o'neill's technique of expressionism - DSpace@INFLIBNET Home
o'neill's technique of expressionism - DSpace@INFLIBNET Home
o'neill's technique of expressionism - DSpace@INFLIBNET Home
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225period seven – type seven) there are forty nine differentcombinations <strong>of</strong> period and type. Each type has a distinctpredominant colo ur <strong>of</strong> its costumes which varies in kindaccording to its period. The masks <strong>of</strong> the Chorus <strong>of</strong> Old Menand double the size <strong>of</strong> the others. They are all seven in thesorr owful, resigned t ype <strong>of</strong> Old Age. (O’Neill III: LL 273 -74)Explaining the purpose <strong>of</strong> mask in Lazarus Laughed O’Neill told Barrett H.Clark:It ’s in seven scenes, and all the characters wear masks. Andhere I ’ve used them right. In ‘Brown ’ I couldn ’t know beforehand how th e scheme would work out. They were too realisticthere, and sitting way back in the theatre you could not be sureif the actors had masks or not. I should have had them twice atlarge – and conventionalized them so the audience could get theidea at once. In ‘Lazarus ’ I believe I ’ve managed the problem<strong>of</strong> big crowds better than crowds are usually worked in plays.It ’s never quite right. My Jews all wear masks, and it’s thesame with Greeks and Romans. I think I ’ve suggested thepresence and characteristic o f mobs (by means <strong>of</strong> masks)without having to bring in a lot <strong>of</strong> supers. I also have a chorus<strong>of</strong> seven, who chant together, emphasising and pointing theaction throughout. (116)In Dynamo , O ’Neill is primarily concerned wi th the ‘ inner ’ ratherthan the ‘Oute r’ world <strong>of</strong> the minds <strong>of</strong> the characters. He has used ‘spoken -thought s’ – an important anti -realistic device – to add to the concentrationand expressiveness <strong>of</strong> the play. The tendency <strong>of</strong> the characters is to avoiddirect confrontation when they get engaged in a dialogue , and are askeddirect and personal questions. They always prefer to reflect on them moreseriously and silently in their minds. Most <strong>of</strong> the information is not directlycommunicated, but is made available to the audience when the charactersar e lost in ‘dope dreaming ’ or ‘Mooning ’. The characters are <strong>of</strong>ten given todreaming sentimentally <strong>of</strong> the past , and they can easily move from the