Member-only story

Exits and Entrances: A Profound Exploration of Loss, Freedom, and Identity by Athol Fugard

Adrian Ward

·3.2k Followers· Follow

Published in Exits And Entrances Athol Fugard

5 min read

696 View Claps

39 Respond

Save

Listen

Athol Fugard's play Exits and Entrances is a powerful and moving exploration of loss, freedom, and identity. The play is set in South Africa during the apartheid era, and it tells the story of two characters: an elderly white farmer named Herman and a young black man named Jerry. Herman is a widower who has lost his farm and his family, while Jerry is an activist who has been imprisoned for his political beliefs. The two men meet in a prison cell, and they strike up an unlikely friendship. Through their conversations, they come to understand their own experiences of loss and freedom, and they begin to see the world in a new way.

Themes

Exits and Entrances explores a number of complex themes, including loss, freedom, and identity. Loss is a major theme in the play, as both Herman and Jerry have lost loved ones and their homes. Herman has lost his wife and his children, while Jerry has lost his family and his freedom. Through their conversations, the two men come to understand that loss is a universal experience, and that it can be a source of both pain and strength. Freedom is another major theme in the play. Jerry is a political prisoner, and he has been denied his freedom for many years. However, he never gives up hope, and he continues to fight for his freedom. Herman is a free man, but he is imprisoned by his own grief and guilt. Through his friendship with Jerry, Herman begins to understand that true freedom is not just about being physically free, but also about being emotionally and spiritually free.

Exits and Entrances

by Athol Fugard

4 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	203 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	81 pages

Identity is a third major theme in the play. Herman is a white farmer, and Jerry is a black activist. The two men come from very different worlds, but they come to understand that they are both human beings with the same needs and desires. Through their friendship, they begin to see the world in a new way, and they realize that they are not so different after all.

Characters

The two main characters in Exits and Entrances are Herman and Jerry. Herman is an elderly white farmer who has lost his farm and his family. He is a widower, and his children have all left home. Herman is a lonely and isolated man, and he is struggling to come to terms with his loss. Jerry is a young black man who has been imprisoned for his political beliefs. He is a political activist, and he has been fighting for the freedom of his people. Jerry is a hopeful and optimistic young man, and he believes that one day he will be free. Through their friendship, Herman and Jerry come to understand their own experiences of loss and freedom, and they begin to see the world in a new way.

Setting

Exits and Entrances is set in South Africa during the apartheid era. Apartheid was a system of racial segregation that was enforced in South Africa from 1948 to 1994. Under apartheid, black people were denied basic rights, and they were forced to live in segregated communities. The play is set in a prison cell, and it offers a glimpse into the lives of two men who are living under apartheid. Through their conversations, Herman and Jerry come to understand the injustice of apartheid, and they begin to see the world in a new way.

Exits and Entrances is a powerful and moving play that explores themes of loss, freedom, and identity. Through the experiences of two characters, the play offers a complex and nuanced examination of the racial and social tensions of the apartheid era. Exits and Entrances is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the history of South Africa and the human impact of apartheid.

Exits and Entrances

by Athol Fugard

4 out of 5