Issues and Thematic Concerns in The Samaritan
.jpeg "Themes in The Samaritan Act 1 Scene 2")
1. Role of Media
The media has played a major role in enlightening the public on the rot in the municipality. Newspapers like, The Caribbean Watch, The Sentinel, The Insight and The Spotlight clearly uses The Samaritan app to come up with the rot affecting the Municipality (P. 21).
The reporters are also highlighted as vital in sharing information hence they have to be addressed by the leaders (p. 22)
Jaden says that he has read the Caribbean Watch, and The Spotlight to understand the App better (P. 23).
2. Poor leadership
Mossi’s leadership is one that cannot be envied by anyone willing to be a good leader. Every sector is stinking; he is surprised that a teacher in Sagrada secondary school has organized a skit that is displaying rot in Maracas municipality. He learns later that other leaders have been stealing money from the municipality.
This puts him in conflict with other leaders like Ted and Seymour (P. 35 and 36).
3. Corruption
The aim of the App is to promote the public good by exposing corruption and other services (P. 23). There is public outcry over companies that bill the municipal council huge sums of money every month without rendering the services (P. 24).
There are issues such as grabbing of public land, inflation of the cost of municipal tenders, undertaking shoddy public works (P. 25).
Corruption and abuse of office in the municipality is being fought by the Samaritan (P. 26).
Seymour suggests to Mossi, Ted and Basdeo, “justify relocation of funds on need to address environmental degradation. This money can be used to fight their cases that are without doubt coming. They have to get money to fight the cases and enough of it (P. 31 and 33).”
The members of the Municipal council of members have unnecessary meetings and sign seating allowances that they do not deserve to receive (P. 34).
Mossi said you have in the past forced my hand into misallocating funds by making unreasonable demands like travel allowance, sitting allowance, unnecessary loans and mortgages (P. 34).
Jaden suggests that all they need is to give the reporters and the editors more boxes of chocolate (P. 22).
Seymour says, “what you need to do is to obtain some cash, identify the most active in posting information and pay them to stop it (P. 24).”
Mossi condemns Ted and Seymour that since they cannot account for the possessions they have acquired so fast that they have big vehicles and are wealthy(P. 35).
4. Technology
Harvester talks about The Samaritan as a mobile application (P. 23).
There is cyber bullying and sharing of pornography material in school (P. 27).
5. Blackmail and impunity
Seymour tells Mossi to budget using a supplementary plan. When he refuses referring to the coercion they have put him into in past, Seymour insists that he is part of the crimes that have been committed under his watch and he is aware of the money Mossi has stolen. Therefore, he has to be wise and come up with a supplementary estimate of expenditure (P. 33-34).
Mossi reminds Ted and Seymour how poor they were and when Ted responds to him he says that Mossi will take responsibility of all the rot in the Municipality.
Seymour also tells him, he won’t get away with it, they will mobilize the members of the council chamber against Mossi (P. 36).
Mossi threatens others that being Mossi-oa-Tunya the smoke that thunders, he does not stop at anything and can do what he wants to anyone (P. 36).
He also tells Seymour that he will arrest and have him persecuted (P. 34 -35).
6. Misuse of power and intimidation
Bembe suggests that they can all the journalists or threaten some of them (P. 22).
7. Climate change and Environmental degradation
Seymour says, “Waste disposal system in our town is in a terrible state. There is garbage all over the place and the drains are broken. It is a serious health hazard (P. 33).”