Cloud 9 by Caryl Churcill - Essay Example

Basically, the play serves to create a visual impression of Britain at different times where the country and its people strived to have an identity of their own by breaking the stereotypes associated with the old era. The prevalent themes in this play are those of post colonialism, gender identity and an assessment of the ruling authorities. There is a general quest for identity that is most visible throughout the first act. The acting of the characters in their own true identity is a thing that should be concealed.

They must do so in secret like when playing a game of hide and seek. If an identity shows disrespect to England, then that identity ought not to exist or should be concealed as per Clive. Clive’s is inclined to the idea that nontraditional sex identity is a sickness that can be cured though Churchill presents n provision that seems to dwell on the contrary. He asserts that sexual identity cannot be structured in another way but gender can be rearranged. There is a continuous difficulty in search of identity for characters such as Victoria, Betty and Edward in the second act even though they’re free from the direct influence of Clive.

This shows that the search for identity is not as simple as thought even in a new world different from the traditional settings. This depiction of gender identity is influenced by the political system and other systems of rule in the times depicted in the play. This makes the play have a political and historical dimension. The play has very deep political insights that separate the political theatre into two strategies. These are the really dominant styles of rule in the last century that is viewed as “reflectionist” and the modern form of political approach of “interventionist”.

As the characters demonstrate their struggles to discover their real identity, they represent a whole country (Britain) that struggles to find the ideal form of governance. This shows that the country itself is struggling to find its own identity. The real nature of Britain and the actions in a period of conquest and territorial acquisition is covered in the first act. The mind of the reader is set in a period of post war Britain therefore visualizing what the country was before its gradual decline in power.

The reader can picture Britain being at the peak of its power and its quest to become a great colonizer and a country worthy of repute. This impacts the “bully” mentality about Britain in that period. The activities of the country are also streamlined to conquer Africa in an attempt to civilize the continent otherwise regarded to host “beasts’. Joshua is caught in this context of trying to become a native that sees the British as the exclusively civilized people that ought to be emulated but not people from his native background.

This play show the impact of the British on people from Africa and what they perpetrated in order to be feared and establish themselves as a powerful nation among its colonies. Churchill does a commendable work in airing this attribute that shows the attitude of Britain towards its colonies. Another notable observation from the play with an administrative bearing concerns the military. The author seems to suggest that the military efforts of the country were a making a joke of the state. Lin’s brother acts as a soldier who shows least care for the country he is supposed to represent wholeheartedly.

It is evident that he’