Alienation and Loneliness

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Alienation and loneliness are significant themes in Wedding Band as they truthfully reflect Julia's life situation. Due to her affection for a white man, Julia finds herself estranged from her own community. She faces rejection from both black society and her own white culture. Additionally, she has been compelled to relocate multiple times because of intrusive neighbors who disapprove of her interracial relationship with Herman. Since South Carolina law prohibits marriage and cohabitation between blacks and whites, Julia is forced to live in isolation to avoid legal prosecution and punishment.

Human Rights

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Human rights play a crucial role, as the primary conflict in Wedding Band stems from social and racial injustices. Julia and Herman lack the legal rights afforded to either a white or a black couple. Their interracial love challenges societal intolerance, manifested through unfair laws. The core of these laws, which prohibit interracial marriage, is the intent to maintain racial segregation. Wedding Band effectively advocates for the right of all individuals to love freely and coexist as equals.

Custom and Tradition

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Julia and Herman symbolize a new era in the American South during the 20th century. Their relationship challenges the entrenched racial segregation of their time. Social norms dictate that Julia should love and marry a black man, and even the law supports this custom. However, in this play, Julia strives to assert her right to challenge and redefine these customs and traditions.

Freedom

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The restriction on personal choices highlights the significance of freedom in Wedding Band. Julia and Herman are denied the fundamental freedom to love and wed; laws obstruct this freedom, preventing this white man and black woman from exercising personal choice regarding whom they can love and marry.

Friendship

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Julia's eagerness to lend money to Mattie and assist her with reading the letter from October highlights the theme of friendship in Wedding Band. Julia's longing for companionship motivated her to return to the city. Although living in the countryside offered her some protection from the law, it also led to a deep loneliness. This loneliness compelled her to risk social exclusion and potential legal issues if her relationship with Herman were to be exposed. The theme of friendship is further emphasized through the connection between the women in the play—Julia, Mattie, and Lula—which serves as a united front against the poverty and racism that infiltrate their lives.

Limitations and Opportunities

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All the characters in Wedding Band are constrained by both their location and the era in which they live. Julia is unable to marry the man she loves because legal restrictions dictate who is eligible for marriage. Herman is trapped by his obligations to repay a loan, preventing him from breaking free from his mother to marry the woman he loves. Despite being abused and abandoned by her first husband, Mattie cannot legally obtain a divorce. The law denies her the chance to marry her partner of eleven years, who is also the father of her child, and poverty restricts her ability to relocate to seek the necessary divorce. Nelson faces limitations imposed by the social conditions of the time, which require him to risk his life defending his country while simultaneously denying him protection from the racism of his fellow citizens.

Prejudice and Tolerance

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Prejudice and tolerance are central themes in Wedding Band because it is the community's bigotry and societal racism that prevent Julia and Herman from marrying and seeking medical help for the ailing Herman. While it's evident that Herman's mother harbors prejudice against black individuals, it's also clear that the black characters in Wedding Band are wary of the white characters, especially Herman. Furthermore, Julia's isolation from her community stems from prejudice...

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and intolerance. She lives alone, relocates often, and lacks friendships because society has dictated that whites and blacks cannot marry. The law prohibiting their marriage highlights the deep social intolerance and prejudice that existed in the southern United States earlier in the century.

Additionally, there is a class-based prejudice within both white and black communities. Fannie considers herself superior to her tenants because she owns property, while Herman's mother disapproves of her daughter's marriage to a "common sailor." Both Fannie and Herman's mother demonstrate that subtle forms of prejudice can be just as oppressive as the more overt racial biases that create tension in the play.

Race and Racism

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The predominant theme in Wedding Band is race and racism. Racism is the root cause of Herman's demise and the decade-long suppression of love. It is central to a law that prohibits marriages between blacks and whites. Wedding Band explores how legal authority and societal customs perpetuate racism within society. The play also showcases other forms of racism. Characters display intolerance towards Jews, Germans, and even each other. Through their actions and dialogue, the play illustrates that racism extends beyond white oppression of blacks; it also includes the mistrust black Americans have towards white Americans.

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