Character Profiles and Plot Overview
This page provides an in-depth look at the main characters, Cleo and Kara, in the play "Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner". It also outlines the central plot elements and themes.
Cleo's Character:
Cleo is portrayed as a 21/22-year-old Black woman with curly hair, living in London. She comes from a less privileged background and struggles with self-image issues. Cleo is outspoken and tries to embrace her Blackness, but has experienced shame regarding her skin and body. Her ex-boyfriend's infidelity with a white girl has left her feeling invisible, especially when compared to her friend Kara.
Highlight: Cleo's character embodies the struggles of young Black women dealing with societal beauty standards and colorism.
Kara's Character:
Kara, also 21/22, is described as having lighter skin and curly hair. She's more popular than Cleo, has multiple romantic partners, and identifies as queer. Kara is spiritual, outspoken, and a marijuana user. She had a crush on Cleo when they were younger but was rejected.
Vocabulary: Colorism - Discrimination based on skin tone within a racial or ethnic group, favoring those with lighter skin over those with darker skin.
Plot Elements:
The play revolves around seven hypothetical methods of "killing" Kylie Jenner, which serve as metaphors for the characters' frustrations:
- Death by poison
- Death by shooting
- Death by drowning
- Death by skinning
- Death by immolation
- Death by disgrace
- Death by displacement
Example: These "methods" likely represent the characters' ways of addressing cultural appropriation and unrealistic beauty standards symbolized by Kylie Jenner.
Themes and Conflicts:
The play explores both internal and external conflicts. Internal conflicts include the characters' struggles with self-image and identity. External conflicts touch on broader societal issues, such as:
- Cultural appropriation (e.g., MAC's full lips campaign in 2016)
- Police brutality against Black individuals (2020 incident)
- Historical injustices (e.g., Sarah Baartman's exploitation)
Definition: Cultural appropriation refers to the adoption of elements of one culture by members of a different culture, often in a exploitative, disrespectful, or stereotypical way.
The relationship between Cleo and Kara is central to the story, highlighting themes of friendship, love, and the complexities of intra-community dynamics within the Black experience.
Quote: "Colorism/shadism → daughter of racism" - This note emphasizes the play's exploration of discrimination within the Black community based on skin tone.
