Society
provides the individual with a number of roles, and the
individual's behavior is his performance, the way in which he
plays them.
Normally, each individual plays a number of roles simultaneously.
While some are pervasive and extensive in scope, others are limited
and transitory, The role of man or woman is extensive, but that
of customer or student is transitory. Society also endows some roles
with considerable clarity, while leaving others open to individual
interpretation, The roles people play and the way in which they play
them determine personality. Within American slavery as well as
within the German concentration camps, the number of roles available
were severely limited, and both the slave master and the camp guard defined
them very clearly. Both demanded a precise and careful
performance. There were those whose performance was faultless in
playing their roles. While the concentration camp guard
guaranteed its performance through terror and torture, the slave
master usually used more subtle means. Besides punishment for
missed cues, masters displayed considerable fondness for slaves
who played their part well.
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