The Use of Technical Devices in Literature

Paper Summary:

The paper examines plays by Henrick Isben ("A Doll's House") and Garcia Lorca ("The House of Bernarda Alba") who both wrote very dramatic and risque works which challenged the social standards of the time. The paper shows that in order to dramatize and accentuate the themes of "A Doll's House" and "The House of Bernarda Alba", Isben and Garcia Lorca employed several specialized on-stage technical devices (such as sound and lighting).

From the Paper:

"Throughout the history of theater, playwrights have used color to emphasize a point, theme, statement, etc. Isben and Garcia Lorca use the color black to introduce the presence of death and disobedience. In A Doll's House, Nora Helmer begins to plan the events of a dreadful evening. She fantasizes that her husband, Torvald, will stand by her side when he is made aware her socially unacceptable actions and that she will then refuse to allow him to ruin his own reputation by publicly announcing herself to blame and committing suicide. While plotting the events Nora becomes uneasy of her planned suicide. Nora says to herself, "Ah! the icy black water - the unfathomable depths - if only it were over!" (Isben 61). The unrealistic black color of the water Nora plans to drown herself in emphasizes the tragic restrictions placed on society and the consequences resulting in ignoring those restrictions. In The House of Bernarda Alba, Garcia Lorca also uses the color black to show the results of disobeying societal restrictions. Towards the conclusion of the play, shortly before Adela commits suicide, the stage directions call for Adela to wear "a small black scarf" (Garcia Lorca 205). Adela is wearing the black scarf as she walks out to the barn to visit with her engaged lover. The small amount of black adds emphasis to the fact that Adela is driving herself to suicide through her unsuitable actions."

More papers on The Use of Technical Devices in Literature:

• Analytical Essay # 64745 : "Alienation in Literature"
• Research Paper # 15356 : "Device Isolation of Integrated Circuits"
• Comparison Essay # 9257 : "The Importance of Social Class in Literature."

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