FREE ESSAY ON ISOLATION IN THE DANCE AND THE RAILROAD AND THE STRONG BREED

ISOLATION IN THE DANCE AND THE RAILROAD AND THE STRONG BREED

An overall theme of isolation permeates through both Wole Soyinka's The Strong Breed and
David Henry Hwang's The Dance and the Railroad. Every character in these two plays
suffers from some form of isolation from the rest of their society. Although Hwang's Lone
and Soyinka's Girl are isolated for markedly different reasons and take opposite roads in
their character growth, they share many similarities including often mirroring their
society and some of their treatment of other characters.
In The Dance and the Railroad, Lone has self imposed his isolation from the rest of the
railroad workers. He describes them to Ma as "dead men," believing that they have lost
their spirit working for the "white devils". Lone does not seem to respect his countrymen
and withdraws instead to practice his craft. These feelings change by the end of the
play. After the workers are successful with their strike demands, Lone regains his
respect for them. He expresses this to Ma: "Maybe I was wrong about them"(1456).
Soyinka's Girl suffers a different isolation. Her isolation stems from the illness that
she suffers. She explains to Eman, "Don't you know I play alone? The other children don't
come near me. Their mothers would beat them"(1274). Her isolation symbolically ends near
the end of the play, much like Lone. Unlike Lone, however, she accomplishes this through
the betrayal of Eman to the village elders. In this she seems to still be a hard
character where Lone becomes more compassionate.
Although isolated, both of these characters share characteristics with their estranged
communities. The Girl, like her fellow villagers, is detached and unaffected by human
need. She shares the village's feelings towards strangers and rebukes all of Eman's
friendly advances. The stage directions describe The Girl as "…unsmiling. She
possesses in fact a kind inscrutability [that] is unsettling"(1274). Her treatment of
Ifada is merciless. His need makes no impression on her. She says to him, "You have a
head like a spider's egg, and your mouth dribbles like a roof"(1275). When she plays with
him, it is entirely for her benefit. She points out in relation to the effigy, "just
because you are helping me, don't think it is going to cure you"(1275). 
Lone shares characteristics with to railroad workers too. Lone's treatment of Ma
parallels the treatment he has received from the villagers. He calls Ma "a child" and "an
insect interrupting my practice"(1446). Ma receives similar treatment from the workers,
who belittle him by lying about such things as living underground during the winter and
warm snow. While this is similar to how The Girl treats Ifada, the similarities end as
Lone grows as a character. Near the end of Hwang's play, Lone not only accepts Ma but
also befriends him. He asks Ma:
LONE. Will I see you here tonight?
MA. Tonight?
LONE. I just thought I'd ask. (1456)
Lone and The Girl share many common characteristics and have many differences. They are
both isolated from the others in the play, Lone by choice and The Girl through
circumstance. They start the plays with similarities to their respective communities.
Both seem to lesson their isolation late in the play, Lone through acceptance of his
coworkers and The Girl symbolically through the betrayal of Eman.
Bibliography
The Bedford Introduction to Drama Third Ed.