A Rat’s Mass (Masterplots II: Drama, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Adrienne Kennedy
- First Published: 1968
- Type of Plot: Surrealist
- Time of Work: A summer evening
- Setting: A house called “Rat’s Chapel”
- Principal Characters: Sister Rat, Brother Rat, Rosemary, Jesus, Joseph, Mary,, Two Wise Men, A Shepherd
- Genres: Drama
- Subjects: African Americans
- Locales: United States
The Play
A Rat’s Mass is set in the rats’ house, which is represented by two black chains forming an aisle, a red carpet runner, and candles. At the far left stand Jesus, Mary, Joseph, two Wise Men, and a Shepherd in procession formation. As the play opens, Brother Rat kneels, facing the audience, while Sister Rat stands at one end of the red aisle.
In his opening speech, Brother Rat mentions a “dying baby, Nazis, screaming girls and cursing boys, empty swings, a dark sun.” He talks about death and announces that in his vision he sees Rosemary exalted at...
[The entire page is 2746 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
See Also
