Aggression in August Wilson’s King Hedley II

Abstract

The need for investigating the stereotypical image of the African American males as aggressive, criminal individuals brings this research to address this sensitive issue. But the stereotypes of the African American have drawn the attention of many black writers and psychiatrists who tried to dismantle these images by revealing the social, psychological, and socioeconomic factors which contribute in this phenomenon. This paper highlights the reasons that drive the black males to adopt aggression through analyzing August Wilson’s King Hedley II (1999). In this play, Wilson portrays the widely spread aggression and its negative consequences. He also goes a step further and suggests a solution that the paper questions its validity.