On Sunday, February 13,
I attended the afternoon performance of Adrift on the Mississippi. The
play was written by Brian A. Grandison and was directed by James A. Williams.
It detailed the story of slaves who escaped from their masters and rode down
the Mississippi River on a raft in order to obtain freedom in the northern part
of the country. Throughout the play, the main characters confessed that their
harsh life of slavery made them bitter and resentful towards white men. They
also admitted slavery made them perpetually afraid of being whisked off to the
south again before they reach the free soil of the north. The play did not shy
away from the brutality of slavery, but showed how evil and destructive the
practice really was.
Adrift on the Mississippi reminded
me of Martin Luther King's Letter from a Birmingham Jail.Martin Luther
King was fighting for the freedom of all African American people, and was
trying to be the voice of reason in a very confused world. The same can be said
of the slaves who took a raft up the Mississippi River. The main character,
Reverend Hickman, was trying to be the voice of reason when he comforted his
companions on the raft and explained that God loved them and that they should
follow Him. He explained that people should pray to God and follow Him, even in
difficult times. He also explained that God's mind won't always be swayed by a
person's wants and concerns; sometimes, God allows terrible things to happen.
Both Reverend Hickman and Martin Luther King were men of God, who tried to help
people see the light of truth and equality when the world was going through a
very dark and confusing time.
I really enjoyed viewing Adrift on the Mississippi. It opened my eyes to
the harsh realities of slavery, and helped me see how the hearts of slaves were
embittered by the cruelties they had to endure. It also showed me that one's
relationship with God isn't teleological. The slaves didn't deserve to be in
slavery, yet God allowed them to be beaten and abused. Also, the cut on one of
the main characters hands wasn't a punishment from God that he had brought upon
himself because of his transgressions. One's relationship with God is
ontological, and God is will to forgive anyone who repents of their sins. Even
the soldier who cut another man's hands off and nailed them to a tree would be
forgiven if he repented. All in all, this play showed me that the lives people
lead are not necessarily a product of what good or evil things they have done.
Life is what it is, and God should be praised regardless of whether one's life
is spectacular or distressing.
