The absence of both Rebecca's father and Sojourner Truth in the play's action suggests that the focus is intended to be on the personal conflict between Rebecca and her mother, emphasizing the generational divide regarding suffrage. By not including these influential figures, the playwright allows the characters' individual experiences and emotions to take center stage, making their struggle for women's rights more intimate and relatable. Additionally, this choice may highlight the broader societal influences of the time, with characters representing the everyday struggles faced by women rather than relying on prominent historical figures to drive the narrative.
The fight for suffrage drives a wedge between a spirited young woman and her mother. . . .
Characters
NARRATOR
REBECCA, 17 years old
MAMA, her mother
BEFORE RISE: NARRATOR enters, addresses audience.
NARRATOR: Did you know that women in the United States weren’t allowed to vote until 1920? That’s when the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, extending voting rights to all women. If you do your math, you’ll find that women couldn’t vote for nearly 150 years after our nation was created out of the Revolutionary War. . .talk about injustice!
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Question
Use the passage to answer the question.
Both Rebecca’s father and Sojourner Truth are influential in the play, but neither of them appears. In 3-5 sentences, draw conclusions about why the playwright did not include these characters in the play’s action.
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