Expressionism Flashcards
1
Q
When did expressionism originate?
A
- WW1 (1994) onwards
2
Q
Who are some of the influential playwrights of the expressionist movement?
A
- Germany: George Kaiser
- USA: Thornton Wilder
3
Q
What is an example of a well known Expressionist play?
A
“Our Town” - Thornton Wilder
4
Q
What is expressionism about and what does it entail?
A
- anti-realistic, subjective reality
- hallucinations
- dreams
- spirits
- visions
- secrets
- unconscious desires
5
Q
What does expressionism express?
A
- expresses psychological forces that lie under the surface of human mind in a stylised manner
6
Q
What is the purpose of expressionism?
A
- to express the inner feelings and experiences of characters
- a journey to the soul
- to protest against the contemporary social order
7
Q
What are some of the qualities that expressionism focuses on?
A
- anti-materialism
- anti-industrialism
- humanitarianism
8
Q
How does expressionism use the three unities of time, place, and action?
A
- exaggeration
- distortion
- disruption of three unities
9
Q
What does expressionism show?
A
- how humanity’s spiritual potential can be realised
10
Q
What does expressionism attack?
A
- attacks capitalist values in industrialised societies
11
Q
What devices are used in expressionism?
A
- chorus
- narrator
- soliloquies
- unusual stage effects
12
Q
What do expressionist plays concentrate on and why?
A
- concentrate on negative aspects of the present
- to prove how false ideas have distorted man’s spirit
13
Q
Who’s journey do expressionist plays follow?
A
- the protagonist’s journey
- can be illogical
- often a journey/a search
14
Q
What is the structure of an expressionist play?
A
- episodic structure
15
Q
How is the protagonist represented in expressionism?
A
- protagonist is central (everything seen through their eyes)
- protagonist is tortured by events and society
