A lot of developments were being made in the 1942-1945 time period. The US started to really get involved with World War ll, and race wars were breaking out in a number of major cities. Even with all of this madness going on Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein ll were able to create two beautiful shows, Oklahoma! and Carousel. These two amazing pieces of theatre have some dynamic characters that shed light on the rural American economic, social, and sexual complexities of that time. Oklahoma! has some enjoyable music, energetic dancing, and overall happy flow that provided audiences with an escape from the harsh realities of war going on all around the world, “I’ve got a beautiful feeling, Everything’s going my way” (Hammerstein,“Oh What A Beautiful Mornin”). Rodgers and Hammerstein do a great job of sugar coating over the realities about rural …show more content…
It ain 't too early and it ain 't too late”(Hammerstein,“Oklahoma”). Oklahoma! is not so much about love but more about property, this is shown in the way that Curly defeats his rival, Jud and not only acquires some farmland but its owner as well, Laurie. Oklahoma! is set in 1906, a time where a woman’s most significant profession were regarded as being a wife or a mother. The women in Oklahoma! need men on the farm to do the jobs that women could not do in 1906. As we follow the two lead relationships we can see the regulation of sexuality & the contrasting behavior of Laurie and Ado Annie. The community is up to date with everyone’s business especially the developing relationship between Curly and Laurie, “Why do the neighbors gossip all day behind their doors?”(Hammerstein, 'People will say we’re in love”). As the story continues we see that Laurie has some trouble saying yes, but the high-spirited back and forth teasing and banter between her and Curly really sets up their relationship right from the beginning of the show, “You will sit behind a team of snow white horses”(Hammerstein, “The