How the Past is Illustrated in 20th-Century Drama become a cliché, paraphrased ad nauseam. by politicians and philosophically inclined students. Yet the oversaturation of this sentiment does not make it any less true, and American playwrights of the last quarter of the 20th century seemed to know this. For example, the most representative artistic movement of the era – postmodernism – is characterized by an interest in the representation and reinterpretation of history on stage. Unlike the modernists of the first half of the century, the postmodernists did not view their ancestors as artists to be transcended. Instead, they innovated by spreading their influences and interpolating them into new materials. These playwrights knew that to adequately understand the present – the increasingly complex contemporary world – they needed a deep understanding of the past. Most importantly, they recognized the power of history and memory, recognizing that nostalgia can quickly turn into a corrosive illusion and distort one's view of the present. These characteristics are perfectly illustrated by Glengarry Glen Ross by David Mamet, Angels in America by Tony Kushner and Topdog/Underdog by Suzan-Lori Parks. Although none of these plays can definitively be called postmodern, their characters embody a postmodern understanding of the past, recalling events differently and adapting history to their own needs in order to imagine better lives for themselves. In Topdog/Underdog, Lincoln's analysis of history can be applied to most of the characters in these plays: "People like them to do historical shit a certain way." They like it to unfold the way they folded it. Perfectly like a book. Not in tatters and blood and screams” (Parks, 52). Ultimately, these pieces suggest that although history is fungible, it cannot be overcome. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why violent video games should not be banned"?Get the original essay In Glengarry Glen Ross, Shelly Levene is caught in a romantic vision of his past, a salesman who could attract big clients and big commissions. At the start of the play, however, he is older and exhausted, begging Williamson to give him the most promising leads. Characteristically, he refers to his past sales figures, trying to pass them off as a barometer of his current capabilities: "April, September 1981. That's me," he says, "[...] Sixty-five years ago, when we were there, with Glen Ross Farms? You call them into town. What was that? Chance? […] My statistics for those years? Bullshit… about this period…? Bullshit. It wasn't luck. It was know-how” (Mamet, 17-18). To go further, Shelley operates from an anachronistic understanding of the world. At the beginning of the play, he still clings, however lightly, to the idea that his age gives him a hierarchical advantage and commands respect; he doesn't realize that his age has had the opposite effect and essentially made him obsolete. For example, he tries to invoke his age when negotiating with Williamson by saying, "I'm older than you." A man acquires a reputation. In the street. What does he do when he is standing, what does he do differently…” (Mamet, 24 years old). His reasoning is also outdated; Levene fails to realize that Williamson does not care about outdated notions of “reputation.” Although Levene is convinced that he is a competent salesman who has been tainted by a streak of bad luck, nothing in the text indicates that.

Essay / How the Past is Illustrated in 20th-Century Drama become a cliché, paraphrased ad nauseam. by politicians and philosophically inclined students. Yet the oversaturation of this sentiment does not make it any less true, and American playwrights of the last quarter of the 20th century seemed to know this. For example, the most representative artistic movement of the era – postmodernism – is characterized by an interest in the representation and reinterpretation of history on stage. Unlike the modernists of the first half of the century, the postmodernists did not view their ancestors as artists to be transcended. Instead, they innovated by spreading their influences and interpolating them into new materials. These playwrights knew that to adequately understand the present – the increasingly complex contemporary world – they needed a deep understanding of the past. Most importantly, they recognized the power of history and memory, recognizing that nostalgia can quickly turn into a corrosive illusion and distort one's view of the present. These characteristics are perfectly illustrated by Glengarry Glen Ross by David Mamet, Angels in America by Tony Kushner and Topdog/Underdog by Suzan-Lori Parks. Although none of these plays can definitively be called postmodern, their characters embody a postmodern understanding of the past, recalling events differently and adapting history to their own needs in order to imagine better lives for themselves. In Topdog/Underdog, Lincoln's analysis of history can be applied to most of the characters in these plays: "People like them to do historical shit a certain way." They like it to unfold the way they folded it. Perfectly like a book. Not in tatters and blood and screams” (Parks, 52). Ultimately, these pieces suggest that although history is fungible, it cannot be overcome. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why violent video games should not be banned"?Get the original essay In Glengarry Glen Ross, Shelly Levene is caught in a romantic vision of his past, a salesman who could attract big clients and big commissions. At the start of the play, however, he is older and exhausted, begging Williamson to give him the most promising leads. Characteristically, he refers to his past sales figures, trying to pass them off as a barometer of his current capabilities: "April, September 1981. That's me," he says, "[...] Sixty-five years ago, when we were there, with Glen Ross Farms? You call them into town. What was that? Chance? […] My statistics for those years? Bullshit… about this period…? Bullshit. It wasn't luck. It was know-how” (Mamet, 17-18). To go further, Shelley operates from an anachronistic understanding of the world. At the beginning of the play, he still clings, however lightly, to the idea that his age gives him a hierarchical advantage and commands respect; he doesn't realize that his age has had the opposite effect and essentially made him obsolete. For example, he tries to invoke his age when negotiating with Williamson by saying, "I'm older than you." A man acquires a reputation. In the street. What does he do when he is standing, what does he do differently…” (Mamet, 24 years old). His reasoning is also outdated; Levene fails to realize that Williamson does not care about outdated notions of “reputation.” Although Levene is convinced that he is a competent salesman who has been tainted by a streak of bad luck, nothing in the text indicates that.

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