Jealousy: The Real Villain of Stories

 4. How do the characters' relationships impact their ability to fulfill their dreams and reach their goals? When do the characters support one another and when do they obstruct one another? When friends and family members become barriers to achieving goals, why do you think this happens? 

    In the play of Sweat, by Lynn Nottage, the relatable and common characters face the harsh realities that come with working in factories. Pay cuts, stress and the physical toll on their bodies are only a few of the issues faced by the protagonists of the play. Unfortunately, these conditions foster negative relationships that carry out of the workplace, and the relationship specific to Tracey and Cynthia is no different. In the beginning of the play, we see two long-time friends who have made it through difficult times in their lives together have an admirable connection that many aspire to possess, but as the play progresses, their once lively and trusting relationship turns sour and envious due to Tracey's anger and jealousy. A bit of background: Sweat is a play that focuses on the lives of factory workers, including Tracey (a white woman), Cynthia (a black woman), Tracey's son Jason, Cynthia's son Chris, the bartender Stan (a white man), and Jessie (an Italian-American). When the opportunity to move higher up in the company comes up for Tracey and Cynthia, they both apply hoping for the benefits that come with the job. While Cynthia doesn't make an issue out of the somewhat complicated and stressing situation, Tracey, right off of the bat, makes it a competition, and only applies when she finds out Cynthia is applying. "If that's the case, maybe I should throw my name in the mix." (Nottage 25).

    This hints to her overly competitive and jealous nature. As the story develops, and Cynthia gets the position (proud of you girl, someone needs to be), Tracey becomes hateful towards her. This hate is completely undeserving because had Tracey gotten the job, she would have expected happiness from her peers, but I digress. She uses her long history with Cynthia to guilt-trip her. "That's my friend, and I miss the Cynthia who understood that." (Nottage 82). It's not just Tracey who tries to stop Cynthia from achieving a better life, but also her own son, who is literally one of the main reasons why she even took the job in the first place. He lets their bond sour just because Cynthia refuses to walk out with the rest of the workers. "Things have been a little strained between us." (Nottage 87). The thing is, while Cynthia did end up losing her job in the end, Tracey and Chris were ultimately setting her up for failure with their demands prior to her firing. Walking out of their job wouldn't have helped anyone. Not Tracey, not Jason, not Chris, and certainly not Cynthia. Listen, I'm all for supporting a cause, but when you know it won't affect anything, and is sadly pointless, there needs to be other ways for going about your strike. The walk out in the play really doesn't do much. The company just found new replacements, and eventually, Tracey, Chris and Jason all lose their jobs. Do they really expect Cynthia to join their path? Because if so, then they need to reevaluate themselves, and soon. Without the support of her friends and family, Cynthia becomes completely ostracized. Especially in times like what the group was going through, she needs all the help she could get. But instead, her close friends and even her son turn their backs to her and this is probably just one of the many reasons that led to her downfall. Just like in the play, when family members and friends become obstacles in the path of your goal, you will ultimately fail. While this is a terrible truth, it's still just that: a truth. There are too many personal feelings and hardships involved to fully reach your goal.