'Gentrification' is a process in which a working-class or a vacant area of a city center transforms into middle-class residential or commercial district. The middle-class people who have migrated to those areas are called 'gentrifiers'. In the 80s, because it came to be widely understood that this process contributed to the rise in rents and the displacement of low-income residents, the resistance against 'gentrification' grew in intensity. East Village, the setting of Rent, was very famous for this resistance. There is, however, interesting difference between the resistance in Rent and that of East Village. Jonathan Larson, the author, does not depict, as a main character, local people in this musical, who were, of course, leading players in the actual resistance. The participants in his version of the resistance were only so called 'pioneer gentriflers'. At the early stage of 'gentrification', 'pioneer gentrifiers' move into deteriorated areas. The influx of these people makes socially, culturally mixed and exciting communities. At the same time, though, it can cause the upward pressure on rents, and then, full-scale gentrification begins, which, in turn, displaces not only local people but also lower income 'pioneer gentrifiers'. In this thesis, I will consider what the author really wants to represent in this musical. He does not try to depict the resistance against the East Village gentrification itself. What he wants to depict is his ideal version of gentrification, which would make communities more energetic and exciting.

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