Machinal

How does the inclusion of mechanical sounds echo the play’s thematic content? 

Think about the impact of the offstage voices. How do they affect the characters in the play? How do they affect the audience or reader? 

Does Helen learn anything through her ordeal, or, alternately, does she remain utterly naïve? What are examples of her learning or failing to learn?

What do hands symbolize in Machinal? Why do you think Treadwell chose hands as a symbol? 

At the end of Episode 6, the image of the young woman is likened to statues of women through the ages. Why does Treadwell do this? How does it further the play’s themes? 

How is Helen’s lover more similar than different to Helen’s husband, George Jones? 

Focus on the visual aspect of the text in Machinal. How does its form fit the thematic function of the play? 

Analyze the role of Helen’s mother in Machinal.