Kia Corthron’s subversive African American dramaturgy on the paratext of post-911 Racism

Abstract EN

This case study addresses the scarcity of scholarly attention to two recent plays by African American playwright Kia Corthron 7 )2002(11and Snapshot Silhouette .)2004( The urgency of highlighting these plays is directly related to their peculiar critique of contemporary global issues, such as post-9/11 profiling and the ensuing War on Terror.

In this respect, Corthron‘s focal plays interrogate racialized representations and stereotypes of Arabs and Muslims, which are currently constructing a hegemonic chapter in American history since 9/11 attacks .Arguably, Corthron‘s focal plays define post-9/11 discrimination as motivated by linguistic abuse that enforces a paratextual control over cultural interpretations.

Most importantly, they contribute to the African American literary and cultural response to post-9/11 discourse by particularly contesting the normalized subjection of black identity to dominant politics of antiterror.

Alternatively, Corthron‘s plays present a counterdiscourse that embraces the ―cleansing‖ of language and initiation of Arab ,Muslim, and African American dialogue along lines of decoloniality and justice .My proposed reading integrates and engages narratological and postcolonial critiques of Western domination over textuality to construe the politics of the War on Terror .