Date of Award
Spring 4-24-2022
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
English
First Advisor
Brianna Thompson
Abstract
In looking at Francis Edward Faragoh’s Pinwheel, Elmer Rice’s The Subway, and Sophie Treadwell’s Machinal, my project examines the three anti-heroines of American Expressionist drama. Often overlooked in favor of the larger German movement, American Expressionism is an under explored but incredibly influential dramatic movement. Specifically looking at the plays from the small movement that center a female protagonist, I develop an understanding of the anti-heroine as a reflection of the modern woman and her role within America’s value driven society. Beginning with Pinwheel, I establish the American expressionist anti-heroine as anti-heroic for her strengthened, sexualized body. Through The Subway, I extend my exploration of the anti-heroine’s sexually deviant body alongside a traditionally motivated, chrononormative mind. Establishing the anti-heroine as subject to a mind and body at odds, I underline her desire to become a character defined by a single role. Considering Machinal as a metatheatrical examination of the expressionist anti-heroine, I join Sophie Treadwell in questioning the role of female protagonists within the genre as all three women gravitate towards releasing themselves from the internal depth typical of a fully formed expressionist protagonist in favor of becoming a stock side-character.
Recommended Citation
Stevenson, Katie, "Understanding the American Expressionist Anti-Heroine: Chrononormativity and the Deviant Bodies of Pinwheel, The Subway, and Machinal" (2022). Honors Theses. 285.
https://digital.kenyon.edu/honorstheses/285
Rights Statement
All rights reserved. This copy is provided to the Kenyon Community solely for individual academic use. For any other use, please contact the copyright holder for permission.