Dialogue & Tension

When Wants are in Conflict with Each Other

Creative work is often the vessel for a writer to analyze relationships, particularly with family. Diana Khoi Nguyen’s Root Fractures is a type of sequel to her previous book Ghost Of in this way: chronicling the consequences of being in diaspora due to empire. Nguyen uses form to teach readers how to read her work and to better support the narrative within the form. Playwright Suzan-Lori Parks, also analyzes familial relationships in her play, TopDog/UnderDog. The two brothers, Lincoln and Booth, named after two famous figures, best known for the tragic outcome following their meeting, experience a similar tension and a similar tragic ending. Parks’ play is written unconventionally, putting more focus on the dialogue and interactions between the two characters within a confined space with the entirety of the play taking place in Booth’s apartment.