Winning several awards, Lynn Nottage (1964~) has solidified her status in the history of American theatre and drama, especially as the only female playwright, so far, to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama twice. This paper aims to analyze her Obie Award-winning play, Fabulation, or the Re-Education of Undine (2004) with a focus on the urban life experiences of African American women. While urban life has been a prevalent theme in literature since the advent of modernization and urbanization, there has been a lack of literary studies specifically addressing the urban experiences of African American women. Nottage’s Fabulation chronicles Undine’s downfall, transitioning from career success to bankruptcy in New York City. Through a close textual analysis of the play, this paper first explains how Undine defines her success in relation to her achievements in the city, and then examines how her career failure reshapes her urban life experience. Finally, the paper concludes that Undine’s conflicted feelings toward New York City stem from the interlocking oppressions of race, gender, and class that shape the lives of African American women. As suggested by the title, Undine’s initial act of fabulation, creating a new identity, facilitates her success in the city; however, her fabrications eventually unravel in the face of urban reality.

Authors:
Yi-Chin Shih, National Changhua University of Education, Taiwan

About the Presenter(s)
Yi-chin Shih is a professor in the Department of English at the National Changhua University of Education, Taiwan. Her research interests include modern drama, women’s literature, and cultural studies.

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