What themes are developed in The Taking of Miss Janie?

Some key themes in The Taking of Miss Janie are sexual assault, race, and the relationship of the personal to the political. Set mainly in the turbulent 1960s, Ed Bullins’s play centers on a sexual incident between a white woman and a black man. More generally, it follows a group of white and black characters beginning in their early interactions in the late 1950s. The sexual encounter between Janie, who is white, and Monty, who is black, is shown from different perspectives. The primary question is whether their intercourse was consensual or if he raped her. Many of the characters struggle to stay true to their political convictions while working through complicated personal relationships, which often cross racial lines. Relationships that include sexual and racial dimensions include Monty’s marriage to Peggy, a black woman who learns she is bisexual, and the marriage of Sharon, who is white, to Len, who is black.