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Modern &
Contemporary Drama Writing Subjects:
Ibsen: A Doll’s House The Torvald/Nora relationship: marriage, treatment, etc. Nora’s transformation from child to woman The purpose (“role”) of Dr. Rank Music/dancing as symbol The season as motif, symbol, metaphor Nora’s “miracle” The importance of "secondary characters" The physical arrangement of the stage as an "additional character" Realism/naturalism: the "slice of life" that one or the other intends and how it differs
Strindberg: Miss Julie Julie’s heredity problems The sexual warfare between Julie and Jean Kristen as ‘moral force; as stabilizing element between the two extremes of Julie and Jean Jean’s relationship to Kristen The importance of dancing, flowers, or animal references The importance of the season Class distinction and experience Dialogue and its "replacement" for physical action Jean's superiority to Julie: experience vs. heredity
O’Casey: Juno and the Payccock: The heroic/mock-heroic juxtaposition Melodrama/tragedy juxtaposition The importance of time and or place The contrast between religion and belief, and a character’s actions Johnny and Mary Boyle as minor but important figures: their relationship to one another; the importance of their “secret” lives, their choices Juno and Boyle’s relationship in light of mythology and its significances Juno as practical, stabilizing influence (but with contradictions) Pretenses vs. realities O'Casey's preface to the play and its realization on stage
Brecht: Galileo A particular “alienation” technique Galileo’s personal failings The play as contemporary political statement The didactic nature of the play Andrea Sarti’s changing views The moral quality of the Church in the play Characters as symbols The Political statement of Church/Science confrontation The use of short scenes to create a didactic message The lack of emotionalism in the play
Miller: Death of a Salesman Ben as success symbol The importance of the brothers’ humiliation of Willy at the restaurant The importance of Biff’s memory of Willy’s indiscretion The impact of Willy’s suicide on the “tragic” nature of the play The Expressionism of the play What impact do the mundane problems—refrigerator, car, a bit more money—have on the greater implications of Willy’s relationship to his sons? To the play? To the end of the work? Linda as sole female voice in the play Willy's anger vs. his disillusionment Suicide as threat, promise, final recourse The political statement of the play Social statement
Williams: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Big Daddy’s illness as purposeful Williams use of the “outsider” who see truth by virtue of his or her “otherness” Brick’s guilt Visual symbolism in the play The “non-Realism” of the play The bed as symbol The character-revealing speech Maggie’s desires/her nature Relationships: Big Daddy to Brick, to Maggie, Maggie to Brick, etc.
More to come soon….
Pinter: The Homecoming
Shepherd: Fool for Love
Meanwhile, don’t forget that these are broad subject areas that you would need to narrow down to a topic. (And, obviously, you’re free to find something else to consider.) Find a particular in the play, not the play itself, and write why your idea on a limited amount of material (a scene, event, image, character trait, etc.) has an impact on the play—what makes your narrowly-defined idea valuable and helps a reader to better appreciate some aspect of the play? Don’t speculate; stick with the text for your evidence. As well, there’s no need for secondary sources because I’m interested in what you have to say—not research. If you can put your argument into the “scaffolding” of “I intend to argue _____________, because _______________,” you have a thesis—especially if the “because” is specific and explains the importance of the first blank. See "Sample Papers" for guidelines on an argument paper, especially "God's Metaphor," "Hamlet" (both good and bad example papers), and O'Neill's Desire Under the Elms.
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