How and Why Is It All Relevant To 'Road'?
The Contextual Research is used to highlight the socio-economic circumstances in which the play is set. I have chosen to highlight some of Margaret Thatcher's reign, Music that may have influenced people, and the historical belonging that Skin-Lad identified in becoming a Skinhead and his subsequent conversion to Buddhism.
Margaret Thatcher's reign as the first female British prime minister was so prominent during the 1980's since it was such a massive turning point, in terms of the perception on society as a whole, when she came to power. Whilst in power, she was known to be a competitor - never backing down to anything. This is one of the main reasons why she is remembered today.
All of the economic issues that arose during the 1970's, during the recession, saw tough times for people throughout the UK, but particularly so for the people up North. In the 1980's, as the country came out of the recession, wealth returned slowly to the south of the UK. The ensuing miners strikes and the subsequent closure of coal pits lead to significant poverty and deprivation in many towns in the north of the country, leading to mass unemployment and little retraining or skills to move people into other work.
As we see in Road, many of the characters are unemployed and have little or no prospect of getting a job. Most feel that the government has forgotten them and they are being left to rot in their little towns and villages. Even today there is still many areas that never recovered fully after the pits closed. The characters in Road see all of these changes happen right in front of them, yet they do nothing for themselves to get out of it. They all become so despondent that they don't feel that there's any future for them, and that nothing good will ever come their way. This is why they resort to drinking, drugs and prostitution in order to forget their problems in the world.
How Does This All Change My Understanding and Interpretation of Skin-Lad?
When first reading 'Road', I had perceived Skin-Lad as a violent thug more than anything else. I knew nothing of the era which the play takes place in, so this is what motivated me to go out and research about the 1980's, to give me a more educational understanding in the social and economic circumstances in which the residents of 'Road' find themselves in.
The evolution of my character changed considerably by the understanding of the research I had completed throughout the project. My interpretation of Skin-Lad had changed from me viewing him as a non-social violent thug to what I now think is a messed up, confused, depressed young man looking for the right answers to his own identity.
The problems that occurred during the 1980's and also the people that appear in 'Road' has made a massive impact upon Skin-Lad's own persona. Residents view him as yet another low life who had stumbled his way into their own little prison, trapped by their own incompetence and ignorance, unwilling to seek out any changes that may benefit them in having a different kind of future for themselves. Skin-Lad finds this when he converts to Buddhism - he realizes what kind of situation he's in by being a part of 'Road' and seeks to find his own escape from this harsh world to something much better.
