This closing scene where we see the young Negro can actually be seen as a reference to the play's title, as it suggests that Lula, perpesentetive of racist white Americans, intends to continue her journey with a new murder. Throughout the play, the writer, Amiri Baraka, explains why this ship can never reach the shore, possibly suggesting that a solution will never be found.

This is a strong example of the duality of those in power. The dirtiest actions are done, yet their appearance remains perfect, keeping everything looking in order, even when everything is actually out of order.

He is still trying to be nice and kind towards such an ogre. That is probably because an African American child is told to "be twice as good" so as to be taken seriously and avoid confrontations with police. But actually "be twice as good" really meant to "accept half as much." And Lula is quite aware of it.

We can understand that he was aware of her implications from the beginning.

He is comparing Lula to the bold and attention-grabbing actress, implying that she is acting in a provocative and rebellious way.

He starts to gain agency and starts to be active towards Lula's violance.

This phrase shows us that Lula is also aware of his "white identity" under his African appearance.

This is an insult that Lula uses in Dutchman to make fun of Clay's African American features and supressed will of being white. The "liver-lipped" is added to describe his lips as big or ugly.

Because the "white" introduce them their civilization.

She loses her mind when he refuses to follow her demands.

From Lula's perspective, belly rubbing is more than being a traditional African dance. It is, as she implies, (probably because sexualisation of the black body) just a nasty and inviting body show.

In the story, Snow White, the Evil Queen asks her magic mirror this question, wanting to confirm that she is the most beautiful. The mirror tells her that Snow White, a young girl with "skin as white as snow, lips as red as blood, and hair as black as ebony," is actually the fairest. This has led to discussions about how Snow White portrays beauty standards. Since Snow White's beauty is tied to her pale skin in the story, some argue that it reflects Eurocentric beauty ideals, excluding people of color, particularly African Americans, from being seen as "fair." Clay once again do not considers his complexion and claims that the "white is beautiful".

Zack, Naomi. Race and Mixed Race. Temple University Press, 1994.

In reality the blues and jazz music born with weeps and prayers of black and slaved people.

He ignores the slave history in which the "black bodies," converting the raw material of their labor into sugar, cotton, and other products in those plantations and talk about modern plantations.

Clay responds as if he was not coming from ancestors who were once enslaved and rather relates "wire" with the Holocaust which is connected to Jewish suffering in history.

Lula's "wire" is something that might be used to confine or control people, like on plantations during slavery. She's hinting at the idea of physical barriers that restricted the enslaved people in the past.

Clay is confused, questioning the meaning of "wire." He doesn’t immediately understand what Lula is referring to, possibly because it’s not something he associates with his experience.

Lula is referring to Clay, implying that he has struggled or fought his way through slavery and chains (the "wire") to reach her. This "wire" likely symbolizes the barriers or struggles (historical, social, or personal) that Clay has faced to get to where he is now.

Lula is still referring to slave history. She means that Clay is still a slave. He ran away and broke the chains on his neck.

She might suggest that as Clay "is not man enough", he deserves a tomb of a woman. Juliet is a sentimental, 15 years old woman from the play of Shakespeare "Romeo and Juliet".

Lula mocks Clay for seeing himself as similar to Charles Baudelaire, the French poet associated with decadence and sensuality. Her sarcasm highlights Clay’s attempts to embody intellectual or artistic ambitions, might be reflecting the pressures faced by the Black middle class to conform.

That sentence reflects Lula's attempt to assert dominance through stereotypes (again).

He accepts and follows without agency whatever she demans. He behaves like a "slave", as Lula actually perceives him.

She simply doesn't care about his name or anything "spesific" about him. She knows him and talks to him with the ideas that she associated with his black body.

The sentence might implicate that Clay got the feeling of satisfaction by phsically liked or approved by a white attractive woman. Because he might see her unconsciouslysuperier.

The author might strikingly imply that a black body should always be aware that he or she is a black body even for such a small and reflexive attitude. Here, he means that Clay smiles without worrying about how he is perceived. Unfortunatly this little smile is the beginning of his terrible end. That image shows how a black body can be easily vulnerable in the U.S.

He finally challenges Lula's authority, influenced by the activist playwright Amiri Baraka, who admired Malcolm X. Malcolm X promoted the idea of "eye for an eye" and encouraged people to stand up against oppression by doing what was done to them. Baraka supported this idea, urging people to be assertive and not stay silent in the face of injustice.

Lula criticizes Clay for trying to fit into white societal norms.

Lula is an embodiment of white American idealogy; she mocks marginalized groups, like queer people and religious minorities.

