Respond to the following on Waiting for Lefty by Clifford Odets in 750 words. Use the text and discussions we had, but this may require you to do a tiny bit of research. Your responses should still be your original thoughts and analysis on the topic. What are some important plot/story points in Waiting for Lefty? What are some important conflicts in the play? What do you think the overall meaning/theme/point of the play is? What's the author's message, or what point is the author attempting to convey? How does actual history and the time period play into this piece of literature? What is being advocated for in this piece of literature?

Waiting for Lefty is a 1935 political and perhaps even revolutionary play written by American playwright Clifford Odets. It was firstly produced by the Group Theatre—an American, New York City based theater company—and it received massive success. Numerous critics praised Odets for his captivating and thought-provoking narrative and his multidimensional characters, and the play is considered to be one of the first plays written in the twentieth century in which the actors interact with the audience.
Many analysts believe that the success of the play is due to its historical and political context as well; Odets wrote the play with the intention of depicting the political and socio-economic state of America after the First World War and during the Great Depression. In fact, I believe that Odets wrote the play specifically for that time only, which is why readers and critics today might not find it as sensational or as interesting as the people who saw it in the early- and mid-1930s did. Odets didn't really want to write a timeless dramatic piece, but a momentary hit which he thought would provide hope and entertainment for the American people. Essentially, Waiting for Lefty is a historical portrait of the unjust and corrupted capitalistic political system of America and the people's desperate and bold attempts to change the situation.
Set in a union hall in New York City, the play depicts a strike that is being planned and organized by the taxi drivers of New York City, who wait for the strike committee leader Lefty Castello to arrive and approve of their plans. At the same time, the union's corrupt leader Henry Fatt tries to put a stop to the drivers' protests and explains to them that they cannot strike because they must show support to Roosevelt.
As the drivers await for Lefty's arrival, we learn of their individual life stories and why they believe that a strike is the right to do. Similarly to Godot, Lefty never arrives, and the taxi drivers learn that he has been murdered. This only fuels their anger even more and they decide to start the strike. Henry Fatt is, obviously, the main antagonist of the story, while the rational and selfless working-class taxi driver Joe is the main protagonist. One of the most important story points in the play is the murder of Lefty, which acts as a catalyst for the beginning of the strike.
Odets incorporates several socially and politically relevant themes: the main theme and, at the same time, the main conflict of the play is the social classification of the American society during the Great Depression; other themes include politics, the importance of unions, injustice, corruption, oppression, and the prospect of a better future. I think Odets' main point was to indirectly spread communist and socialist propaganda and motivate the people to stand up and do something to change the unfavorable status quo.
I believe that Odets wanted to send a powerful and inspiring message. He wanted the readers and the audience to relate to his characters and realize that they're stronger together; an organized union is much stronger than a personal ideology. The people shouldn't be afraid to stand up and fight for their rights and for what they believe in. One person might not make a big difference, but when the masses speak, the big bosses are forced to listen, and their corrupt and unjust reign can easily be taken down.