our current problem of racism in society today. As coming from a Hispanic background and having family members come from Costa Rica to America, scenes centered around Oscar were important to me. I feel that it’s a common problem in our society to portray immigrants as “needy” and that they get special treatment for their race. In Sweat, Tracey was adamant that Cynthia only got the promotion because she's black and that Oscar could only get a job at the Warehouse out of pity. She believes that their city was founded by her German ancestors and that Olstead’s was not for people like them. Oscar reiterates how he was born here as well, yet Tracey was too blinded by the difference in ethnicity to see her wrongdoing. This showed me how the production was truly pointing out the racism that lies in our economy still today, whether it’s the advantages white men hold or the wages gaps between races and genders. The discrimination towards Oscar and others throughout the play stuck out to me because it is hard to see people who work so hard get torn down due to their heritage. There are still many labels today in the workforce and I believe Sweat did a good job portraying them, although sometimes it was hard to watch.  

Lastly, although my point of interest related to the issue of diversity through the play, the violent hate crime towards Oscar was influential in the sense it led to a lot of reflection for the audience. This revealed that the play was not just about economic stress and angry intoxicated individuals, instead, it was about the extreme violence there is towards people of color. There are many scenarios that lead to this violent event, but I believe they are all significant in showing that, big or small, these racial attacks need to end. Whether it’s the discussion that Oscar doesn’t deserve a job or him being attacked, they are all just as equally painful and wrong. Personally, this part of the play resonated with my feelings towards the racial violence we experience today. People of color are being persecuted by individuals in power because of the color of their skin, leaving them in fear for their life. In a world deemed as “free”, there are still so many disparities within that statement. Sweat challenged my thinking and led me to analyze serious problems that still have not been solved. It opened my eyes that racial slurs used in this production are still used today, and I believe that should've scared anyone in the audience. Overall, I believe that this production was truly eye-opening and although many problems are discussed, the awareness raised about racial tension was the most significant.