Abstract
This paper discusses the criticism of realism in drama by Gertrude Stein and Bertolt Brecht in relation to Stein's play "Dr. Faustus Lights the Light" and August Strindberg's "The Ghost Sonata".

From the Paper
"Stein begins her critique by stating that there is a fundamental problem between the actors and the audience that is represented by the curtain itself. "In the first place at the theater there is the curtain and the curtain already makes one feel that one is not going to have the same tempo as the thing that is there behind the curtain" (Gobert 42). In contrast to the detailed and extensive stage and background directions in "The Ghost Sonata", there are none so elaborate in "Dr. Faustus Lights the Light"."

Tags:realism, modern, drama

Abstract
In this article, the writer looks at the issue of realism in drama, according to Gertrude Stein and Bertolt Brecht, in relation to Stein's play "Dr. Faustus Lights the Light" and August Strindberg's "The Ghost Sonata". The writer focuses on their views regarding realism and concludes that perhaps both Stein and Brecht are advocating alienation as a way of bridging the initial gap between the stage and the spectator in order to bring realism into sharper focus. The writer maintains that Brecht did it epically, while Stein did it psychologically.

From the Paper
"Since there is an unavoidable gap between what one experiences in real life and what one anticipates on the stage, the actual present can never be really done on stage. Therefore realism isn't really real, only a fiction of reality. What one sees in the realism of "The Ghost Sonata" is a staid, set environment rather than an acting platform. The plot is very well set out, it leads us on without giving anything away, there are expected and logical reversals (and vice versa), the characters conform to the dress and modes of the period, the characters evoke our empathy or revulsion, and there is usually a social or moral message implicit in the play. We recognize those emotions and values to which we can relate or have experienced."

Tags:acting, stage, theatre, actor

Abstract
The following paper examines the ways in which the idea of Greek tragedies has been embellished upon by great literary geniuses. This paper examines how Shakespeare, for example, used his tragic plays to purge his audience of their own flaws, which is precisely how Aristotle had defined the ideal tragic play. The writer examines how modern playwrights such as Sophocles, Ibsen and Tennessee Williams began to interject less idealism and more realism into their tragedies, providing a more "real life" hero than the ideal hero as defined by the dramas in ancient Greece.

From the Paper
"As literature has evolved over time, plays have become less of a staple of only aristocracy. American literature came into existence, and with that came Tennessee Williams (one of many notable playwrights) and his superb work, "The Glass Menagerie". Unlike the original idea of a tragic hero that was someone of great influence and stature (though not god-like), Tennessee Williams wrote about real characters, that virtually anyone could identify with. In the play, the role of the hero is shifted between Amanda, Tom and Laura " depending on the angle of the play at the time. Williams doesn't focus on the characters, which doesn't allow for much development beyond their initial two-dimensional appearance. Tom is arguably our hero, but he isn't really all that likeable. He is mean to his mother, alienates his sister, and abandons them both. Nothing remarkably heroic there. Williams is more concerned with the outcome of the play, and Tom's resounding guilt for his actions; as a result, Williams revolves completely around the plot. Tom, who serves as the narrator for the play, is essentially the protagonist of the play " he is not necessarily the most important figure in the play, but he is the first one to interact with the audience, which is the definition used in the time of the Greek tragedy."

Tags:good, evil, people, plot, protagonist, antagonist, character, flaw, dimension, flat, round

Abstract
The paper examines and analyzes three distinct styles of Greek drama, focusing on the Sophoclean style by giving several examples in drama history such as "Oedipus" and the modern movie, "A Few Good Men". By comparing these styles to what a modern audience expects of a film or play, the paper shows that the Sophoclean style is the most suitable for a modern production.

From the Paper
"This shows the main aspect that makes the Sophoclean approach the most suitable style for a modern audience, the character focus. The Sophoclean styles focuses on the main character as the driving force of the play. This is the same approach taken by modern films and plays, where the plot of the play is based on the struggle of the main character. This usually involves a likable character being presented with some problem and ultimately either overcoming this problem or learning from it. Importantly, the audience forms a relationship with the main character, with this involving the audience in the action. The film Titanic is a good model example of this. As history shows, the main event the movie is based on is the sinking of the ship and the drowning of hundreds of people. Yet, the film does not focus on this to engage the audience and drive the plot. Instead, the plot focuses on the story of Rose and Jack."

