Shimmer ch. 1

It took me a while to figure out the context of the play Shimmer. I did not understand what the deal was with this Juvinille facility, because according to the protaganist, most of the characters did not commit any crimes, and were actually innocent kids who have never broken the law. Throughout the first chapter, it is basically about how the kids banded together. They create their own way of communication, as they are not allowed to talk to eachother and it is called "Shimmers". Issues with race, ethnicity, and religion are not too prevelent in the play, but, some of the struggles that come with being part of a minority race can be seen and how they deal with it. They all band together strongly, doing everything in their power to get around the system and disobey. This mutual bonding, through the struggles experienced, is such a common theme with minority races. It is seen in almost every movement involving prejudice and mistreatment of a group of people. In the Civil Rights movement, African Americans banded together to take on the majority, and through this banding together through mutual struggle, they took on the oppressers and succeded. When a group of people is segregated, although maybe it may not be the case of segregation in this case, but they are certainly oppresed and not treated fairly, it is vital and so important to band together and fight against the system. To back down, except their unjust "punishment", not even being able to communicate, they will never succeed and defeat the powerful oppresers. Eventually they try to make a plan to escape the oppressors, this is like the succeeding of the Civil Rights movement in that they eventually fought and got their freedom, free of segregation and oppression, and eventually, in Shimmer, they successfully escape via careful planning. Race, ethnicity, and religion may not be directly related to this text, but the prices that go hand and hand with it like oppression, is what makes this play relatable.

Nick