What makes a true American tale? Is it the writer? The way he or she speaks to the reader? Is it the way the main characters are portrayed and brought to life in the pages of its tale? In the early 1900s, many have asked this question and many have set out to answer it. Eugene O’Neil, a curious mind, was an American writer and playwright who decided to express how he saw the world in his own perspective. Eventually, a drama was born that marked history, thus making itself known in American literature. Eugene O’Neil’s play The Emperor Jones comes to life on stage as he uses setting, suspense, and symbolism in the plot of The Emperor Jones and uses them to drive the play forward in its crisis.
If one were to close his or her own eyes and describe …show more content…
There’s conflict and danger lurks as an unfortunate soul strives to find salvation. The readers hold their breath as disaster strikes and soon a detective like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes arrives and brings hope. It is the constant suspense that keeps readers hanging and hoping for a satisfying resolution to the tale. Likewise, O’Neil utilizes suspense and weaves it throughout the play. “Don’t yer notice nothin’ funny today?” Smithers starts. Jones responds, “Funny? No I ain’t perceived nothin’ of de kind!” Smithers answers back, “Then yer ain’t so foxy as I thought yer was…” (Scene One, Page Three). Smithers mentions to Jones how the natives had fled, and are planning something. It is revealed that they are planning to overthrow Jones and with each beat of the natives’ drums, their plot is imminent. Yet, Jones’ confidence causes him to laugh at the matter at hand and it is Jones’ attitude during this time of crisis that keeps the audience intrigued. Cockily, Jones laughs and says, “Well, if dey ain’t no whole brass band to see me off, I sho’ got de drum part of it. So long, white man. [He puts his hands in his pockets and with studied carelessness, whistling a tune, he saunters out of the doorway and off to the left.]” (Scene One, Page Ten). The adventure continues when Jones, alone, reaches the spot where he had hidden a stash of food only to find that it’s gone and he begins to question whether he’s at the right spot. While Jones tries to calm his nerves, dark shapeless creatures quietly slink in the background. “From the formless creatures on the ground in front of him comes a tiny gale of low mocking laughter like a rustling of leaves. They squirm upward toward him in twisted attitudes. JONES looks down, leaps backward with a yell of terror, yanking out his revolver as he does so – – in a quavering voice.] What’s dat? Who’s dar? What is you? Git away from me befo’ I shoots you up! Yo’ don’t? …” (Scene Two,
If one were to close his or her own eyes and describe …show more content…
There’s conflict and danger lurks as an unfortunate soul strives to find salvation. The readers hold their breath as disaster strikes and soon a detective like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes arrives and brings hope. It is the constant suspense that keeps readers hanging and hoping for a satisfying resolution to the tale. Likewise, O’Neil utilizes suspense and weaves it throughout the play. “Don’t yer notice nothin’ funny today?” Smithers starts. Jones responds, “Funny? No I ain’t perceived nothin’ of de kind!” Smithers answers back, “Then yer ain’t so foxy as I thought yer was…” (Scene One, Page Three). Smithers mentions to Jones how the natives had fled, and are planning something. It is revealed that they are planning to overthrow Jones and with each beat of the natives’ drums, their plot is imminent. Yet, Jones’ confidence causes him to laugh at the matter at hand and it is Jones’ attitude during this time of crisis that keeps the audience intrigued. Cockily, Jones laughs and says, “Well, if dey ain’t no whole brass band to see me off, I sho’ got de drum part of it. So long, white man. [He puts his hands in his pockets and with studied carelessness, whistling a tune, he saunters out of the doorway and off to the left.]” (Scene One, Page Ten). The adventure continues when Jones, alone, reaches the spot where he had hidden a stash of food only to find that it’s gone and he begins to question whether he’s at the right spot. While Jones tries to calm his nerves, dark shapeless creatures quietly slink in the background. “From the formless creatures on the ground in front of him comes a tiny gale of low mocking laughter like a rustling of leaves. They squirm upward toward him in twisted attitudes. JONES looks down, leaps backward with a yell of terror, yanking out his revolver as he does so – – in a quavering voice.] What’s dat? Who’s dar? What is you? Git away from me befo’ I shoots you up! Yo’ don’t? …” (Scene Two,