Research the anarchist movement of the early-twentieth century, particularly the life of Emma Goldman. What do you feel might have led people like Larry Slade in The Iceman Cometh to first embrace and then abandon the anarchist movement?

Compare and contrast the roomers in The Iceman Cometh with the tramps Didi and Gogo in Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot. To what extent do the roomers and the tramps control their respective fates?

Research the physical and social effects of alcoholism. What part does alcohol play in the lives of O'Neill's roomers? What social circumstances contribute to their drinking?

Discuss the women in O'Neill's play, considering both those onstage and those who are only spoken of. Why are so few of the women onstage? What does the play suggest about relationships between women and men?

Compare and contrast The Iceman Cometh with Maxim Gorky's The Lower Depths. What differences do you think might be attributed to the fact that Gorky is a Russian writer while O'Neill is an American? How are the playwrights' views of dreams and illusions similar? How are they different?