'Crime And Justice In Zoot Suit'

Crime and justice are two common themes that have been presented to English 210. All of the works that have been read in the class relate directly back to crime and justice in America. It is interesting to contemplate why writers are so interested in bringing fourth the topics of crime and justice. Literature is interested in the topics of crime and justice because it has the ability to find a deeper meaning through a story and engage with humanistic themes. Wrongdoing, integrity, and prejudice in America will be proven by taking texts from three works that have been evaluated over the course of English 210, such as poetry, dramas, and novels. Through Literature, writers hope to shed light of the corruption, crime, destruction, and injustice of individuals in America to the audience. Poetry can

Dramas allow humanistic themes to be tangible through the characters, the lighting, the movement, and the dialect. Zoot Suit by Luis Valdez describes the stereotypes race can bring about. In short, during the Chicano movement, characters in Zoot Suit were arrested, not because of any proof of crime, but because of their Hispanic race. An instance where this becomes abundantly clear is when the characters are in the court room when the judge keeps allowing misconduct: “Quite frankly, Mr. Shearer, I am getting rather tired of your repeated useless objections” (Valdez 60). At this point in the play, one understands that the biased judge has already made up his mind that the Hispanic “criminals” are guilty. Through Zoot Suit, the audience is able to realize that one’s race has a lot to do with the outcomes of their everyday life, which is an issue that America continues to have. Overall, the drama Zoot Suit by Luis Valdez analyzes the injustice of individuals in America due to their race, and the play can allow the audience to understand and see the problem