Abstract
This paper aims to interpret both the female
 characters in Naomi Wallace’s play And I and Silence (2011), Jamie and
 Dee’s desire to be free and their resistance to power within the framework of
 Michel Foucault's Discipline and Punish (1975). Emphasizing concepts
 such as power, freedom, and resistance, Foucault advocates that nobody is out
 of power for there exists no place absent of power. Furthermore, it is
 impossible not to mention freedom wherever there are power and resistance where
 freedom exists. Wallace introduces her audience to two female characters who
 had been convicted of different crimes and then met in prison. Jamie is African
 American while Dee is a white American woman. Both women dream of making a good
 life together after being set free. The moment that they do get released, they
 deem that they have gotten rid of disciplinary power, and are free. However,
 both of them begin to resist as they encounter power again. Characters who feel
 the power much more as they resist eventually accept that power is everywhere.
 They commit suicide in order to find freedom, regardless whether or not it is
 an exact solution. As a result, Wallace effectively reveals the American power
 system through her avant-garde play. Wallace's characters, moreover, are
 dramatic instances of Foucault's conceptualization of power, freedom, and
 resistance. 
Published Version (Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have