What the Constitution Means to Me

Content Warning: This guide includes discussions about domestic violence, violence/rape against women, incestuous rape, child abuse, human trafficking, and abortion.

The US Constitution is the play’s central symbol and arguably the most significant symbol of America and national identity in the country as well. It is, as Rosdely points out, “the oldest active Constitution in the world” (68), and despite the age of the document, it is widely revered almost like religious doctrine, and the men who wrote it are elevated above mortal status. The US Constitution is what turned a cluster of colonies into a unified country under the three branches of government created with built-in checks and balances. It is written clearly and plainly, designed to be understood by people of all educational levels. In this spirit, audiences of the play are given pocket Constitutions, ostensibly to follow along with the debate, but also to symbolically place the country in the hands of its people. Arguably, one of the reasons that the Constitution has withstood so much time and historical change is the sparseness of the document. It’s written in broad strokes that can be interpreted and reinterpreted, as it has been over the course of 250 years. It is a living document in that amendments can be added to meet the ever-changing needs of the country.