"You do not understand ME": Hybridity and Third Space in Age of Iron
This paper discusses the 1993 play Age of Iron in relation to Homi K. Bhabha’s theories of hybridity and Third Space. It also examines the play through responses to Bhabha’s theories (including those by Britta Kalscheur, Smadar Lavie, and Ted Swedenburg), that argue that hybrid forms cannot necessar...
Published in: | Theatre Research in Canada |
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Main Author: | |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
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University of Toronto Press Inc. (UTPress)
2010
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.3138/tric.31.2.182 https://utpjournals.press/doi/pdf/10.3138/tric.31.2.182 |
Summary: | This paper discusses the 1993 play Age of Iron in relation to Homi K. Bhabha’s theories of hybridity and Third Space. It also examines the play through responses to Bhabha’s theories (including those by Britta Kalscheur, Smadar Lavie, and Ted Swedenburg), that argue that hybrid forms cannot necessarily subvert the cultural power structure of White and Other. Age of Iron acknowledges that hybridity alone is not enough to create a Third Space. This is evident in Clements’s Cassandra, a hybrid character who represents First Nations women abused at the hands of both white men and men of their own communities, and also fills the role of the Greek mythological prophet. This paper examines Cassandra’s journey as she seeks to have her experiences of abuse acknowledged and ultimately understands that she will not receive validation from her white oppressors. |
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