Machinal Context

Machinal

Machinal was written in 1928 by playwright Sophie Treadwell. It's an expressionist play that follows the life and execution of Helen Jones (a.k.a Young Woman) in an industrial city in the mid to late 1920's.

Expressionism

• Expressionism is an art form that emerged in the early 20th century
• It aims to externalise the internal emotions and thoughts of the protagonist
• It often contains nightmarish elements, such as dark and monochromatic colours, shadows, warped proportions and harsh, jagged lines. In the case of Machinal, the use of these severe and geometric shapes could reflect Treadwell's emphasis on the negative effects of industrialisation. 
• A common trait of Expressionist theatre is to ***** characters other than the protagonist down to their roles in the protagonist's life; in Machinal, the other employees of George.H.Jones are referred to by their role, e.g. "Stenographer", "Adding Clerk"

Ruth Snyder

• The events that happen in the latter half of the play, specifically from Episode Six and onwards, are heavily inspired by the notorious case of Ruth Snyder, a woman who was executed via the electric chair for murdering her husband, Albert Snyder, in 1927.
• In the late 1910s, Ruth Snyder (born May Ruth Brown) married Albert Snyder, a man 13 years her senior (similar to the young woman's marriage to George Jones), and by…