That term can be seen as an overall summary of the play. Being man means being active, asking questions, thinking, having agency. But he totally doesn't do any of these. He never says don't oppress me. Moreover, he again fails to understand. He still thinks of being a man sexually, not intellectually.

She openly exclaims how she sees Clay.

Lula is an embodiment of white American idealogy; she mocks marginalized groups, like queer people and religious minorities.

This line emphasizes how black people are stereotypically seen by white people.

Lula is not only the hunter, she also makes epiphany for Clay even though he fails to recognize. Because if he were proud of his identity as a black person, he wouldn't be deceived that much easily.

Clay says "no, I'm not a black who imitates white people." but he does.

She stops implying and openly starts to say her ideas about his race.

After a while Lula starts to get bored and angry. One of the reasons of it is that he is completly passive, not asking questions, not suprising her, being just typical. The second reason is Clay looks like an educated and chic man, but a black man shouldn't have that look for Lula. This gets on Lula's nerves. But Clay do such things, because in deep inside he thinks white is the superior and everything he does must be copied to be seemed the superior. All negative things atributed to black people and all positive things attributed to white people.

It wasn't enough for Lula messing with Clay's head, also she begins to decide on his sentences. This indicates that Lula has exacerbated her manipulative power, her dominance, while Clay has become even more passive. Clay's willpower is thoroughly ignored by Lula. Lula stucks in the idea that blacks are slaves.

As hyenas are scavengers, and we might interpret Clay as prey, Clay must be a carrioned prey. He's already been hunted, and he suffers from inferiority complex. Clay believes that white people are the superiors. Now, it's time for scavengers. Scavengers harass him on the subway, on the street, on social media, just like Lula did, so they dig up what's left of the hunt.

She talks metaphorically. All grey hairs might be symbolizing experiences with black men. She keep to add experiences every passing day. So, Clay is not her first prey, she is a professional. Also at the end of the play she takes note of Clay's name and finds a new black man.

Lula’s comment supports stereotypes about Black men. By calling Clay a "type," she ignores his individuality and suggests his identity is defined by race and society.

Lula might refer to cannibal prejudice on African people and white people's going to their land and bringing "civilization" for them.

She refers to sexual intercorse by apple symbol.

The lines show Lula knows "the black type". She is generalizing all black people. She don't think they have different identities just as white people. Because all predictions are can be easily predicted, she just keep to say general judgements about black people in the USA. She think there is no difference between any black people and she has right to patronize them. She is manupulating, patronizing, disregarding, disgracing him.

He is still quite passive.

She keeps abusing him.

This expression is a harsh and humorous way of saying someone looks very tired, sick, or unwell. Lula suggests that Clay looks lifeless, as if he is in poor health.

This expression is used to describe something boring or uninteresting.

Just like African American people, Chinese people also suffers from racisim. So, she implies that he doesn't read white men's works because blacks and yellows are second class citizen and Clay can emphatize with them.

It is a region in the United States where black people are very common.

Lula implies that Clay is trying to prove his masculinity, but he is unsuccessful yet.

Lula always want to take control, by asking him questions and commenting on him. We feel that she is dominant and keep to save her authority.

Lula's mood changes from seduction to abuse but Clay still under the effect of narcosis.

She is connoting sexual implications.

Clay is apologizing to Lula, suggesting that he wasn’t expecting the kind of bold or flirtatious conversation she is initiating. And he is still very kind. He’s indicating that he's unprepared for the directness of her remarks.

She is like a cat that is playing with a mouse. He is asking metaphorically but she finds a chance to humiliate him.

She uses her female sides while approaching to the prey. Her attempt is successful because Clay suffers from a hidden superiority complex and likes the idea "a white woman is interested in me". Being interested by a white woman is a thing that will add him superiority because his subconscious is whistling him that he is an inferior because of his complexion. So, he becomes stupid by the lethargy caused by this flattering feeling and has quite a hard time understanding Lula's true purpose.

She implies that she likes Clay and that's why she is pursuing him. She makes Clay feel chased and wanted. This can be seen as a manipulative behavior aimed at gaining control.

Her tone is playful and provocative, meant to unsettle Clay and make him react defensively.

She starts to confronting Clay in a playful yet challenging manner. She wants to draw attention to his actions and take control of their conversation.

In contrast to Lula, Clay is quite kind, as if she is behaving the same.

We can see Lula's assertive behavior even in the very first interaction.

Lula's "dainty" manner contrasts with the raw aggression she is about to display. That is foreshadowing her duplicitous nature.

The apple is an forshadowing symbol, alluding to the Biblical story of Adam and Eve. It represents temptation, manipulation, and betrayal.

