Zoot suit by Luis Valdez

Zoot Suit

The Frustration of Youth in Valdez's Zoot Suit

One of the standard ways in which Western society has viewed its social issues, both past and present, is through drama. In contemporary American drama, the personal psychological struggles of certain characters are often combined with larger events to lead to a greater understanding of difficult and defining moments in American history. By personalizing such moments, the audience is given a way to identify with the events, even if they are unlike anything that has happened in their own lives. This is exactly what Luis Valdez does in his play Zoot Suit. Though the play is about many things, the action centers around the young Henry Reyna and his struggle to define his own identity in a world that labels and oppresses him.

Henry Reyna is a young Latino who is arrested for a murder he didn't commit and who is "supposed to report to the Navy" (Valdez 30). He is frustrated and somewhat brash, but not really violent and certainly not guilty of murder. He is also shown to be very sweet in his attraction to the reporter, Alice. I identified the most with this character because he is the most well-rounded; Valdez lets us see his inner conflict more than that of the other characters through Henry's interactions and dialogue with El Pachuco. His inner turmoil is something I can relate to, even though he is set up in the play as separate and different. Of course, this was probably a large part of Valdez's intent; showing this story to be universal is part of the point.

When Henry complains to El Pachuco that he is supposed to be entering the Navy, a brief argument ensues: "(THE PACHUCO looks at him with silent disdain.) You don't want me to go, do you? PACHUCO: Stupid move, carnal. HENRY:...I've got to do something" (Valdez 30). In many ways, El Pachuco serves as Henry's conscience, allowing us to hear his inner monologue. This exchange shows Henry's conflicted sense of duty and his rejection of the white culture that rejects him -- joining the Navy means becoming a part of the system that just locked him up and accused him of murder. Though this is a very extreme example, the basic underlying conflict is one that most adolescents go through in becoming part of a society that they mistrust, and which they perceive (quite rightly, in many cases) as mistrusting them. This is also shown in Henry's repeated questions o his attorney Goerge: "You doing this for free or what?...So who's paying you? For what? And how much?" (Valdez 41). For Henry, money is a sign of power, and he regards it with a great deal of suspicion.