The Man Who Came to Dinner (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)
At a glance:
- Author: George S. Kaufman, Moss Hart
- First Published: 1939
- Type of Work: Play
- Type of Plot: Comedy
- Time of Work: The 1930’s
- Setting: Mesalia, Ohio
- Genres: Drama, Comedy
- Subjects: Values, North America or North Americans, United States or Americans, Acting or actors, Middle classes, Mistaken or secret identity, Midwest, Ohio, 1930’s, Small-town life, Fame, Drama or dramatists
- Locales: Mesalia, OH
Characters Discussed
Sheridan Whiteside, a middle-aged, Falstaffian-girthed celebrity. He is a critic, lecturer, and radio personality, the intimate friend of anyone worth knowing. He is an egomaniac who “would see his mother burned at the stake if that was the only way he could light his cigarette.” His cruel wit and penchant for aggressive repartee make him a great comic character, insofar as humor often depends on other people’s misery or discomfort. That he is obviously impossible to live with is amply demonstrated when he disrupts, through his presence, a...
[The entire page is 875 words long]
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