39 pages • 1 hour read
Alice ChildressTrouble in Mind
Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 1955A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
In what ways does Trouble in Mind mirror the story of the play’s long journey to Broadway?
Describe the significance of Wiletta and Henry’s relationship. How do their conversations at the end of each act frame the action that precedes them?
How does Wiletta’s relationship with theater as an institution change throughout the course of the play? Is her reverence for theater used against her? If so, how does this comment on the theme of Power Dynamics and Art?
The three women in the play take three different stances on the politics of theater. Pick two of the three to compare and contrast their stances, and be sure to track the evolution of these stances.
Describe the impact of the generational gap between the characters in Trouble in Mind.
Pick one of the characters in the play and describe their character arc. Are they flat or round, static or dynamic? What narrative purpose they serve? Do they exemplify one of the play’s core themes? If so, how?
In what ways is the American theater today different than it was during the time period of the play? In what ways is it the same?
How does Sheldon’s lived experience inform his relationship with the white people in the company?
What are some of the impossible standards set for Black actors that are highlighted in Trouble in Mind?
Why, in your opinion, does Alice Childress frequently refer to the real-life civil rights events that happened in Montgomery, Alabama? How do references to real-world events shape the play?
