Jason Murray

Musicals assignment

“Oklahoma” the musical, manifest destiny and optimism during World War II.

We are introduced to the character Curly in Oklahoma right at the beginning of the movie in a scene of grand corn fields, wide open vistas and Curly belting out “it’s a beautiful morning.”  With this we get an optimistic greeting to the day and really to the life he is living.  This was an important sentiment at the time this movie was made as we were embroiled in a war larger than any that had occurred up to this time.  America needed to be reminded continually of our national identity; one of manifest destiny, optimism, and good versus evil.  Oklahoma in its song and setting embody that American Spirit.  

Stephen Whitfield points out the “disjunction” of the musical Oklahoma in his book In Search of American Jewish Culture in his chapter simply titled Musical Theater.  Whitfield points out that during the time this musical first appeared on Broadway the Stalingrad battles had ended only shortly before, the Warsaw ghetto uprising was only a month away and the Germans were already exterminating thousands of Jews every day.  “Only in America could Curly’s optimism have seemed remotely credible.” (Whitfield, 66)

“Flowers on the prairie where the Junebugs zoom.  Plenty of air and plenty of room.” (Oklahoma)  Sings Laurey’s aunt after Curly and Laurey are married.  As they exalt that they are beginning at just the right time, and that soon it will be a new state as Manifest destiny takes hold of the country and a wandering cowboy sets roots down to become a farmer.  Again there is great optimism for the future of these two young people as they start out in life, as well as room for them to set down roots and to start a great farm.

America entered World War II grudgingly and only after the Japanese had brought it home to us.  By 1943 we were bogged down in Italy, people started to understand what was happening in Germany, and Britain was under continuous bombing campaigns.  Americans were anxious that the war might come to our shores.  Through this all the spirit of Manifest Destiny and Optimism continued to burn bright.  Rodgers and Hammerstein captured the spirit of this in their portrayal of good versus evil, the optimism of a young man starting a new life in a permanent home, and the bright future of living in a new state.  

Like many in America they looked at their country and saw a country of hope and possible prosperity and wrote it down in song. The good man triumphing over the bad man, with the fight between Jud and Curly as well as their competition for the same girl.  The forgiveness implicit in the song “Poor Jud is Daid.”  The message about sticking together in the song “The Cowman and the Farmer Should be Friends.”  And of course the grandness of the country and the territory in the song “Oklahoma.” Like America they preferred a happy ending.

Finally In Curly we see the American identity, not too young, not too old.  Lived a life free of commitments that was missing a home.  Stepping into the role of a husband Curly is old enough and secure enough to put down roots and become a farmer.  America was stepping up to its responsibility as a world leader.  That Rodgers and Hammerstein were able to put this all in a musical was a statement of their genius and understanding of the American Character; optimism and Manifest destiny, happy endings and good triumphing over evil.  These were the facets of the American Character that these two men found important enough to write songs about.  

Oklahoma.  Dir. Fred Zimmerman. Per. Gordan McRae, Gloria Graham.  20th Century Fox. 1955. Film.

Whitfield, Stephen.  In Search of American Jewish Culture.”   Brandeis University Press. Hanover, MA. 1999. Print.