Errol John - Moon on a Rainbow Shawl

 

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Errol John - Moon on a Rainbow Shawl

Introduction:

In this edition we turn our gaze to a pivotal figure in postcolonial drama, the Trinidadian playwright and actor Errol John, and his seminal work, Moon on a Rainbow Shawl. First staged in London in 1957, this play shattered barriers, becoming one of the first plays from the Caribbean to achieve major international acclaim. It offers a raw, vibrant, and deeply moving portrait of life in a Port of Spain slum in the aftermath of the Second World War, exploring universal themes of dreams, disillusionment, and the human spirit's resilience.

This newsletter Errol John - Moon on a Rainbow Shawl will serve as a comprehensive guide, breaking down the play's plot, themes, and characters, while also introducing and explaining key literary and technical terms you will encounter in your studies. Whether you're an undergraduate just beginning to explore Caribbean literature or a postgraduate conducting deeper research, this resource is designed for you.

Errol John as a Dramatist

Errol John (1924-1988) was a multi-talented artist: an actor, journalist, and playwright.

• His background as an actor (he performed Shakespearean roles and in films like The African Queen) deeply informed his writing. He had an innate understanding of stagecraft, dialogue, and character motivation.
• Moon on a Rainbow Shawl was his breakthrough, winning the Observer playwriting competition in 1957. While he wrote other screenplays and plays, this remains his defining work.
• His work is celebrated for giving a authentic voice to the Caribbean experience on the international stage, paving the way for future generations of playwrights like Mustapha Matura and Derek Walcott.

Summary of Moon on a Rainbow Shawl

Set over three days in the cramped, dilapidated "Old Mack's Yard" in Port of Spain, Trinidad, the play is a poignant tragicomedy (a play that blends tragic and comic elements to reflect the complexity of life).

• Act I: We are introduced to the yard's residents as a hot evening falls. The central character, Ephraim, a young trolleybus driver, dreams of escaping his impoverished life for a new start in Liverpool, England. We meet the struggling Adams family: Sophia, her drunkard husband Charlie (a former cricket star), their bright daughter Esther (who has won a scholarship), and their newborn baby. Ephraim's girlfriend, Rosa, who works in Old Mack's café, is being pursued by her wealthy, older employer. The act establishes a simmering tension between dreams and the harsh reality of the yard.
• Act II: Tensions escalate. Rosa discovers Charlie has stolen money from Old Mack's café to fund his drinking. She confides in Ephraim, who reacts with anger, not at the crime, but at her for telling the police. In a crucial scene, Ephraim reveals his plan to leave for England the next day and coldly abandons Rosa, even after she reveals she is pregnant with his child.
• Act III: The consequences of everyone's actions come to a head. Charlie is arrested for the theft. Ephraim, despite offers of help to bail Charlie out, remains resolute in his escape. In a final, heartbreaking confrontation, he reveals his profound selfishness to Sophia, declaring the fate of his unborn child makes "no damn difference" to him. He departs in a taxi, leaving a devastated Rosa to seemingly accept the advances of Old Mack for the sake of her child. The play ends not with despair, but with a glimmer of hope as Esther returns, calling for her mother.

Critical Appreciation & The Play's Significance

Moon on a Rainbow Shawl is rightly considered a canonical work (a text of established importance and authority within a literary tradition) of Black and postcolonial theatre.

• Pioneering Realism: John brought a new, unflinching realism to the British stage. He depicted the lives of working-class Caribbean people with authenticity and dignity, moving away from stereotypical portrayals. The play’s setting is not just a backdrop but a character in itself—the claustrophobic yard symbolises the entrapment felt by its inhabitants.
• Linguistic Authenticity: The use of Trinidadian Creole (an English-based creole language with its own grammatical structures and vocabulary) was revolutionary. It authenticates the characters' voices and roots the play firmly in its cultural context. For example, lines like "Thief from thief, child, does make Jehovah laugh" are rich with local flavour and philosophical weight.
• Enduring Relevance: Its themes—economic migration, systemic poverty, gender inequality, and the corrosive nature of broken dreams—are as relevant today as they were in the 1950s. It speaks powerfully to the postcolonial condition and the diasporic experience.

Major Themes 

• The Dream of Escape vs. The Reality of Home: This is the central conflict. Ephraim believes England is a "green land of hope and glory," a place where he can reinvent himself. His desire to escape is contrasted with the resilience of Sophia and Rosa, who choose to stay and face their struggles, representing a different kind of strength.
• Gender and Power: The play presents a stark contrast between its male and female characters. The men (Ephraim, Charlie, Old Mack, Prince) are largely flawed, weak, or exploitative. The women (Sophia, Rosa, Esther), however, are portrayed as strong, pragmatic, and morally centred, often bearing the emotional and economic burdens created by the men.
• Poverty and Social Inequality: The yard is a microcosm of a stratified society. Old Mack's wealth and power over his tenants and employees highlight the class divisions. The characters' actions, particularly Charlie's theft, are directly motivated by the desperate circumstances poverty creates.
• The Post-War Postcolonial Condition: The play is set just after WWII, a time of great change. The departure of American troops from Trinidad caused an economic slump. This historical context is crucial; the characters' sense of instability and lack of opportunity is directly linked to the island's position within global politics and the fading British Empire.

