The Ecstasy of Rita Joe | The Ecstasy of Rita Joe

At a glance:

Author: George Ryga
First Published: 1970
Type of Plot: Social realism
Time of Work: The late 1960’s
Setting: An unnamed city
Principal Characters: Rita Joe, Jaimie Paul, David Joe, The Magistrate, The Singer, Mr. Homer, Miss Donahue
Genres: Social realism, Drama
Subjects: Justice, 1960’s, United States or Americans, Memory, Racism, Prejudices or antipathies, Trials, Native Americans or American Indians, City life, Imagination
Locales: United States

The Ecstasy of Rita Joe begins as a trial. Rita Joe is the defendant, alone and without representation, against a policeman, who acts as witness against her, and the Magistrate, who will decide her fate. As the Magistrate’s opening lines demonstrate, he is determined to be stern but fair. Rita Joe’s first words, however, undermine the Magistrate’s eloquent exposition: She was picked up by undercover policemen who offered her money and then arrested her for prostitution. The Magistrate continues his paean to justice while Rita Joe professes her innocence...

The Ecstasy of Rita Joe | The Ecstasy of Rita Joe

At a glance:

The Play

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