Essay Questions

How is Ahmed presented in the play?

Ahmed is presented as a calm, polite, and intelligent young man who is ambitious and hard-working. He does not speak very often, and can thus be contrasted with Norm, who dominates the conversation. His reservation gives him a sense of intelligence, making the audience side with him over Norm. He is never rude, despite the fact he is confronted with racism and intolerance, but instead is respectful towards Norm.

Why did this play cause controversy?

At the end of this play, Buzo included the racist slur "boong," as said by Norm. In performance, directors have the choice to include this or not, with some choosing to include it. This led to some actors across the globe being imprisoned or arrested after using this term. As such, this play provoked debate about censorship, and whether language should be censored.