Tags:Antigone, Oedipus, Sophocles, Titanic, movies

Abstract
The paper analyzes how Strindberg's "Miss Julie" and Chekhov's "Cherry Orchard" reflect the differential power ratios and social options of men and women in a way that gives men multiple social advantages.

From the Paper
"Gender conflict has been around ever since the beginning of time. Although many other conflicts emerged in human history such as religion, class and race, gender has always found its way through and prevailed like an unresolved issue that persists even if other conflicts are resolved. In the modern period, many personal and social defects prevent gender from receding as a contentious issue. Women persist in attempting to prove their personal and social worth, perhaps to themselves, perhaps to men, trying to reach men's status of power..."

Tags:New Woman, women's rights, egalitarianism, misogyny, feminism, patriarchy

Abstract
In this paper, the writer discusses that Norris's essay defines the crucial critical views of Cather's 'My Antonia', and why it is a crucial perspective of American life outside of the industrial modernism that was popular in its day. The writer notes that Norris explains Cather's unique blend of rural and urban life that defines the important link between Antonia and Jim as they seek to find a middle ground between these two worlds.

Abstract
The paper relates Aristotle's definition of a tragedy and his belief that the hero of the play is a character of great stature. The paper shows how Arthur Miller's play "Death of a Salesman" contains most of these aspects with the exception of Willy Loman being of great stature. The paper asserts, however, that one of Aristotle's requirements is that tragedies reflect life, and this requires that modern dramas shift from the tales of great kings and princes to common heroes such as Willy.

From the Paper
"Death of a Salesman is a tragedy in that its hero possesses a fatal and tragic flaw. Willy suffers from an inability to face reality. In short, he is blind because the life he dreams about is not the life he lives. In fact, it is quite the opposite. It is good to dream but Willy dreams too much and acts too little. He wastes his life by never realizing that he might not be a good enough salesman to succeed. Instead of facing this harsh truth, Willy would rather invent excuses for why his salesmanship fails. He honestly believes that soon, he will "knock Howard for a loop, kid. I'll get an advance, and I'll come home with a New York job" (Miller 1070-1). He honestly believes that he will succeed and never have to "get behind another wheel" (1071) again. He cannot face the truth about his failure and makes excuses. He tells Linda that the reason he did not do well once was because "three of the stores were half-closed for inventory in Boston. Otherwise, I woulda broke records" (1046). He admits, "people don't seem to take to me" (1047) but he never stops to consider why. The people he works with, "just pass me by. I'm not noticed" (1047), he tells her without further consideration. Willy's fatal flaw is his refusal to accept the reality of his life."

Tags:flaw, life, pity, fear, heroes

Abstract
Seven page look at two American plays: Tennessee Williams' "Suddenly Last Summer" and Eugene O'Neill's "Desire Under Elms" examples of Realism in Drama.

Tags:realism, american, theater

Abstract
This paper examines the change in novel styles from the pre-modern to the modern period. The author discusses the new style that incorporates Romanticism, Realism and conception of love, fate and destiny. The author introduces and compares various literary styles such as of Chratien de Troyes, Joseph von Eichendorff's, Gustave Flaubert's, Guy de Maupassant's, Anton Chekhov's and George Eliot's.

From the Paper
""Although it is difficult to think of this being the case now, novels were once the province of the upper classes, for that thin segment of society that could read and not for the teeming masses stopping by the airport bookstore. Thus even when the world depicted in the novel was not that of the world of the upper classes, the readership was an elite one, and novels were thus written for them. Thus many of the changes that we see occur as we shift from the decidedly non-modern form of the chivalric romance to pre-modern form of the picaresque to the entirely modern styles of Romanticism and Realism are reflective of changes in the nature of reading and the reading public. Other important changes reflect changes in the conception of love, in the place that love held in society in general and in the biography of each person's life, and in attitudes about fate and destiny."

Tags:Romanticism, upper, classes, chivalric, picaresque, conception, love, society, Realism, fictional, narrative, honor, tales, fate