Kamau By Alani Apio Character Analysis

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The play Kamau by Alani Apio exhibits a very strong example of the dramatic difference between the ways that local and non-local people view the value of land. The main character Alika is much attached to the land that his family has lived on for years, as the land that they’ve lived on has become their undeniable home. Alika works for a tour company that takes tourists around the island and gives a brief history of things that have happened on the island. However, Alika’s boss, Jim, is employed at a company that has just bought the land that Alika and his family live on and this company plans to build a resort in place of Alika’s home. The land in question has two very different meanings to two very different people. The struggle and …show more content…

Michael catches and sells fish for a living and the tourist company initially wanted to sell tickets to tourists to watch Michael fish. It is not the mere arrogance of Jim and his superiors that is so disturbing, but more so his incredible ability to overlook the possible feelings that Alika and his family might be going through in their current situation. They are not being treated as is they should even have any say in the matter as far as what is scheduled to happen to them. In Scene 8, Alika and Michael are on the beach very late at night when they are approached by a security guard who asks them to leave because the owners of the land do not want anyone there, especially at such an unreasonable hour. What Michael has yet to realize at this point, though, is that the land his family as known as home for several years, no longer belongs to the family that has been allowing them to live there thus far. Upon returning home, a very angry Michael tells Alika, Oh, yeah? What they goin’ do? Make us one touris’ attraction? Hah? You goin’ bring ‘em on youa tours down hea? (Imitating Alika.) “Here we are folks, here’s a poor Hawaiian family doing some traditional Hawaiian fishing!” So what, cuz, whatchua friends goin’ do fo’us poor Hawaiians? Michael

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