Playworld

Playworld is set in 1980 and 1981 in New York City, and this temporal and historical backdrop informs some of the protagonist Griffin Hurt’s coming-of-age experiences. When the novel begins in 1980, Griffin is 14 years old, and he turns 15 during the narrative. Primarily concerned with navigating the complexities of his athletic, academic, theatrical, and social spheres, Griffin doesn’t always tune into the political events of the era. However, his narrative does make occasional references to key historical events at the time. Such events include the 1980 Carter-Reagan presidential election (and watching their only debate), Reagan’s landslide win and subsequent 1981 inauguration, the attempt on Reagan’s life, the Iran hostage crisis, and John Lennon’s assassination. These events create a tumultuous subtext to Griffin’s otherwise meandering adolescent account.

Despite Griffin’s lack of overt attention to politics, his life in 1980 and 1981 is informed by Jimmy Carter’s presidency. Carter was the 39th US president and served from 1977 to 1981. In an overarching sense, Carter’s presidency was defined by what is historically referred to as a period of “malaise.” Carter himself believed that American citizens were facing a crisis of confidence inspired by the Vietnam War, the Watergate scandal, and the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. During the 1980 presidential race, Reagan would attribute American unease to Carter himself, particularly his failure to resolve the Iran hostage crisis. Reagan’s campaign also blamed Carter for the country’s “stagflation,” a term that encapsulates the combination of economic stagnation and inflation.

In 1980, Reagan beat Carter in a landslide—a result that is in large part attributed to Carter’s botched attempt to rescue the hostages and the subsequent anti-American sentiment spreading in the Middle East. Reagan’s election began what is now called the Reagan Era, the Reagan Revolution, or the Age of Reagan—a historical period defined by a shift into hyper-conservative values whose effects were political, economic, judicial, and social.

In Playworld, elements of these political happenings and events pepper Griffin’s story. Ross particularly incorporates elements of the Carter-Reagan era via references to what Griffin’s parents or friends’ parents are watching on television. In one scene, Griffin, Tanner, and Cliff hear live reports of the attempted Reagan assassination, while in other scenes, Griffin observes his parents absorbing and commenting on the hostage crisis. Griffin doesn’t always know how to make sense of these political dynamics, but his narrative allusions to them suggest that his adolescent life is affected by sweeping national changes.

Ross also nuances his representations of this historical era with references to movies, television series, and musical groups and/or songs that were popular during the era. Such references add dimension to Griffin’s narrative world and convey his attempts to participate in the social and cultural movements of the era. Furthermore, as a child actor, Griffin is actively participating in the culture’s entertainment industry. He is also growing up in New York City, arguably the cultural center of the United States. In the early 1980s, the city was emerging from an economic crisis and seemed to be entering a more positive era.