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Act 1, Scene 1: Zoot Suit
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Zoot Suit, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Racism, Nationalism, and Scapegoating
Self-Presentation and Cultural Identity
Public Perception and the Press
Advocates vs. Saviors
Summary
Analysis
Suddenly, police officers emerge with their guns out, yelling as a reporter takes pictures of the chaos. Lieutenant Edwards yells that everyone must put their hands up while his associate, Sergeant Smith, sees a white sailor and his girlfriend with the young Chicanos. Upon seeing them, Smith tells them to run off, but when Henry asks if he can do the same, Lieutenant Edwards tells him to get in line with the rest of his friends. Edwards and Smith then march them away. As they go, the members of the 38th Street Gang shout out headlines drawn from various Los Angeles newspapers. In doing so, it becomes clear that there has been a murder at a place called the Sleepy Lagoon. The headlines suggest that “Mexican youths” are responsible for the crime. As the lineup recedes, Edwards grabs Henry and throws him to the ground.
First of all, it’s worth noting that Edwards and Smith treat the white sailor much better than they treat Henry and his friends. This, of course, is because they are racist toward the Chicano population and are therefore uninterested in harassing a white man and his girlfriend. Furthermore, when the members of the 38th Street Gang call out various newspaper headlines, the audience not only sees that the presence of the press will loom large throughout the play, but also learns that newspapers are blaming “Mexican youths” for a murder. And though it’s obviously not clear at this point whether or not Henry and his friends are guilty of this crime, it’s already apparent that they most likely won’t receive fair treatment from white authorities, as evidenced by the fact that Edwards pushes Henry to the ground for no reason.
Themes
