Six Degrees of Separation

When Paul first meets Ouisa and Flan, he claims that Sidney Poitier is his father. Why is the fact that Poitier is an actor symbolically significant?

The Kandinsky painting that revolves above the stage has two sides, one “geometric and somber” and the other “wild and vivid” (3). How does this reflect Paul’s character and Ouisa’s development throughout the play?

Throughout much of the play, Paul distances himself from the question of race and racism. Why does he do this and at what moment does he stop?

Paul claims to have completed a thesis on J.D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher in the Rye. Why is this symbolically significant to the events of the play?

How does Geoffrey’s discussion of race in South Africa relate to the wider treatment of racism in the play?

At the start of the play, Ouisa is shallow and sheltered. How does she change as the play progresses, and what causes these developments?

Why is Trent Conway an important character, despite only making a brief appearance?

Many of the play’s characters present themselves as liberal and tolerant. To what extent is this a false impression?