Zoot Suit Lesson Plan

Do you think a romantic relationship between Henry and Alice is a good idea? Would such a relationship be balanced and equal? Why or why not?

Henry and Alice would most likely not make good romantic partners, because there is a distinctive power imbalance in their relationship. They met and grew their relationship while Henry was in prison and Alice was a free woman working for his release, making Alice always the helper and Henry always the one who needed help. Alice even seems to view Henry as sort of man-child, referring to him and the others as “her boys,” a phrase Henry rightfully finds offensive. Alice seems to recognize this power imbalance, as she tells Henry at the...