Mimetic Disillusion - Eugene O'Neill - Tennessee Williams and U.S. Dramatic Realism

Sep 20, 2026

Uploaded by Riley

Mimetic Disillusion examines Eugene O’Neill, Tennessee Williams, and U.S. dramatic realism through a critical lens focused on temporality, seen and unseen dimensions, and the way dramatic space shapes meaning. The book traces key works—Long Day’s Journey into Night, The Iceman Cometh, The Glass Menagerie, and A Streetcar Named Desire—highlighting loss, buying time, spatial violation, and sexual violence. It situates these plays within dramatic theory from 1935 to 1947, supported by references and an index.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages148

Reading Time3 h 48 min

AccessFree to download

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction: Eugene O'Neill, Tennessee Williams, and U.S. Dramatic Theory, 1935-1947

Long Days Journey into Night: The Seen and the Unseen

The Iceman Cometh: Buying Time

The Glass Menagerie: Loss and Space

A Streetcar Named Desire: Spatial Violation and Sexual Violence

Afterword

Notes

References

Index

# Mimetic Disillusion Eugene O'Neill, Tennessee Wiliams,andU.S.Dramatic Realism Anne Fleche Mimetic Disillusion # Mimetic Disillusion Eugene O'Neill,Tennessee Williams,and U.S.Dramatic Realism ANNE FLECHE The University of Alabama Press Copyright ◎1997 The University of Alabama PressTuscaloosa,Alabama 35487-0380All rights reservedManufactured in the United States of America Excerpts from "The Rhetoric of Temporality,"in Blindness and Insight:Essays in the Rhetoric of Contemporary Criticism,by Paul de Man,copyright◎1971 Oxford University Press,used by permission. 00 The paper on which this book is printed meets the minimumrequirements of American National Standard for InformationScience-Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials,ANSI Z39.48-1984. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Fleche,Anne. Mimetic disillusion:Eugene O'Neill,Tennessee Williams,and U.S.dramatic realism/Anne Fleche. p.cm. Includes bibliographical references and index.ISBN 0-8173-0838-5(paper :alk.paper) 1.American drama—20th century—History and criticism. 2.O'Neill,Eugene,1888-1953—Criticism and interpretation. 3.Williams,Tennessee,1911-1983—Criticism and interpretation. 4.Realism in literature.I.Title. PS338.R42F58 1997812'.5209—dc20 96-24510 For Bets Contents Acknowledgments ix 1.Introduction:Eugene O'Neill,Tennessee Williams,and U.S.Dramatic Theory,1935-1947 1 2.Long Days Journey into Night:The Seen and the Unseen 25 3.The Iceman Cometh:Buying Time 43 4.The Glass Menagerie:Loss and Space 65 5. A Streetcar Named Desire: Spatial Violation and Sexual Violence 89 Afterword 107Notes 113References 125Index 131 ## Acknowledgments I want to thank the people who read drafts of some or all of thesechapters and offered their helpful suggestions:Thomas Van Laan,Thomas Edwards,Celeste Goodridge,Robin Lydenberg,and EileenSweeney.Scott Curtis and Lisa Cuklanz located the cover still.ElinDiamond has been my mimetic model,if not my icon;her sharpcriticism and energetic support are a continuing inspiration.Loveand thanks also to my mother and father,sisters and brothers,andthanks to my coworkers at Boston College,especially Patrice Scottwho typed the manuscript,and my office-mate Bonnie Rudner whoalways provided comfort and support.Special thanks are long over-due to Laura Tanner,a patient,perceptive reader and a great friend.My sister Betsy Fleche has been my best pal and closest intellectualcollaborator time out of mind.This book is for her. Part of chapter 5 appears in slightly altered form as "The Space ofMadness and Desire:Tennessee Williams and Streetcar,"in ModernDrama,edited by David Blostein,Dorothy Parker,and Alan Thomas,copyright ◎1995 by Modern Drama. The line from “somewhere i have never travelled,gladly beyond”is reprinted from Complete Poems:1904-1962,by E.E.Cummings,ed-ited by George J.Firmage,by permission of Liveright PublishingCorporation.Copyright ◎1931,1959,1991 by the Trustees for the E.E.Cummings Trust.Copyright ◎1979 by George James Firmage. Excerpts from The Theater and Its Double,by Antonin Artaud,trans-lated by Mary Caroline Richards,copyright C1958 by Grove Press,Inc.Used by permission. Excerpts from Brecht on Theatre:The Development of an Aesthetic,editedand translated by John Willett,published by Methuen.Translationcopyright ◎1964 and renewed ◎1992 by John Willett.Reprinted

FAQs

What is the central critical focus of Mimetic Disillusion?

The book studies how U.S. dramatic realism develops through concepts tied to temporality and to the relationship between what is shown and what remains unseen or disillusioning in major plays.

Which O’Neill and Williams works are discussed?

It analyzes Eugene O’Neill’s Long Day’s Journey into Night and The Iceman Cometh, as well as Tennessee Williams’s The Glass Menagerie and A Streetcar Named Desire.

How does the book connect dramatic space to meaning?

It emphasizes spatial questions, particularly in A Streetcar Named Desire, where spatial violation is linked to sexual violence and dramatic effect, and in The Glass Menagerie, where loss and space interact.

Sep 20, 2026

Uploaded by Riley