1990s Context and Values

The 1990s could be described as the decade of changes in values and culture, with the HIV/AIDS epidemic prompting values of embracing individuality and community between the minorities to emerge. The Neoliberal Economic Boom and the Digital Information Age also reflect the increasing power of large corporations and the growing importance of technology being evident in everybody’s everyday lives. The musical ‘Rent’ (1996) directed by Jonathan Larson presents the lives of eight bohemians living in ‘Alphabet City’ during the HIV/ AIDS epidemic and are fighting through the ongoing issues of illnesses, poverty and prejudice present in their lives. Bruce Sterling’s post cyberpunk short story ‘Bicycle Repairman’ (1996) set in the future where the main character Lyle is confronted by a decision to help the government or support the anarchist community, explores the notion of the declining power of the government and the dominating influence of technology within society. Both texts reflect the dominating and emerging values present in the 1990s.

Larson’s ‘Rent’ expresses the emerging value of community present in the characters after being excluded by society due to their differences. The 1990s reflected the time of exclusion towards the minorities in regards with their race, gender, sexuality and also with the people who had HIV/AIDS as it was a prevalent issue during that decade. However, values of community began to submerge within the minorities, in contrast to the prominent values of individualism present in the society in the ‘90s, as supported by Anthony Perkins, “I have learned more about love, selflessness and human understanding…in the world of AIDS than I ever did in the competitive world.” This value of community is shown through the unison singing throughout the song Life Support of the line “There’s only us,” which signifies the support the characters have for one another to help each other as a community to face their fears of the illness. The contrasting values between the society and minority is emphasised through the juxtaposition of the clashing values between of individualism and community in, “What brings the mogul in his own mind to the Life Café?” with the juxtaposing of ‘mogul,’ and ‘Life Café,’ representing the different values between the society and the minority. Thus, ‘Rent,’ prominently displays the value of community within the minorities, which emerges significantly throughout the decade of the 1990s.

‘Rent,’ also displays the subversive values of individuality within the musical through the characters’ acceptance of everyone’s differences. The HIV/AIDS epidemic causing the division between the excluded and society sparked the innovation within the groups of the minority to embrace their diverse traits and individuality, and thus having the mindset stated by Ralph Waldo Emerson saying, “To be yourself in a world … is the greatest accomplishment.” The submerging notion of welcoming and being accepting of everyone’s differences is seen through the accumulation in, “Bisexuals, trisexuals, homo sapiens…pee-wee herman,” which further emphasises the countless diversity of differences between everyone and thus the acceptance of all of these people. Maureen’s protest to object the evictions of the homelessness gives a sense of individuality through the use of allusion in ‘You can’t wipe out an entire tent city… on TV!’ which juxtaposes Benny’s action of wiping out the city and thus highlighting the different dominant and emerging values of individualism versus individuality. Through this, ‘Rent,’ reflects the subversive values of embracing individuality even if one is excluded from society.

Sterling’s ‘Bicycle Repairman,’ presents the value of the influence of the government being overtaken by large corporations due to the effects of the Neoliberal Economic Boom. The Neoliberal Economic Boom in the 1990s was the start of opposition towards the government’s strict regulation of