Red hair of Lula might be associated with seduction or temptation.

The net bag might be a symbolism that suggests a spider's web or a fisherman's web.

The setting is quite dark and ominous.

The word shows that Clay is pretending to read a magazine for the sake of prestige. He is not truly engaged or interested. This might indicate that his reading is just a performance, mimicking a behavior to be accepted by the white dominant society.

The confined subway car in Dutchman symbolizes the inescapable of racism, much like the "Flying Dutchman" myth represents a doomed, endless journey. The subway serves as a modern-day setting that intensifies the sense of entrapment, replacing the ghost ship with an urban, claustrophobic space. Also, the confinement of the subway car parallels the repeated struggles portrayed.(Giles, 2002). Giles, R. (2002). Racial Identity and the Modern American Play. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

The underground setting adds to the feeling of being trapped in a hidden, darker reality, reflecting the way race and social inequality often operate beneath the surface of public life (Baraka, 1964). Baraka, A. (1964). Dutchman. New York: New York Review Books.

The name of Lula can be seen as representing the character’s manipulative nature. One interpretation of "Lula" refers to the Latin word for "play" or "toy," which suggests that she views Clay as something to be controlled or molded for her own purposes. This aligns with Lula’s behavior in the play, as she manipulates Clay, leading him towards a tragic end. Additionally, the name can be linked to the idea of "lulling" someone into a false sense of security. Lula initially presents herself as charming and approachable but reveals a darker, more dangerous side over the course of the play.

The character of Clay, a young Black man, symbolizes the educated, middle-class African American who is trying to assimilate into mainstream society. His name, "Clay," holds significant symbolic meaning, as it implies malleability as it can be shaped and molded by external forces. This reflects his vulnerability to societal pressures (like his inferiority complex), particularly from Lula, who manipulates and shapes him throughout their encounter. Lula’s control over him mirrors this process of molding, as she pushes him toward a destructive path, revealing the dangerous impact of societal pressures on identity and self-perception. This theme of malleability is central to the play, highlighting how individuals, particularly those from marginalized groups, can feel forced to fit into predefined roles. The constant shaping and reshaping of identity are explored as both a physical and psychological struggle for freedom in a society that limits personal agency (Baraka, 1964). Baraka, A. (1964). Dutchman. New York: New York Review Books.

The title of the play comes from the myth of the "Flying Dutchman," a ghost ship destined to wander the seas forever, unable to reach land. This myth symbolizes themes of being trapped, endless cycles, and journeys without resolution. In the play, it mirrors the ongoing struggles of race and identity, highlighting how these challenges repeat without real change. In the myth, to be able to get rid of the cursed ship the Dutchman needs a woman who loves him. Considering that Amiri Baraka was married a white Jewish woman, he might suggest that only love as in the myth can eliminate the issues like racism and inequality. Do not hesitate to check the website below to learn more about the myth: https://nauticalchannel.com/new/the-flying-dutchman

The name of Lula can be seen as representing the character’s manipulative nature. One interpretation of "Lula" refers to the Latin word for "play" or "toy," which suggests that she views Clay as something to be controlled or molded for her own purposes. This aligns with Lula’s behavior in the play, as she manipulates Clay, leading him towards a tragic end.

Additionally, the name can be linked to the idea of "lulling" someone into a false sense of security. Lula initially presents herself as charming and approachable but reveals a darker, more dangerous side over the course of the play.

The setting is quite dark and ominous.

Lula might refer to cannibal prejudice on African people and white people's going to their land and bringing "civilization" for them.

She openly exclaims how she sees Clay.

Lula is an embodiment of white American idealogy; she mocks marginalized groups, like queer people and religious minorities.

Lula is an embodiment of white American idealogy; she mocks marginalized groups, like queer people and religious minorities.

Lula might refer to cannibal prejudice on African people and white people's going to their land and bringing "civilization" for them.

That term can be seen as an overall summary of the play. Being man means being active, asking questions, thinking, having agency. But he totally doesn't do any of these. He never says don't oppress me. Moreover, he again fails to understand. He still thinks of being a man sexually, not intellectually.

This line emphasizes how black people are stereotypically seen by white people.

Lula is not only the hunter, she also makes epiphany for Clay even though he fails to recognize. Because if he were proud of his identity as a black person, he wouldn't be deceived that much easily.

Clay says "no, I'm not a black who imitates white people." but he does.

After a while Lula starts to get bored and angry. One of the reasons of it is that he is completly passive, not asking questions, not suprising her, being just typical. The second reason is Clay looks like an educated and chic man, but a black man shouldn't have that look for Lula. This gets on Lula's nerves. But Clay do such things, because in deep inside he thinks white is the superior and everything he does must be copied to be seemed the superior. All negative things atributed to black people and all positive things attributed to white people.

