Leadership Style In John Sayles Lone Star

During a scene in John Sayles’ Lone Star, a character named Otis Payne is having a long awaited conversation with his distant son, Colonel Delmar Payne, about Delmar’s current position as Colonel and Otis’ current position as the “Mayor of Darktown.” The “Mayor of Darktown” is a phrase used to show the influence Otis has on the black people of Fontera. After some discussion about Delmar’s return to Fontera, the place Delmar likes to run away from, he said, “The Army hands you a command, you go wherever it is” (1). Delmar is preaching that it is necessary to allow the Army, or in most cases, an authoritative figure, to have a great influence on what one chooses to do with one’s life. It is easier to oblige to any authoritative figure, because when you do not, there will be consequences. Delmar says this to prove that the army was his authoritative figure, due to the fact that Otis was not there for Delmar most of the time. He speaks that commands provide structure to one’s chaotic life. Sayles uses

In more than one occasion Mercedes reminds her undocumented employee, Enrique, to “speak English” because they “are in America” (7) it is the most obvious act that can differentiate Mexican and American lifestyle. Mercedes want her Mexican employees to speak English in order to stray away unwanted attention. When removing Spanish communication, it does not allow for one to be seen as a different individual allowing them to blend in with the American community. Some may say that Mercedes chooses to restrict her employees from speaking Spanish in order to make the employees feel more comfortable when talking to her American customers. However, Mercedes’ employees are not speaking the language that they are comfortable speaking in, but instead are speaking one that is not familiar with their native tongue in order to make communications easier between her employees and the