American Drama and the Twentieth Century Stage — Flashcards

Grade 11 · English · Flashcards

Key terms, playwrights, and plays for 20th-century American drama in 11th grade English.

Flashcards

Arthur Miller: Playwright of 'Death of a Salesman' and 'The Crucible'; examined the American Dream and political conformity
Tennessee Williams: Playwright of 'A Streetcar Named Desire' and 'The Glass Menagerie'; explored illusion, fragility, and desire
Lorraine Hansberry: Playwright of 'A Raisin in the Sun' (1959); first Black woman to reach Broadway
Death of a Salesman: Miller's 1949 tragedy about Willy Loman's destruction by his false belief in the American Dream
A Raisin in the Sun: Hansberry's 1959 play about a Black family's dreams and the racism that obstructs them
The Crucible: Miller's 1953 allegory for McCarthyism using the Salem witch trials as its vehicle
Expressionism: Theatrical technique distorting reality to externalize internal psychological states
Soliloquy: A speech delivered by a character alone on stage to reveal inner thoughts to the audience
Tragedy: A dramatic form in which a protagonist's fatal flaw leads to downfall and suffering
Stage Directions: Written instructions in a play specifying setting, character movement, and action
McCarthyism: 1950s anti-Communist investigations led by Senator McCarthy; paralleled in 'The Crucible'
Dream Deferred: Concept from Langston Hughes's poem 'Harlem' — what happens to dreams that are blocked and postponed; central to 'A Raisin in the Sun'