Final answer:
Through the use of sensory details and contrasting imagery, the playwright in 'Oyeme the Beautiful' depicts the complex experiences of new immigrants arriving in America, highlighting their mixed feelings of wonder, expectation, and trepidation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The playwright in Oyeme the Beautiful employs vivid imagery to portray the first memories of characters Valentina, Laura, Esteban, and Roberto as they arrive in America. Through detailed narratives, which encompass sensory details such as the sounds of norteno music and the desolation of the desert, the audience gains insight into the complex emotions experienced by the characters. The descriptions of the environment, such as the 'rains in Guerrero' or the 'landscape where the earth still burned with volcanic heat,' serve to contrast their past life with the new one they are entering. The memory of the 'big woman with spikes on her head,' symbolizing the Statue of Liberty, serves as a metaphor for the mix of wonder and challenge that awaits the immigrants. Lines from other scenes, including the comparison of women in America to those on television, offer a glimpse into the characters' expectations versus reality. Furthermore, the play captures the heartrending tension between hope and desperation, a recurrent theme in the immigrant experience.