Carmen Jones Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Carmen Jones - Essay Example Carmen Jones was a 1943 musical which was later adapted to film in 1954. Much of the original cast was African American during a time in this country when segregation was still prominent. This fictional story is centered around one character by the name of Carmen Jones and is done so in musical fashion. Carmen Jones is a young woman who makes parachutes for the flyboys in the American military. Incidentally, Carmen falls in love with one flyboy in particular named Joe. Joe however, is initially in love with another girl by the name of Cindy Lou. Joe intends to marry Cindy Lou on his next day of leave only to spurn Carmen’s jealousy enough to cause her to destroy a parachute. Since the parachute is government property, Carmen is in danger of getting in to trouble for doing so, so she must flea and does so with Joe. As they run off together, Carmen is able to both enchant and seduce Joe, who quickly forgets about Cindy Lou. As a result, Joe does not return to his post as he is s upposed to and therefore is court marshaled. Carmen in the meantime, meets a boxer in a saloon who invites her and her friends to attend his next boxing match. At first, Carmen does not consent to go but then later sees the wealth bestowed on her friends by Husky the boxer, and so therefore decides to accept the advances of Husky while rejecting Joe altogether. While at the apartment of Husky the boxer, Carmen has her cards read to her wherein she learns that death is soon coming for her. Additionally, Joe is confronted with Cindy Lou who wishes fro him to return to her and marry her. He rejects her completely as he is in love with Carmen. Incidentally, it is Joe who comes for her shortly after this in hopes of convincing her to come back to him. When she rejects him, he kills her thereby fulfilling the prophecy of the cards. In looking at the multi-layered themes of this piece, there is a lot to