Character Sketches

• Ephraim: The protagonist (the central character driving the action) but decidedly not a hero. He is hardworking and perceptive but ultimately selfish, cynical, and sexist. His dream of escape corrupts his morality, leading him to abandon all responsibility. He represents the destructive potential of ambition untethered from community.
• Sophia Adams: The emotional anchor of the play. She is weary but fiercely spirited, a woman worn down by poverty and a disappointing husband but who never loses her fighting spirit or her deep love for her children. She is the play's moral compass.
• Rosa: A tragic figure who represents lost innocence. Orphaned and raised by nuns, she is loving and trusting. Her love for Ephraim and subsequent pregnancy lead to her ultimate disillusionment. Her likely decision to stay with Old Mack at the end shows her pragmatism but also her tragic corruption for survival's sake.
• Esther Adams: A symbol (a person, object, or event that represents a larger idea) of hope for the future. Her intelligence and scholarship represent the potential for a new generation to break the cycle of poverty through education, not escape.
• Charlie Adams: A pathetic (in the literary sense, meaning evoking pity and sadness) figure. A former cricket star broken by institutional racism and his own addiction, he embodies the waste of potential and the devastating impact of colonialism on the individual.

Literary Techniques & Technical Terms (Explained)

John employs several sophisticated techniques to bring his world to life:

1. Symbolism: Objects or elements that carry a deeper meaning.

·   The Rainbow Shawl: Represents Rosa's beauty, dreams, and innocence. It is the colourful, beautiful thing upon which her hopes are literally laid to rest.

·   The Moon: A traditional symbol of dreams and romance, but here it is "on a rainbow shawl"—something beautiful but ultimately out of reach, just like Ephraim's dreams of England.

·  Snow/Ice: Ephraim's repeated desire for snow symbolises his desire for a completely different, pure, foreign environment, contrasting with the oppressive heat of Trinidad.

2. Soundscape: John meticulously uses sound to create atmosphere and meaning, a technique sometimes linked to the acoustic concepts in psychoanalytic theory.

·   Diegetic Sound: Sounds that originate from within the world of the play, like the calypso music, children's rhymes, the baby crying, and the taxi horn. These sounds create immense verisimilitude (the appearance of being true or real).

·    The Calypso "Brown Skin Gal": This song is used with devastating irony. As Ephraim abandons Rosa, the lyrics "Brown skin gal stay home and mind baby... if I don’t come back, throw ‘way the damn baby" directly mock her situation, highlighting her powerlessness.

3. Setting as a Character: The yard is not passive. Its cramped, dilapidated nature creates a claustrophobic mood and directly influences the characters' actions and conflicts, pushing them into each other's paths and arguments.

4. Tragicomedy: The play blends humour (often from Prince and Mavis's relationship) with profound tragedy (Rosa's abandonment, Charlie's arrest). This mix reflects the complex texture of real life, where joy and sorrow often coexist.

Key Points

1. Postcolonial Literature: Literature from countries that were once colonies, often dealing with themes of identity, power, and resistance. This play is a key text in this field.
2. Caribbean Theatre: The dramatic tradition of the Caribbean, known for its vibrant storytelling, use of Creole, and engagement with social and political history.
3. Diaspora: The dispersion of any people from their original homeland. The play explores the motivations for and consequences of joining the diaspora.
4. Marxist Critique: An analysis focusing on class conflict, economic determinism, and the exploitation of the working class (the proletariat) by the property-owning class (the bourgeoisie, e.g., Old Mack).
5. Feminist Critique: An analysis that examines how the play portrays gender relations. It highlights the patriarchal structure of the society and the resilience of the female characters.
6. Psychoanalytic Theory (Lacanian Concepts): While not explicitly mentioned in the text, a sophisticated analysis could use Jacques Lacan's ideas.

• The Symbolic Order: The world of language, law, and social structures. Ephraim believes England represents a better Symbolic Order where he can succeed.
• The Real: A traumatic, overwhelming reality that cannot be easily symbolised or understood. The harsh poverty and lack of opportunity in the yard could be seen as the terrifying "Real" the characters are trying to navigate.
• Desire: Lacan argues desire is always for something we lack. Ephraim's desire for England is a classic example—it is based on an imagined lack in his current life and an imagined fulfilment elsewhere.

Famous Excerpt

A powerful moment that encapsulates Ephraim's character and the play's central conflict comes from his final confrontation with Sophia:

Sophia: (Pleading with him not to leave Rosa pregnant) "What about the child?"

Ephraim: "The baby born! It live! It dead! It make no damn difference to me!"

This brutal line reveals the full extent of his selfishness and the tragic cost of his dream.

Conclusion

Moon on a Rainbow Shawl is more than a historical artefact; it is a living, breathing piece of drama that continues to resonate. Errol John’s masterful blend of gritty realism, poetic symbolism, and authentic dialogue creates a powerful and enduring critique of social inequality and a moving testament to the human spirit. It is an essential text for anyone seeking to understand the roots and themes of postcolonial and Caribbean literature.