Overall I felt that the small clip we watched in lecture of the West Side Story was a clever depiction of what the Puerto Ricans were enduring at that time. It showed that they saw the United States as place were dreams came true and the land of possibilities and opportunities. Although the ignorant could have just seen the play as pure entertainment, those who know better truly get a sense of what life was like for the Puerto Ricans in the U.S. at that time. The song showed almost in a black and white image the positives and negatives of the Puerto Ricans living in the U.S. It gave the audience the sense that although there were plentiful opportunities in the U.S., there was no pride for Puerto Ricans there. If they wanted to live in peace they had to stay within their boundaries and keep to themselves. Because of this unfair, but true idea, it makes it hard for the viewer to choose what would be better- living in Puerto Rica with pride and equality everywhere, or living in the U.S. with more opportunities but more struggles.
Ultimately, West Side Story was a clever way to portray and exemplify the those times for the Puerto Ricans. It showed what they saw as positives and negatives for living in the U.S.
1 comment:
I wish we could have had a showing of West Side Story for the class! The short clip we watched depicted exactly what was intended. Although the film would not have as much relavence as watching A Day Without A Mexican, I still would have enjoyed it.
Veronica Blattner
Post a Comment