Abstract

Human relationships are shaped and affected by the place they live in. This article analyzes Lynn Nottage’s Sweat from the perspective of spatial theory, particularly using the theories of Yi-Fu Tuan and Doreen Massey, to explore the complex connection between place and human relationships. The article examines how Nottage presents the reciprocal effect between people and their setting. By examining the city, the factory, and the local community around it, the study shows how place serves as a dynamic force that shapes the characters’ identities and relationships rather than just serving as a background. While Massey’s concept of place as a product of social relations offers a framework to explore the tensions and solidarity that arise within a changing economic landscape, Tuan’s concept of sentimental attachments to place is used to understand the characters’ strong ties to their city and place of work. Strong friendships break down, solidarity turns to resentment, and the individuals’ relationships with one another change when economic instability comes in. Ultimately, this study argues that relationships are fractured, communal ties are changed, and individual identities are reshaped when a shared sense of place is lost because of deindustrialization and changes in the economy.