After all, the whole plot revolves around who gets to take Laurey to the “box social” — a coded consummation metaphor if ever there was one.
Violence is hardly scarce in Oklahoma! as far as sex goes. In fact, Oklahoma seems to be teeming with an undercurrent of unfulfilled sexual desire and violence waiting to emerge, be it between farmer and cowman or two eligible ladies. Each man seems willing to kill to obtain his love. Curly tries to convince Jud to commit suicide. Jud tries to kill Curly twice (once with a sexual toy). Will tells Ali he would kill him for Annie. Gertie Cummings has fights with both Annie and Laurey (rolling on the ground, of course).
Says Will:
“I’m goin’ t’marry her!”
Ali:
“On purpose?,”
implying the famous Oklahoma shotgun marriage.
Obviously, any moral code isn’t apparent to Ali. He wants to bed Annie in the Claremore Hotel. He also suggests that he, Laurey and Annie engage in a menage a trois by skinny dipping together. He’s been “feeling up” Annie behind the haystack (his confession that results in his shotgun engagement to Annie). At the end, he’s caught in illicit (by Claremore standards) sex and forced by shotgun to marry Gertie Cummings. Finally, he sells garters and bloomers and other forbidden delights like drugs (the Egyptian smelling salts).
In Oklahoma!, women obtain sexual fulfillment when in a semi-drugged state. “Laurey’s Dream” is the most obvious example. Ado Annie, too, seems ever-comatose and virtually unresponsive, doggedly singing her number “I Cain’t Say".
Let's not forget the end of the dream sequence with Jud lying on top of Laurey, having raped her while she was drugged...
I attended Harding University during the 80's when I was still embroiled within the Abrahamic Blood Cults.
I was astonished as I watched the live onstage performance, remembering the times as a child our parents reverentially watched it with us on our color TV. Wholly disgusted, I and my fiancé, now my honey of 40 plus years stood up and walked out.
Oklahoma - Same as it ever was.
May reason rule.
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