This research aims to analyze the characters in two seminal plays: The People of Beijing by Chinese playwright Cao Yu and The People of the Cave by Egyptian writer Tawfiq Al-Hakim. Both works delve deeply into the human condition, exploring themes of tradition, modernity, and the conflicts of identity within changing societies.
In The People of Beijing, the characters epitomize the decline of traditional Chinese family structures during the early 20th century. Each character represents a facet of societal struggles, such as the tension between old values and emerging modern ideologies. The patriarch Zeng Hao symbolizes rigidity and decay, while Su Fang embodies hope and sacrifice, offering a sharp contrast to the stagnant family dynamics.
Conversely, The People of the Cave examines existential and spiritual themes through its characters who awaken in a modern world after centuries of sleep. Al-Hakim uses these characters to highlight the disorientation and alienation caused by temporal displacement. The interplay between the characters' past beliefs and the new world's realities underscores the inevitable clash between tradition and progress.
The analysis reveals that, despite their distinct cultural and historical contexts, both plays employ characters as allegorical tools to critique societal transformation and the loss of identity. The research concludes that Cao Yu and Al-Hakim skillfully depict the struggles of individuals torn between tradition and modernity, providing profound insights into human resilience and vulnerability.