Racial Struggles and Struggles of Women in Ge...

Racial Struggles and Struggles of Women in George Ryga’s “The Ecstasy of Rita Joe”

Author Name : S. Sushmitha

ABSTRACT

George Ryga has taken up the contemporary social problems facing the Indians alcohol, drug-abuse, suicide, family violence, racism and other environmental issues.  Rita Joe is the heroine of George Ryga’s The Ecstasy of Rita Joe; she represents the entire set of hopeless Canadian Indians. By her sufferings, she brings to light the sufferings of all the helpless Canadian Indians. Rita's death becomes symbolic. It stands for the pathetic deaths of numerous young Canadian Indians who become victims of the whites. Ryga indicts Canadian justice, education, the church and the condescending social workers. In this entire play we can see that there isa lot of racial struggles and it also depicts the struggles of women, though she fights throughout she was raped and murdered at the end of the play. 

Keywords: Alcohol, suicide, drug abuse, sufferings, racism