/his/ didn't help, so I'll try here.
I'm writing a play and I thought I would get some dramaturgy work over here. It's going to take place on a Southern US farm after WWII. A few questions:
What was the economic state of agriculture around that time?
What were some illnesses that were common?
Were black maids present in this time period?
>>12795
Black maids are present in every period mate.
Agriculture was doing fine, like the rest of the economy it was booming thanks to new technologies and demand for food from starving Europeans.
Don't know about illnesses.
>>12795
A quick Google search said that polio was an issue aroumd 1950. Also any disease that hadn't been cured yet would work. And if all else fails, just use influenza
>>12844
No problem buddy. I'll pin this thread in case you ever need help in the future. Good luck on your play.
>>12862
thanks again.
i'm kind of unsure as to what state the play should be set in. I want it to be in a predominately white state in which religious fundementalism is predominate. also, bonus points if it tends to be foggy.
also, if someone were working in the medical field such as a doctor or a physicist, by the time conscription was enforced during WWII, would they be forced to enlist in the war? if not, would they at least be enfored to provide medical aid overseas?
>>12906
Having lived in the South for all of my life, I can say that your best bet for fog is probably either a swampy area such as southern Mississippi and Luisiana, or a coastal area. Maybe the Carolinas or Georgia have a foggy island or two. I'd do some searching.
As long as the male character in question falls between the ages of 18-45, there's a good chance he was getting drafted anyways. But from what I read, doctors entering into the military always started off as officers, around the rank of Captain. I'm not sure how historically accurate you want this to be but you could probably go ahead and say he was drafted because of his age, and his medical training could be what lands him wherever you wanted him to go, geographically speaking.
>>12926
actually, i'm trying to find reasons for him not to be drafted.
>>12926
also, was it accepted that smoking was not healthy in which a doctor smoking a cigarette would be self aware about how ironic the situation is?
>>12954
Oops. Well in that case the most viable options are:
1. Buying a stand-in, which was illegal by then.
2. Him hurting himself to avoid passing inspection, but that's unlikely considering he is a doctor.
3. Him being a member of a peace church that opposes wars.
4. And of course there's always moving out of the country.
>>12957
The Internet says that it wasn't until 1964 that the Surgeon General put out a warning about cigarettes causing cancer and that some physicians actually thought they were healthy. Smoking was very in style during the 50's. So he might have some slight clue but you'd probably be better off having him make jokes about how they always make him cough or a smaller side effect like yellow teeth or fingers. Or after a good coughing fit have him say "you know it wouldn't suprise me if one day I found out these were actually bad for me" or something corny like that.
Maybe a more tongue in cheek approach would be having him do something physical and run out of breath quickly. Then a friend would remark on how maybe it's those cigarettes that made him so out of shape and he'd say something about how that can't possibly be the case since all the famous people are doing it. Or that all his doctor friends say it's healthy.
