The most prominent event that sets the scene for Stardew Valley is the letter that the main character receives from her grandfather. Sentenced to the half-life that the corporate world creates, this character is given the opportunity to choose a more exciting field of work as she inherits the farm that her grandfather is now passing down. He details in the letter that the purpose of the invitation is to allow her to “start your new life”. The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that this opportunity is one that is rarely granted to POC, more specifically Black Americans. The topic of generational wealth and land ownership is one that is prominent in critical race theory, specifically how Black Americans, with the abolition of slavery were left without wealth or resources.
The term “40 acres and a mule” refers to the first form of reparations that were proposed to ex-slaves at the abolition of slavery. Initiated by Civil War Union General William Tecumseh Sherman in his Special Field Orders No. 15, ex-slaves were promised “not more than forty acres of tillable ground” (Darity 660). The same forty acres that were settled on by thousands of Black people as a place of refuge were later revoked from their ownership by President Andrew Johnson, and restored to ex-slave owners (Darity 661).
This presents a unique way of looking at Stardew Valley, even additionally causing to question the lack of other Black landowners in the game. The reality for Black Americans is that, compared to white ownership, very little Black people pass on land and build generational wealth, an issue that can be deconstructed within the factors that create the game itself. Further, the way by which this inheritance is worded, again, to “start your new life”, highlights a privilege that many do not have. Black Americans throughout post slavery history were unable to obtain opportunities that enabled them to “choose” how they labored to live and generate wealth, thus Stardew Valley draws on a factor that may be normalized for white generations but not so much Black.
Corporate workplace of the main character.
Vibrant scenery of Stardew Valley.
Similarly, although through a privileged approach, Stardew Valley highlights differences in forms of labor, specifically what labor can be deemed fulfilling versus non-fulfilling. The plot development brings to mind Karl Marx’s theory of alienation, specifically how certain careers can heighten an individuals’ feeling of alienation from what they produce, and further, even life itself (Marx 1844). In the opening of the game, Grandpa writes to the main character, expressing an understanding of the dreariness of modern labor, stating, “you will feel crushed by the burdens of modern life”. Later, as the main character is depicted sitting in a room of rather drone-like corporate workers, they express the desire to “make real connections” and to be more in touch with nature. Immediately, entering the world that Stardew Valley creates, the player is presented with depictions of corporate, unfulfilling labor and later, more fulfilling. The difference is further evident in the color scheme used to differentiate the two scenes. Where the first scene showcases more dim colors like darker greys and blues, entering Stardew Valley, the main character is greeted by vibrant colors of green, orange and yellow. Stardew Valley does an excellent job of appealing to the unfulfilling aspects of corporate labor to set the tone for the purpose of the game itself, producing goods and building relationships with those in the community, whilst still partaking in a form of more fulfilling labor.
Works Cited:
Darity, William. “Forty Acres and a Mule in the 21st Century.” Social Science Quarterly, vol. 89, no. 3, 2008, pp. 656–664., https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6237.2008.00555.x.
Marx, Karl. “Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844.” Economica, vol. 26, no. 104, 1959, p. 379., https://doi.org/10.2307/2550890.
