Assignment+Four

Realism had many elements. Mostly, it showed concerns with social problems and struggles that characters undergo in order to overcome certain circumstances and the social problems. All of the aspects of the realistic plays seemed to come from everyday life and are very detailed. "The Cherry Orchard" shows a family who has just gotten home. One of the women is particularly happy to be home. She states that she has her own room and window again, just as if she'd never left. She says she did not sleep through all of the journey. She then tells a story of her journey and gives many details. They arrived in Paris, there was snow on the ground, and she could not speak a word of French. She even states what floor her mom was living on. She gives many more details about when she went upstairs to see her mother. She even gives the detail that the room was full of tobacco smoke. They talk much of the hardships they are going through. After her story, she asks if the mortgage has been paid off, and the other woman tells her there is no money to pay it with, and the estate will be sold soon. She says that she dreams that she could marry the other woman to a rich man so that everything would be taken care of. Even through all of the hardships though, they try not to think of them. The younger woman keeps talking of other things. She rejoices in life regardless of the hardships by saying that she went on a balloon ride while in Paris, and she goes to the garden and listens ecstatically to the birds happily chirping. In "Hedda Gabler," the maid is being transferred to a new mistress (Hedda) and is worried that she will not please her while the woman she is confiding in tries to reassure her that she will be alright. Meanwhile, George comes downstairs and sees the maid and the other woman. He takes her hat off of her and comments that it is very elegant. They are concerned for Aunt Rena. George has just acquired a new house, and the women states that he will find everything very expensive. When Hedda comes downstairs, she tries to turn around (showing that she does not like George's aunt) until his aunt sees her and speaks to her. Every aspect of the play is so detailed and realistic. Hedda goes outside and looks at the leaves, stating that they are red and yellow. The opening of "Miss Julie" is so realistic. The music playing feels like it would have been popular in the time period that is being portrayed, and the room shown is very detailed. When Jean comes in, he tells a very detailed story of him seeing Miss Julie. It is Midsummer Eve, and Jean is very concerned with "doing things properly." He is wearing nice clothes, wants to keep his hair neat, and, when Christine hands him a beer, he says that will not do and gets some wine out. She thinks he is very fussy, but it appears that she wants his social status so she stays with him. Hickey talks of Evelyn and how he loved her in the "Iceman Cometh." But he was a trouble-maker, and Evelyn's family was high class. Naturally, they forbid that she see Hickey. He hated his hometown and decided to leave. He had no money and could not afford a train ticket. He continues his story in the present then and tells of how he told Evelyn that he was not good enough for her. Edmund's monologue in the "Long Day's Journey Into Night" is very detailed. He describes everything he saw and everything he did. His monologue is about how he lost himself while at sea and had no worry in the world. He says that after he comes back to realization, he is "lost in the fog again." He then speaks of panhandling for a smoke and states that people only stammer through life. Arthur Miller in the "Death of a Salesman" speaks his story very detailed. He speaks of a house and tremendous opportunities and a need to leave a thumbprint on society. You can tell from the sound effects that the set is a house. He seems like a typical working man from the time period. He and his wife worry about his excessive traveling. He also worries about Biff making money on a farm because he does not see it as a decent job. In the "Glass Menagerie," the son also worries about money. He tells his mother that he has nothing that he can call his own. He portrays the average working man and works at a place that he does not wish to work at. All of these examples show realism. They are very descriptive, show the typical people of that time who worry about things that mostly everyone else was worrying about, and they are all set inside of a house.