Palestinian-American playwright Betty Shamieh has written over fifteen plays, earned recognition for her cultural awareness, and is currently writing her first novel. Her plays Roar, Chocolate in Heat, The Black Eyed, and Territories all challenge the popular cultural myths surrounding Arab-American women living in the United States. Using complex Arab female characters,Shamieh emphasizes identity and assimilation issues. Her female characters are eager to lead productive lives in the United States as opposed to fulfilling traditional societal roles.
In this thesis, I outline Betty Shamieh's early career as a playwright and analyze the strong, non-traditional Arab female characters in these four plays. I will evaluate the struggle women with hyphenated identities experience when attempting to blend into a new culture by defining these female characters and the non-conforming roles they portray. These women declare their own individual opinions using powerful voices that will not be silenced.