She stops implying and openly starts to say her ideas about his race.

It wasn't enough for Lula messing with Clay's head, also she begins to decide on his sentences. This indicates that Lula has exacerbated her manipulative power, her dominance, while Clay has become even more passive. Clay's willpower is thoroughly ignored by Lula. Lula stucks in the idea that blacks are slaves.

Lula to mocks Clay, symbolizing the racial and societal roles that African American men are forced to accept or resist.

Because hyenas are scavengers, and because we interpret Clay as prey, Clay must be a carrioned prey. Because he's already been hunted,he suffers from inferiority complex and so believes that white people are the superiors. Now, it's time for scavengers. Scavengers harass him on the subway, on the street, on social media, just like Lula did, so they dig up what's left of the hunt.

She talks metaphorically. All grey hairs might be symbolizing experiences with black men. She keep to add experiences every passing day. So, Clay is not her first prey, she is a professional. Also at the end of the play she takes note of Clay's name and finds a new black man.

She refers to sexual intercorse by apple symbol.

The lines show Lula know black type. She is generalizing all black people. She don't think they have different identities just as white people. Because all predictions are can be easily predicted, she just keep to say general judgements about black people in the USA. She think there is no difference between any black people and she has right to patronize them. She is manupulating, patronizing, disregarding, disgracing him.

He is still quite passive.

She keeps abusing him.

She can manipulate people easily with her words like she does to Clay.

Lula is playing a self-righteousness play and Clay do nothing to stop it. He is not questioning, he is not taking action, he is completly passive and fails to regain his senses or his consciousness. Clay doesn't give reactions to any word of Lula because he just want to focus on her flattering words, not others. He has a inferiority complex deep inside and this complex makes him nothing but a "typical black man". His tie symbolising respect, success and education but he is really so passive. He is not questioning like chained slaves and Lula like the owner, she is not only assertive but also whipping him with her words. Clay don't try to having "agency". Having agency means revolt against any kind of supresses by the society or system. If Clay asks questions like "what's your purpose" he could have agency. Amiri Baraka is not just critizing white racist people but also he is critizing black people who prefer to be silent.

Lula implies that Clay is trying to prove his masculinity, but he is unsuccessful yet.

This expression is a harsh and humorous way of saying someone looks very tired, sick, or unwell. Lula suggests that Clay looks lifeless, as if he is in poor health.

This expression is used to describe something boring or uninteresting.

Just like African American people, Chinese people also suffers from racisim. So, she implies that he doesn't read white men's works because blacks and yellows are second class citizen and Clay can emphatize with them.

It is a region in the United States where black people are very common.

Lula always want to take control, by asking him questions and commenting on him. We feel that she is dominant and keep to save her authority.

She starts to confronting Clay in a playful yet challenging manner. She wants to draw attention to his actions and take control of their conversation.

Lula's mood changes from seduction to abuse but Clay still under the effect of narcosis.

She is like a cat that is playing with a mouse. He is asking metaphorically but she finds a chance to humiliate him.

She uses her female sides while approaching to the prey. Her attempt is successful because Clay suffers from a hidden superiority complex and likes the idea "a white woman is interested in me". Being interested by a white woman is a thing that will add him superiority because his subconscious is whistling him that he is an inferior because of his complexion. So, he becomes stupid by the lethargy caused by this flattering feeling and has quite a hard time understanding Lula's true purpose.

She is connoting sexual implications.

Clay is apologizing to Lula, suggesting that he wasn’t expecting the kind of bold or flirtatious conversation she is initiating. And he is still very kind. He’s indicating that he's unprepared for the directness of her remarks.

She implies that she likes Clay and that's why she is pursuing him. She makes Clay feel chased and wanted. This can be seen as a manipulative behavior aimed at gaining control.

Her tone is playful and provocative, meant to unsettle Clay and make him react defensively.

In contrast to Lula, Clay is quite kind, as if she is behaving the same

We can see Lula's assertive behavior even in the very first interaction.

Lula compares Clay to Charles Baudelaire, a French poet known for decadence and sensuality. This could be a sarcastic remark about Clay's intellectual or artistic goals, typical of the Black middle class trying to fit in.

Lula’s comment supports stereotypes about Black men. By calling Clay a "type," she ignores his individuality and suggests his identity is defined by race and society.

