The Climate of the World

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 November 8th, 2025

 Outside, it is 39 degrees Fahrenheit with snowy conditions on the way

 In the news: Russia continues to bombard Ukraine as the war drags on.  Rapid Support forces have taken control of the city of El-Fasher after over five hundred days of siege in the Sudanese Civil War. A UPS airplane lost its engine during takeoff and crashed just seconds after it got airborne, killing its three pilots and eleven people on the ground. The current government shutdown has officially become the longest in American history and is affecting air traffic. An ongoing legal case is going on for the five-year-old boy who died in a hyperbaric chamber in Troy, Michigan. Also, the $137-million-dollar bill to build a new library and improve roads was rejected in the city. Troy High School has recently celebrated its seventy-fifth anniversary of teaching students.

 

Throughout the reading of the book, many have said that many of the white characters in this play are very racist. This makes sense as Jason does have a swastika on his cheek. However, I believe that the behaviors that these characters have are not racism, but rather an expression of fear and jealousy. Tracy is not innately racist. For her first-twenty-some-odd years working at the factory, her best friend is a black woman. It was not until Cynthia was sitting at a fancy desk that race even became a question. Tracy is so hurt that her friend left her and is now making more money, so she blames the only true difference between them: skin color. There is also a fear factor involved in this behavior. When people fear they will wake up without a job, they tend to project that fear onto others. This is what I believe is happening in this play.

 

 

Comments

  1. Vighnesh ChandaNovember 9, 2025 at 2:26 PM

    Hi Gabe, I must say when you said having Swastika on you cheek is not racism I gasped, however reading further about why you said that, TBH I agree with you as I to found myself to sympathize with Cynthia's situtation, and perhaps think that her crashout was partially valid. Good Job!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Aum PatelNovember 9, 2025 at 7:38 PM

    You make a thoughtful point about how fear and jealousy can disguise themselves as racism. I like how you used Tracy and Cynthia’s friendship to show that the conflict is rooted more in insecurity than pure hate.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Noah KwokNovember 9, 2025 at 11:09 PM

    Though I agree that fear may be a reason for many of the actions of the characters, it should not be used as an excuse. In the first scene Jason is told that he should remove his tattoo as it may cause problems outside of prison. Additionally, Jason makes many suggestive comments on Chris's race and him wanting to get better education.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Suleman ChowdharyNovember 10, 2025 at 12:19 AM

    I think you did a really good job of mimicking Lynn Nottage's play writing style at the start with your narration of current world circumstances. It really shows how no matter the time period, our world faces the same chaos that lead to job losses in Sweat. I also like how you deeply analyzed Tracy's moral standings and didn't inherently call her racist when most viewers would. Your sympathy is very evident.

    ReplyDelete

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