Play: Oswald

Introduction
" Oswald" is a one-act play written in 1965 by Kerry Thornley, an American writer and thinker, who also co-founded the Discordianism movement with his friend, Gregory Hill. The play is a satirical and absurd representation of the occasions surrounding the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963. It focuses on the character of Lee Harvey Oswald, who was implicated of being the assassin. The play is a review of the government, media, and society's reactions to the assassination and their determination to accept the main story without questioning.

Setting and Characters
" Oswald" is embeded in the Texas School Book Depository, where Oswald presumably shot Kennedy. The characters in the play consist of:

1. Lee Harvey Oswald - The lead character, who is accused of assassinating President Kennedy.
2. Marina Oswald - Oswald's spouse, a Russian immigrant who functions as both his voice of reason and a sign of his paranoia.
3. Ruth Paine - A well-meaning, rural Dallas homemaker who supplies shelter for Marina and her kids while Oswald is away working in New Orleans.
4. Jack Ruby - A club owner who later on kills Oswald in the police headquarters.
5. Lyndon Baines Johnson - The Vice President who is successful Kennedy as President and leads the federal government's action to the assassination.

The play also features an unofficial character referred to as "Radio", representing numerous news commentators and personalities who shape popular opinion throughout the unfolding occasions.

Plot Summary
The play opens with Lee Harvey Oswald sitting in the Texas School Book Depository, checking out a book titled "The Assassination of President Kennedy and What You Can Do About It". Oswald grumbles about the inconsistency of the federal government's actions, while Marina tries to calm him down and persuade him to give up his anger against the federal government, as it would just make him and his family more unpleasant.

As the news of President Kennedy's assassination breaks, Oswald listens intently to the radio, which reports the official federal government account of the occurrence. The radio further fuels Oswald's fear as it mentions a manhunt for the assassin and applies subtle pressure on the general public to accept the official variation of events without questioning. Oswald attempts to encourage Marina that he was not included, but the tension constructs as he becomes significantly concerned that his violent past and connections to communist ideologies will make him the ideal scapegoat for the assassination.

Ruth Paine goes into the scene, becoming a voice of mainstream America, who is horrified by the assassination and fasts to think the official story. Oswald's paranoia magnifies, and he unsuccessfully attempts to flee the Book Depository. He eventually comes across Jack Ruby, who shoots him, strengthening the perception of Oswald's guilt and the idea that the case is closed with his death.

In the final scene, Lyndon Baines Johnson takes the oath of office, solemnly swearing to promote and defend the Constitution of the United States. The play ends with an image of the federal government prevailing unscathed and undisputed in spite of the chaos that surrounds Oswald's story.

Themes
"Oswald" checks out several styles, consisting of the role of media in forming popular opinion, federal government manipulation, paranoia, and the search for reality in a period of deception. The play critiques the media's determination to provide the main government story as truth, while also recommending that societal and institutional pressures require individuals to suppress their doubts and accept the main story.

Furthermore, Oswald's fear and sensations of isolation convey the power of government stories to stifle dissent and challenge alternative explanations-- a style that stays pertinent in modern conversations of conspiracy theories and "fake news".

Conclusion
Kerry Thornley's "Oswald" is a darkly satirical and unreasonable take on the occasions surrounding President Kennedy's assassination. Through its expedition of styles connected to media control, paranoia, and government control, the play offers a thought-provoking viewpoint on the main story of the assassination and its implications for society. Over 50 years after its initial writing, "Oswald" remains a pertinent work that continues to challenge audiences to question their assumptions about the reality and the class structure that shape it.