20th Century American Drama

Paper Summary:

This paper looks at the various themes in the plays of such playwrights as Eugene O'Neill, Thornton Wilder, Tennessee Williams, and Arthur Miller. Themes of power, conflict, dehumanization, the immortal value of life, addressing and accepting reality, and the American dream are all touched upon in this paper.

From the Paper:

"Eugene O'Neill's play, "The Emperor Jones (1921)," is the horrifying story of Rufus Jones, the monarch of a West Indian island, presented in a single act of eight scenes of violence and disturbing images. O'Neill's sense of tragedy comes out undiluted in this surreal and nightmarish study of Jones' character in a mighty struggle and tension between black Christianity and black paganism (IMBD). Jones is an unforgettable character in his powerfulness and fatalness, made most evident by the support of language, sound and other stage effects, such as the dreadful drumming sounds and the Emperor's hallucinations. This psychological drama delves into the nature of power, the inevitable pull of history and in the belief in the supernatural as these were experienced in the first two decades of the last century."

More papers on 20th Century American Drama:

• Term Paper # 149971 : "Five Events in 20th Century American History"
• Comparison Essay # 60404 : "Maturation in 20th Century American Literature"
• Term Paper # 121430 : "20th Century American History"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: