POLITICSBy Jimbo Slice and Beebz

Background information

Play is set in the time of 1971 The Vietnam war had nearly been going for

10 years (1962) During the time of Cosi, the general

consensus of the electorate was to withdraw from the war.

This is due to an increased awareness of the war, increased casualties and the use of conscription.

A sexual revolution was occurring in terms of experimenting.

Louis Nowra

Louis’s views on politics can be expressed through his representation of the stage character Lewis.

Lewis wanted the war to end, but did not support the communists; only the withdrawal of our troops

Nowra is conservative in terms of love and fidelity.

Lewis

Lewis initially was interested in publically protesting the war, as he was helping to organise the moratorium.

Lewis’s priorities then shift later in the play when he is more interested in the play than organising the moratorium.

Lewis says he is “against this war, but I am not supporting the enemy. We must support any way of getting Australia and America out of this quagmire”

Nick

Nick is a flog This can be best seen when he does not

agree with Lewis with dressing up the characters as Albanians. “Bit of a kick in the face of a poor nation struggling to feed its people, isn’t it? Here we are, supporting the Viet Congand you’re laughing at their supporters, the Albanians.

Nick is an organiser of the moratorium and seeks to get rid of the “old, fossilised government”

Lucy (Loosey)

Lucy is not actually her real name. “Loosey” gained the name by gaining a reputation of being a firm supporter of free love.

“Loosey” believes the war is more important than anything else.

“Loosey” cannot understand why Lewis is directing a play about love and fidelity when “thousands of Vietnamese people are being killed by American troops”

Lucy is more occupied in politics than love, believing that “love is the last gasp of borgeuois romanticism”

Henry

Henry believes in the war and is extremely patriotic.

His father died in the war. Henry is more than happy to be seen like

his father when he is dressed as an Australian soldier. “Like my father?”

Conservative and whose mother loved “no on else” besides him and his father.

Cherry

Cherry is totally oblivious to any external Australian affairs.

Cherry is unaware of the war. “What’s this about Vietnam?” Cherry can be seen as not in favour of

the sexual revolution- “Most women fight hard to keep men out of their pants. You may like being foolish, but most women are not

Doug

Doug never says if he is against or for the war

Doug does though, take interest in the violence that may stem from the moratoriums- “throwing rocks at cops, overturning cars, smashing barricades”

Doug wants to give girls the old “pork rattlesnake”

Doug is in favour of the “free love” revolution

Ruth

Is too interested in illusion and reality to care about politics and the war.

Has had crazy experiences with love and has recalled being “tied up”

Ruth’s relationship failed because her partner only wanted sex. “He just wanted me for sex. Men like sex more than women because they don’t have to clean up the mess”

Zac

Zac is too preoccupied with sex to worry about a war.

Zac is for “free love”

Julie

Julie does not specify her opinion on politics and the war.

Julie is for conservatism but also argues that there are both sides to the idea of faithfulness (in terms of gender equality).