Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1991 From Image to Identity: The eS arch for Authenticity in the Early Modernist Drama of Maxwell Anderson, John Millington Synge, Federico Garcia Lorca and D. H. Lawrence. Janice Maria Oliver Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Oliver, Janice Maria, "From Image to Identity: The eS arch for Authenticity in the Early Modernist Drama of Maxwell Anderson, John Millington Synge, Federico Garcia Lorca and D. H. Lawrence." (1991). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 5136. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/5136 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The qualify of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrougb, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. 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Order Number 9200079 From image to identity: The search for authenticity in the early modernist drama of Maxwell Anderson, John Millington Synge, Federico Garcia Lorca and D. H. Lawrence Oliver, Janice Maria, Ph.D. The Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical Col., 1991 UMI 300 N. Zeeb Rd. Ann Arbor, MI 48106 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. FROM IMAGE TO IDENTITY: THE SEARCH FOR AUTHENTICITY IN THE EARLY MODERNIST DRAMA OF MAXWELL ANDERSON, JOHN MILLINGTON SYNGE, FEDERICO GARCIA LORCA AND D. H. LAWRENCE A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of English by Janice Oliver B.A., University of Southern Mississippi, 1975 M. A., University of Southern Mississippi, 1977 May 1991 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Acknowledgements Many people have contributed to the completion of this dissertation, but foremost among them is Anna Nardo, my major professor, who literally talked ideas through with me until they evolved into words on paper; her strong, clear voice enabled me to discover one of my own. William Demastes's advice, about dramatic theory especially, helped focus my often intuitive impressions. Bill Harbin's life in the theatre has been an inspiration to me, as has been his friendship over the years. Josephine Roberts unfailingly supported my efforts and provided valuable comments, especially about Anderson. Don Moore's advice on early drafts was helpful, as was his wit when mine failed. David Smyth's careful proofreading proved exceedingly helpful in preparing the final version of this study. Finally, James Nardin, my initial director, generously encouraged me during the formative stages of this project, thus paving the way for others to follow. I wish to thank the members of the Department of English at Southern University and the chair, Fred Thomas, for their encouragement over the years, and for a semester's release time under Consent Decree provisions. I also have much gratitude to others who helped with this manuscript. Saul Oliver persevered with me through years of hard work and sacrifice. Cynthia Levy and Terry Howie lent me support, use of a computer, and access to their home and friendship. Neal Cronin patiently listened and kept my spirits up, as well as provided his time and printer for final drafts. ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Delà Frazier sat with me for many hours as we both worked on our respective projects, affording company as well as moral support. At various times, Michael Bounds, David Porter, and Leonard Martin read drafts and offered valuable suggestions. Claudia Scott typed several chapters early on and guided me through often baffling word-processing procedures. Several others have generously supported me, both emotionally and spiritually, at different times throughout this process. Gordon Slack's personal and professional guidance proved invaluable, expecially after I accepted that a certain type of knowledge is the booby prize. Mary Ann Sherrill never failed to remind me where I would find the resources to meet my destiny. Scott Barielle believed in me when I did not, offering me an open book and lighted armor. And Hob Thomson told me stories that made me laugh and expressed what I already knew inside to be true—that a life lived faihfully could he prized above all. A note of special thanks goes to Mindy Lemoine, who literally accompanied me on this journey. Her faithfulness to her own authentic self helped sustain me and reminded me that we do not have to live, or write, alone. Finally, I want to acknowledge my debt if gratitude to two people whose love and encouragement have meant most to me: my daughters, Shelley Lynne Oliver and Tracey Oliver Richard. I would have chosen them as friends. Ill Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Dedication To H. P., without whom, nothing is possible IV Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Table of Contents Acknowledgements ...................................................................................... ii Dedication...................................................................................................... iv Table of Contents...........................................................................................v A bstract.......................................................................................................... vi Chapter I; Introduction .................................................................................... 1 Chapter II:Anderson and Authentication of the Self .............................22 Chapter III: Synge and Renunciation of the Self .....................................64 Chapter IV: Lorca and Subjugation of the Self ........................................ 116 Chapter V: Lawrence and Repudiation of the Self. ...................................... 145 Chapter VI: Conclusion ...............................................................................171 Bibliography...................................................................................................175 V ita..................................................................................................................185 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Abstract Working roughly from the last decades of the nineteenth century into the first quarter of the twentieth, early modernist playwrights wrote in times which were dominated by realism, but when many still looked to poetic forms for expression. They shared artistic space with realist practitioners like Ibsen and Shaw on the one hand and poetic dramatists like Yeats and Eliot on the other. Interested in dramatizing the conflict between the private and the public selves, they faced a central problem of creating a form and attendant style that could bridge the gap between the individual and her/his environment, thus harmonizing them into an authentic identity. This dissertation answers the following question: if a type of dialectic between the selves could be envisioned which could result in authentic identities for characters, what sort of form and technique would facilitate this dialectic? A group of early modernist playwrights from