Vonnegut versus Strindberg :: essays research papers

Kurt Vonnegut is one of the preeminent writers of the later half of the twentieth century. His works are all windows to his mind, a literary psychoanalysis. The play knock off Julie, by August Strindberg, has two subordinates, a daughter and a servant, who are subject to individuallyothers authority. Julie is Jeans sterling(prenominal) in terms of class, jean is julies first-rate in terms of morality, because Jean is a man and Julie is a tumultuous woman. These class differences structure most of some(prenominal) the plays actions. The plays are conservative in sentiment. They keep these superior and inferior positions in place and ultimately submits both characters to the total authority of the count. An uncountable number of power reversals occurring along class and sexual activity lines throughout the plays. The difference between Jean and Julie is central to their attraction. Whereas Julie expresses a propensity to fall from her social position, Jean expresses a n idle desire to climb up from his social position. Jean hopes to better his social status by quiescency with Julie, when he discovers that she is penniless, he abandons his plans. By sleeping with Jean, Julie degrades herself and places herself beneath Jeans level. The power shifts again, however, when Julie reasserts her superior class, mocking Jeans name and family line. In Kurt Vonneguts Who am I This Time, Harry Nash is a shy hardware store employee. nevertheless whenever he takes a part in a local amateur theatre production, he becomes the part completely. Helene is new in town, a lone(prenominal) internant telephone company employee. On a whim, she auditions for and gets the part of Miss Julie. ahead anyone realizes the problem, she falls madly in retire with Jean not astute what the real man is like. In both plays the people fall for each other, not knowing who they are really falling in love with.