Foucaultian Discourse Analysis of Amiri Baraka’s Great Goodness of Life (1969)

Abstract

The major objective of this research is to explore and analyze the, language, segregation and social and political discourses in Imamu Amiri Baraka’s play The Great Goodness of Life (1969). This play also focuses on the cultural isolation, Black creativity, African American status, and sensibility of black Individual. Baraka/ LeRoi Jones reveals the status of black individual in twentieth century American society. In this play, Baraka presents two major characters Court Royal (An African Ameircan man) and the Voice of the Judge (an invisible character) represent the contradictions in American society. He presents the issues and problems faced by the Blacks in the segregated social and judicial system of America. This is qualitative research and Michel Foucault’s (1926-1984) Critical Discourse Analysis has been applied to this text which would help the reader to understand the social and political discourses offered by Baraka.