Artistic Representation and Racial Boundary

The critiques of Eugene O’Neill and Charles Gilpin by the African Americans in Harlem in the 1920s surrounding the production of the Emperor Jones reflect the double consciousness of African Americans towards their identity. The controversies ignite two questions: Is a white playwright's representation of unworthy characters of African origin worthy in America in the 1920s? Does a white playwright have artistic freedom of using a stereotypical image to represent a black character on stage when African Americans suffer social discriminations in reality? This paper maintains its primary focus on the relation between artistic freedom and racial boundary when the artist belongs to racial majority and the character racial minority.