Gloria Naylor’s Mama
Day seems to find inspiration in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, but it is not a total reimagining of the plot with new
characters and setting. The story takes
several different turns than its comparison, and only a few themes seem to
carry over. These similarities too can
seem a stretch at times. Parallels include
an island setting, the power of natural magic, and a young couple. These similarities though are seemingly
generic, and Shakespeare’s work is not the only to implement these themes by
far. This poses a problem when trying to
directly compare the two when reading.
I, personally, was confused when first reading the novel, as I tried to
find each characters corresponding counterpart from the other work. There are no clear, direct foils; however,
Mama Day can somewhat represent a Prospero character and George and Cocoa
Ferdinand and Miranda respectively. The
differences in these characters though help to advance the plot as well as add
new depth to the understanding of it. The
changes and depth added to the characters George and Cocoa from their
Shakespearian counterparts ultimately changes the overall tone of the
story. The Tempest had an ending like that of a classical comedy: problems
are resolved and lovers get married. Mama
Day adds actual dynamics to the Miranda and Ferdinand like characters, and
their changes and interactions helps advance to the very different tragedy like
ending. Ultimately, Naylor uses the
similarities to help tell a new story based on the themes and untold static
characters of Shakespeare’s work.
