With the introduction of the plays, the students’ personal experiences will become connected to those of the characters involved in the dramatic social experiences to be studied. There will be questions at the beginning and end of each reading to help the student make those connections more insightful, to help them build the bridge between the world of the purely personal and the universal.
The Oxcart
“The Oxcart” by Rene Marques is a play about a Puerto Rican family’s attempts to find a better life for themselves. They move from a small, mountainous region to a slum in San Juan. Eventually they move to the Mainland, again to a slum, this time in New York City.
The following is a brief description of the main characters in the play:
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Chaguito: a streetwise adolescent; he steals, is aggressive and disrespectful, eventually ends up in jail
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Juanita: an innocent who through the transforming forces of experience and insight evolves into a strong challenging personality
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Dona Gabriela: mother of Juanita and Chaguito; a widow, who against her better judgment moves the family from the mountains to the city
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Don Chago: Dona Gabriela’s widowed father who refuses to follow the family from the mountains to the city; he represents the traditional values of the family
The story is told in simple, straightforward language (English translation) and should be suitable for students reading on grade level or below, grades 6-8. The theme of “The Oxcart” is universal. It will have a strong, immediate emotional appeal to any student who takes the time to become familiar with the “thoughts” and “feelings” of this family and its dreams for a better life.
A Synopsis of “The Oxcart”:
The action takes place in a rural, mountainous region of Puerto Rico. The family is preparing for the move to San Juan. The play indicates that the family once owned a large farm but because of storms and later government acquisition, they now live on three acres in a small house. The father has passed away and the family’s economic situation deteriorates to the point that they can no longer pay the mortgage. Luis, now the head of the family, decides that the only way to find their fortune is the move to the city of San Juan.
The family moves to a slum in San Juan. This new home is a tremendous disappointment to the entire family. They live in a shack without any land. Luis is unsuccessful in maintaining jobs in the city’s factories and eventually ends up as a gardener. Chaguito becomes seduced by the streets, steals, and eventually ends up in jail. Juanita like Chaguito begins to be corrupted by the city. She unsuccessfully attempts suicide after an abortion. Dona Gabriela remains sad and anxious concerning the family’s move from the country to the city. In spite of this she accepts Luis’s suggestion of yet another movethis time to New York City.
Finally, the family moves to a low income apartment building in the Bronx. Luis works very long hours in a factory to maintain the family. Juanita, although working, resorts to prostitution. She no longer lives at home. Chaguito remains in San Juan after being arrested for theft. Dona Gabriela is overwhelmed by all the dramatic changes in her family and gradually begins to slip into a state of resignation.
The play ends tragically when Luis is killed as a result of an accident at the factory. As a result of his death, Juanita finds within herself an inner strength. She along with Dona Gabriela decide to return to the mountains of Puerto Rico to bury Luis and begin a new and better life for the family.
I would approach the reading of this play using one, 45 minute period per day, three times a week. The play would be completed over the course of about five weeks, with some time spent acting out selections from various scenes. These “acting out “ scenes will actually be walk throughs without the benefit of scenery or memorization, but enough in the way of “production” to give the students a feel for performance. I think the readability of this play, coupled with the immediacy of the characterizations will serve to maintain a high level of interest amongst the students. It will also lend itself naturally to a close examination of the themes of family and identity.
