American play: Expressionism

1. above all based on realism

2. core: dealing with spiritual, subjective, inner reality and unconsciousness

3. naturalistic drama: pessimistic realism/ expression!istic drama: psychological realism

4. limits of realism as scientific materialism: writers of the late 19c: objective reality in views of scientific ways leading to 'life as it is'/ lack of inner reality concerned with archetypal and religional elements

5. conclusion: expression!istic drama as preferred to spiritual value rather than material value

6. symptoms up to expression!ism:

- Henry Ibsen(1826-1906,Norway): realism/ problem play: En dukkehjem(the House of doll)

- Nietsche(1844-1900): "Realism in art is an illusion."

- Van Gogh(1853-1890): impressionistic views for Things(expression!ism has more distortion and abstractness than impressionism)

7. characteristics of expression!istic play:

- biographical element

- type character through protagonist's view stemming from archetypes(The Poet, the lawyer, the father, the priest)

- illogical and fragmental dialogue/ soliloquy loyal to inner reality or unconsciousness / non- lineal or circular plot / mise-enscene(setting): centered on colors, lighting, sound

- themes: solipsistic view of life

8. romanticism vs. expression!ism:

- romanticism in quest of freedom and imagination dissatisfied with 18c rationalism

- expression!ism returning to spiritual world fed up of 20c material world

9. American Expression!istic play-writers: Eugene O'Neill(Long Day's Journey into Night), Tennessee Williams(The Grass Menagerie), Arthur Miller(Death of a Salesman), etc.