Put an end to war!
That was my only response to the play Ruined, written by Lynn Nottage. Yes, previously we had read War, by Lars Noren, which also focused on the genocide in the Congo; however, I viewed Ruined to be much more graphic and harder to take. I felt so much sympathy for the characters, especially Sophie, who was ruined, and Fortune, who only wanted his wife back.
The play was the perfect example of the artist as a political activist. Lynn Nottage exposes the difficulties faced by both women and men living in the Congo, and then provides a list of websites, through which women could become involved in helping the women and ending the conflict. The playwright reveals to the reader the horrors associated with war, as well as the social and political hierarchies that exist in society.
There is no good in war…War brings out the worst in all people. As I was reading the play, I thought that Mama was a terrible person. She runs a brothel, where soldiers from both sides of the war come to relieve their stress. I couldn’t believe that a woman, who we later find out was ruined herself, would put these women in such a horrible situation. It wasn’t until we discussed the play in class that I realized that Mama really had no choice, and probably did the right thing. These women would have been condemned to the same fate, or worse, if Mama had not rescued them. This is a terrible truth about war.
During the entire play, up until the very end when Mr. Harari leaves without her, I felt so bad for Sophie. At first Mama doesn’t want to let her into the brothel, which is a point worth noting. Although it may seem selfish of Mama to not want to allow her to move in with her just because she is damaged, a possible reason for this is that Mama doesn’t want to have a constant reminder of her own past. This is understandable, and the reader must have some sympathy for Mama. Throughout the entire play, Sophie sings in the bar. Although many of the songs do have an upbeat kind of rhythm, the alienated character in books, films, and plays, is often the one who is singing. This is certainly the case in Ruined. Sophie hides money from Mama to save enough to pay for the operation that will fix her. Mama finally agrees to give her the diamond so she could have the operation, but of course Sophie is let down, when Mr. Harari leaves with the diamond and without Sophie.
The play is also a representation of the universal nature of the “American Dream.” Mr. Harari gives Mama an estimate of the value of the diamond she owns. Mama dreams of moving out of the Congo and living a better life, but in the end she gives Mr. Harari the money for Sophie to have an operation, showing her inherent good nature. Mama was a good person, but war forced her to run a brothel, a position not many woman want to have.
Of course Americans don’t view the current war in the same way that Ruined forces us to view the war in the Congo, since we aren’t experiencing the total war that is indeed taking place in Iraq. Innocent civilians are killed everyday. Although the war might not be classified as a genocide, the lives of people who have no political involvement are at risk. All wars are bad, as most plays and movies about them will reveal. Still, people can’t seem to find meaning in the line “Why can’t we all just get along.” Maybe then the world will be a better place….
