Give 5 examples of expressionist form used in Machinal
Flat characters
Harsh audio effects
Repetitive dialogue and action
Numerous short scenes
Confusion of inner and outer reality
What did critic George Jean Nathan say about Machinal?
Female playwrights fall short because women by nature lack complete objectivity
Machinal is a parable about…
‘An ordinary young woman’ who lives in a mechanized, materialistic world
Why does Treadwell attack capitalism?
For putting intimate relationships on an economic footing
What does Helen try to do?
Find financial security without sacrificing her dreams, control her own body and shape her own future, in a world in which women’s power to do so remains severely limited
What is significant about the structure of Machinal?
It shows Helen at different stages of her life but she finds no peace in any
What is a repeated motif in Machinal
Claustrophobia- no control of her own life so feels trapped
What is the purpose of urban sounds and repetitive dialogue?
To create a universe uncomfortably similar to our own
