Les Blancs, Lorraine Hansberry

Welcome to Your Study Journey: Les Blancs

Welcome! Today we are diving into Lorraine Hansberry’s powerful play, Les Blancs (The Whites). This play is a cornerstone of the Drama section of your Pearson Edexcel AS Level. Don't worry if it feels a bit heavy at first; it deals with big ideas like freedom, family, and fairness. By the end of these notes, you’ll understand not just what happens, but why Hansberry wrote it and how it works on stage. Let’s get started!

1. The "Big Picture" (Context)

To understand Les Blancs, we need to travel back to the 1960s. This was a time when many African nations were fighting to end colonialism (when one country takes over another). Hansberry wanted to show that this wasn't just a simple "good guys vs. bad guys" story, but a complex struggle for identity.

Why the context matters:

1. The Civil Rights Movement: Hansberry was writing during the American Civil Rights movement. She saw connections between Black Americans fighting for rights and Africans fighting for independence.
2. The Mau Mau Uprising: The play is set in a fictional African country, but it’s heavily inspired by the real-life revolution in Kenya against British rule.
3. Hansberry’s Legacy: Hansberry was the first Black woman to have a play on Broadway. Les Blancs was her final, most ambitious work.

Did you know? The title Les Blancs is French for "The Whites." Hansberry chose this as a response to a famous play by Jean Genet called The Blacks. She wanted to flip the perspective!

Key Takeaway: The play is a social drama. It uses a specific story about a family to talk about a massive global change: the end of the colonial era.

2. Breaking Down the Characters

Think of the characters as different "voices" in a big debate. They each represent a different way of looking at the world.

The Matoseh Brothers (Family at the Center)

● Tshembe Matoseh: Our main character. He has lived in Europe, has a white wife and a child, and just wants to live a quiet life. However, he is pulled back into the revolution. He is a reluctant hero.
● Abioseh Matoseh: The brother who has converted to Catholicism and wants to become a priest. He represents assimilation—trying to fit into the colonial system to find peace.
● Eric: The youngest brother, who is of mixed race (the son of the late leader and a white woman). He represents the confusion and pain of a country caught between two worlds.

The Outsiders

● Charlie Morris: An American journalist. He thinks he is a "good guy" who wants to help, but he doesn't truly understand the African perspective. Hansberry uses him to critique white liberalism.
● Madame Neilsen: The elderly white wife of the doctor at the mission. She is the only white character who truly respects the African culture, yet she is still part of the colonial system.

Memory Aid: Think of the brothers as a "Three-Way Mirror." Each one reflects a different choice an African person could make in the 1960s: Fight (Tshembe), Join (Abioseh), or Struggle for Identity (Eric).

Key Takeaway: Character conflict isn't just about personal feelings; it’s about ideology (different sets of beliefs about how society should work).

3. Dramatic Devices: How the Play Works

Hansberry doesn't just use words; she uses the stage itself to tell the story. This is what we call dramatic form.

The Symbol of "The Woman"

Throughout the play, a silent African woman appears in Tshembe’s visions. She doesn't speak, but she dances.
Analogy: Think of her like a personified conscience or a "ghostly cheerleader" for the revolution. She reminds Tshembe of his roots and his duty to his people.

The Setting: The Mission

Almost all the action happens at a medical mission.
● It represents "Western Progress" (medicine, education).
● But it also represents Control. It’s a place where white people are in charge, even if they think they are helping.

Quick Review: Key Dramatic Terms

● Protagonist: Tshembe (the character we follow most closely).
● Antagonist: Major Rice (the colonial soldier) represents the physical force of the system.
● Stage Directions: Hansberry uses very detailed descriptions of sounds (like drums) and lighting to create a tense mood.

Key Takeaway: When writing your essay, don't just talk about what the characters say. Talk about what the audience sees (the dancing woman) and hears (the drums).

4. Key Themes to Remember

Don't worry if these seem tricky at first! Themes are just the "main flavors" of the play. Here are the three biggest ones:

1. The Cost of Freedom: The play asks if violence is ever necessary to achieve freedom. Tshembe hates violence, but by the end, he feels he has no choice.
2. Identity and Belonging: Tshembe feels like he belongs nowhere—too "African" for Europe and too "European" for his village.
3. The Illusion of Neutrality: Hansberry argues that you can't just "stay out of it." By doing nothing, characters like Charlie Morris are actually helping the status quo.

Quick Review Box:
Colonialism: A system of power.
Resistance: Fighting back against that power.
Betrayal: When family members choose different sides.

5. Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Thinking it’s just a "history lesson": While the play is about the 1960s, the themes of identity and "us vs. them" are still very relevant today.
2. Ignoring the "White" characters: It’s easy to focus only on Tshembe, but remember that Hansberry titled the play Les Blancs. She wants you to analyze the behavior and flaws of the white characters too!
3. Forgetting it’s a Play: Always use words like "audience," "stagecraft," and "performance." It wasn't written to be read like a book; it was written to be seen in a theater!

Step-by-Step for Essay Success:
1. Identify a Dramatic Device (e.g., the drums).
2. Quote or describe the Moment it happens.
3. Link it to a Contextual Factor (e.g., the tension of the revolution).
4. Explain the Impact on the audience (e.g., it makes them feel the looming danger).

Key Takeaway: Success in English Literature comes from connecting the How (dramatic devices) to the Why (context and themes).

Final Encouragement

Les Blancs is a challenging play because it asks tough questions with no easy answers. But that’s exactly what makes it great! Keep focusing on Tshembe’s struggle and the "voices" of the other characters, and you will do brilliantly. You've got this!