Social and Historical Context of Jerusalem (Jez Butterworth)

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  • Created by: kmules15
  • Created on: 08-01-22 12:54
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  • Social/ historical context of Jerusalem
    • Instability
      • High concern over youth disobedience
        • Use of chav and ASBO in news
        • Caused by gangs but also aimed at young people meeting in public spaces
        • Jerusalem shows behaviours people were worried about
      • Characters rely on flexlible/ unstable job market
        • They take alcohol, cannabis and ecstasy
          • 2009 = 1/8 people out of work etc, 15% on benefits and 2 million ecstasy pills taken a week
    • Clashes with traveller community
      • Johnny's situation matches that of a traveller
        • His relationship/treatment from the local village
          • Butterworth reflects tension between travellers and settled communities at this time
        • Often under threat of eviction
          • Dale Farm 2011
      • 2005- John Prescott's initiative to consider the needs of travellers when allocating planning permission = backlash
        • Sun newspaper 'Stamp on the Camps'
    • Illegal raves
      • Johnny's parties = reminiscent of UK rave culture
      • After govt crackdown on illegal parties (late 80s) people started meeting in large countryside spaces
        • Raves became hugely popular, attendances as high as 25k
          • Legis. brought in to curb events, outlawing raves over 100
    • Folk traditions
      • Play references= jerusalem, Morning song and Day song
      • Critics related Johnny to Robin Hood, Peter Pan, the Green Man etc
      • May Day tradition runs through Jerusalem
        • Flintock Fair, Welsey in the morris dancing troupe
      • Johnny's drum references Jack and the Beanstalk, Francis Drake
    • Gentrification
      • References to the village becoming posher
        • Johnny's eviction connected to new nice housing estate
          • Parallels gentrification, pushing out original residents through urban development

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adamusa

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The social context of Jerusalem is quite complex because it has many social classes. mapquest directions

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