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Madi BeumeeMT Lit11 February 2016

Rodgers and Hammerstein Assignment #2

One of the themes I’ve found particularly prevalent in various Rodgers andHammerstein works is the clash of various cultures. I found this topic particularlynoticeable in both South Pacific   and The King and I. Both plays revolved around theconflicts that arouse when two different cultures face one another. In South Pacific , thisconflict first arises when Act I Scene 12, when Nellie Forbush discovers that the man sheloves, Emile DeBecque, has fathered two children with a Polynesian woman. When shefirst meets Ngana and Jerome, she thinks that they are Henri’s children, but when Emilesays that they are his, she replies with “Oh, of course, they look exactly like you, don’tthey? Where did you hide her mother?”. This confrontation with the fact that Emile had

an interracial relationship, causes Nellie to frantically leave his house and leave Emilequestioning their relationship. Nellie grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas during a time whenshe was not exposed to interracial relationships and different ethnicities. Their differingviews, then cause (what I would consider to be) one of Rodgers and Hammerstein’smost powerful songs ever written, “You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught”. I think this songis the definition of that “class in cultures” that they try to emphasize in so many of theirpieces. One particular line that really grasp’s the nature of this issue is:

“You’ve got to be taught before it’s too late,Before you are six or seven or eight,To hate all the people your relatives hate,

You’ve got to be carefully taught!”Rogers and Hammerstein do a phenomenal job of creating songs that really grasp thecharacter’s feelings towards the other characters’ cultures/biases.

In another Rodgers and Hammerstein piece, The King and I, the audience watchesanother class of cultures. When Anna Leonowens travels to Siam to tutor the royalfamily, she faces the clash of Eastern and Western cultures. Her frustration with this clashof cultures is the main reason behind the conflict in the show and eventually causes herto sing “Shall I Tell you What I Think of You?”. Similar to “You’ve Got to Be CarefullyTaught”, this song is all about the character singing about the frustrations he/she haswith the other culture. At one point in the song Anna sings:

“ All that bowing and kow-towingTo remind your of your royalty,I find a most disgusting exhibition.I wouldn’t ask a Siamese catTo demonstrate his loyaltyBy taking this ridiculous position.”

Personally, this is one of the main things I love about their work. How they bring to lightdifferent cultures and show how other react to those said cultures. It really emphasizes

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the fact that though one culture may see something as “normal”, another culture orsociety may not.