Let's begin by defining our terms. Realism in literature refers to the presentation of the details of real life just as they are. Realism tries to faithfully represent reality. Expressionism, on the other hand, attempts to convey internal emotions rather than external reality. Eugene O'Neill's play The Emperor Jones includes elements of both of these techniques.

Realism shows up in the first one, which begins with a detailed description of the setting and characters and shows a very realistic conversation between Jones and Smithers, complete with their dialects and their argument over Jones's criminal record. This is a conversation that could take place just about anywhere, and O'Neill paints it in all its rather vulgar authenticity.

However, realism fades quickly and is replaced with expressionism in the second scene. Jones is entering into the forest, and he is frightened. His “little formless fears” begin to stalk him, and he shoots at them. Jones tries to convince himself that they are just pigs, but he knows they aren't. We are now fully in the mode of expressionism. Jones's emotions, especially his fear and guilt, take center stage. We are no longer seeing what happens to Jones in the “real” world. We see everything through the lens of his emotions.

The expressionist mode continues as Jones confronts the ghost of Jeff, the man he killed, and then relives the scene in which he kills a prison guard. He even appears in the midst of a slave auction in which the auctioneer is selling Jones to a planter. Jones fires his gun at all of these ghosts, but he cannot really escape them, for they are not “real.” They are memories that Jones is reliving in an extremely dramatic and terrifying way as he tries to come to terms with what he has done.

The play returns to realism in the last scene as Smithers and the natives enter the forest. The natives bring Jones dead body out of the forest, and Smithers scorns them and Jones alike.