The title of the play comes from the myth of the "Flying Dutchman," a ghost ship destined to wander the seas forever, unable to reach land. This myth symbolizes themes of being trapped, endless cycles, and journeys without resolution. In the play, it mirrors the ongoing struggles of race and identity, highlighting how these challenges repeat without real change. In the myth, to be able to get rid of the cursed ship the Dutchman needs a woman who loves him. Considering that Amiri Baraka was married a white Jewish woman, he might suggest that only love as in the myth can eliminate the issues like racism and inequality. Do not hesitate to check the website below to learn more about the myth: https://nauticalchannel.com/new/the-flying-dutchman

Lula's "dainty" manner contrasts with the raw aggression she is about to display. That is foreshadowing her duplicitous nature.

The apple is an forshadowing symbol, alluding to the Biblical story of Adam and Eve. It represents temptation, manipulation, and betrayal.

The net bag might be a symbolism that suggests a spider's web or a fisherman's web.

Red hair of Lula might be associated with seduction or temptation.

The sentence might implicate that Clay got the feeling of approved and phsically liked by a white woman.

The word shows that Clay is pretending to read a magazine for the sake of prestige. He is not truly engaged or interested. This might indicate that his reading is just a performance, mimicking a behavior to be accepted by the white dominant society.

The character of Clay, a young Black man, symbolizes the educated, middle-class African American who is trying to assimilate into mainstream society. His name, "Clay," holds significant symbolic meaning, as it implies malleability as it can be shaped and molded by external forces. This reflects his vulnerability to societal pressures (like his inferiority complex), particularly from Lula, who manipulates and shapes him throughout their encounter. Lula’s control over him mirrors this process of molding, as she pushes him toward a destructive path, revealing the dangerous impact of societal pressures on identity and self-perception.

This theme of malleability is central to the play, highlighting how individuals, particularly those from marginalized groups, can feel forced to fit into predefined roles. The constant shaping and reshaping of identity are explored as both a physical and psychological struggle for freedom in a society that limits personal agency (Baraka, 1964).

Baraka, A. (1964). Dutchman. New York: New York Review Books.

The confined subway car in Dutchman symbolizes the inescapable of racism, much like the "Flying Dutchman" myth represents a doomed, endless journey. The subway serves as a modern-day setting that intensifies the sense of entrapment, replacing the ghost ship with an urban, claustrophobic space. Also, the confinement of the subway car parallels the repeated struggles portrayed.(Giles, 2002).

Giles, R. (2002). Racial Identity and the Modern American Play. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

The underground setting adds to the feeling of being trapped in a hidden, darker reality, reflecting the way race and social inequality often operate beneath the surface of public life (Baraka, 1964).

Baraka, A. (1964). Dutchman. New York: New York Review Books.

The title of the play comes from the myth of the "Flying Dutchman," a ghost ship destined to wander the seas forever, unable to reach land. This myth symbolizes themes of being trapped, endless cycles, and journeys without resolution. In the play, it mirrors the ongoing struggles of race and identity, highlighting how these challenges repeat without real change. In the myth, to be able to get rid of the cursed ship the Dutchman needs a woman who loves him. Considering that Amiri Baraka was married a white Jewish woman, he might suggest that only love as in the myth can eliminate the issues like racism and inequality. Do not hesitate to check the website below to learn more about the myth: https://nauticalchannel.com/new/the-flying-dutchman

She might refer that as Clay is not "man" enough for her, he deserves a woman's tomb.

This expression might refer to a tomb.

He starts to gain agency.

He might refer to sexualizing of Black men's body.

He finally challenges Lula's authority, influenced by the activist playwright Amiri Baraka, who admired Malcolm X. Malcolm X promoted the idea of "eye for an eye" and encouraged people to stand up against oppression by doing what was done to them. Baraka supported this idea, urging people to be assertive and not stay silent in the face of injustice.

She still refers to slave history. She means Clay is still a slave which run away, broke his chains in his neck but that doesn't make him white.

Blues and jazz music born with weeps and prayers of black and slaved people.

Lula criticizes Clay for trying to fit into white societal norms.

She openly insults him.

She openly curses him.

She again refers to slavery past of the African-American people.

She might refer that as Clay is not man enough, he should go to tomb of a woman.

That term can be seen as an overall summary of the play. Being man means being active, asking questions, thinking, having agency. But he totally doesn't do any of these. He never says don't oppress me. Moreover, he again fails to understand. He still thinks of being a man sexually, not intellectually.

She openly exclaims how she sees Clay.

Lula is an embodiment of white American idealogy; she mocks marginalized groups, like queer people and religious minorities.

Lula is an embodiment of white American idealogy; she mocks marginalized groups, like queer people and religious minorities.