Hamilton’s shoutout: On a trope that silences

Brookshier, Miranda

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/103734 Copy

Description

Title

Hamilton’s shoutout: On a trope that silences

Author(s)

Brookshier, Miranda

Issue Date

2018-05-03

Keyword(s)

• Hamilton
• Hamilton Musical
• Lin-Manuel Miranda
• Slavery
• Race
• Gender
• Intersectionality
• Representation
• Casting

Abstract

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Grammy-winning musical, Hamilton, is praised for its integration of a diverse cast in the production of “a story about American then, told by America now.” This show is applauded for its use of contemporary rap and hip-hop music and its portrayal of Founding Fathers by men of color, thus allowing all viewers to revel in a shared, triumphant past. Despite Hamilton’s renown, critics have challenged the hypocrisy in Miranda’s casting, which allows people of color to portray the very white men who perpetuated a cycle of oppression through chattel slavery. While critics question the racialization of characters and the music, these historical analyses have failed to consider the lyrics’ influence in recapitulating a vision of the Revolutionary era as “whites only,” regardless of who is cast. In this essay, I argue that Hamilton’s success hinders on an incomplete view of the Founding Fathers, opting to memorialize their noble legacies and elide a troubling history with slavery. Through a close analysis of the show’s lyrics and a consideration into the intersections of race and gender, readers will see how this production ultimately centers white men and minimizes the experiences of enslavement for black women.

Publisher

University Library

Type of Resource

text

Language

en

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/103734

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2018 Miranda Brookshier

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