Paul Green Criticism
Paul (Eliot) Green 1894–1981
American dramatist, novelist, and short story writer.
Throughout his career, Green's best work incorporated a respect for American tradition and folklore, along with a realistic and sensitive portrayal of the dignity of the oppressed individual.
Green's first full-length play, In Abraham's Bosom, won the 1927 Pulitzer Prize for drama. The play concerns the plight of an ambitious young black man whose attempts to improve his life end in tragic failure.
The Lost Colony, a depiction of the first British settlement in America, was performed at an outdoor theater and began a series of historical regional plays written by Green. As Green saw it, the restrictions of the Broadway theater could not "contain the richness of [the American] tradition." He called his plays "symphonic dramas," a mixture of dialogue, music, and dance.
(See also Contemporary Authors, Vols. 5-8, rev. ed., Vol. 103 [obituary]; Contemporary Authors New Revision Series, Vol. 3; Dictionary of Literary Biography, Vols. 7, 9; and Dictionary of Literary Biography Yearbook: 1981.)
Contents
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Introduction
(summary)
In the following essay, Barrett H. Clark praises Paul Green for his innovative and authentic contributions to American drama, particularly highlighting his ability to portray the complexities of Negro life through plays that combine lyrical folk elements with a deep understanding of human character and emotion.
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Plays and Works
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In the following essay, John Mason Brown critiques Paul Green's transition from one-act plays to longer forms, highlighting the promise yet flawed execution in works such as "In Abraham's Bosom" and "The Field God," and noting Green's struggle to maintain unity and control in his extended narratives.
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Poor White Trash
(summary)
In the following essay, Julia Peterkin commends Paul Green for his poignant and compelling portrayal of African American experiences and the struggles of poor white farmers in the Carolina cotton belt, highlighting his deep sincerity and significant contribution to contemporary American literature.
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A Promise Fulfilled
(summary)
In the following essay, Joseph Wood Krutch argues that Paul Green's play "The House of Connelly" marks Green's maturation as a playwright, showcasing a unique and poetic voice distinct from his contemporaries, and achieving a Chekhovian effect through its evocative atmosphere and tender portrayal of a dying civilization.
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Nemesis in the Cotton Belt
(summary)
In the following essay, Hamilton Basso critiques Paul Green's novel "This Body the Earth," highlighting its powerful depiction of social protest, structural flaws from theatrical influences, and its poignant portrayal of Southern tenant farmers trapped by an unforgiving economic system, while also emphasizing the novel's exposure of the brutal penal system in North Carolina.
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Fool of God
(summary)
In the following essay, Joseph Wood Krutch critiques Paul Green and Kurt Weill's collaborative work "Johnny Johnson," acknowledging its imperfections and stylistic inconsistencies, yet ultimately appreciating its effectiveness and the unifying power of Weill's score in balancing its experimental and theatrical elements.
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Founding Fathers
(summary)
In the following essay, Brooks Atkinson examines Paul Green's "The Lost Colony," highlighting how Green infuses historical pageantry with religious reverence and poetic love, while also exploring his ambition for "symphonic drama" that combines various theatrical arts to express grand spiritual themes.
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The Town That Is a Theatre
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In the following essay, Anthony F. Merrill argues that Paul Green's play-pageant The Lost Colony masterfully blends historical drama with realism and romance, capturing the tragic story of Fort Raleigh's colonists through a vivid and poignant portrayal that resonates deeply with audiences.
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'In Abraham's Bosom' and 'The Shadow of Wings'
(summary)
In the following essay, Stark Young critiques Paul Green's plays "In Abraham's Bosom" and "The House of Connelly," highlighting their ambitious themes and poetic potential, but ultimately finding fault in their dialogue, structural coherence, and character motivations, which detract from their dramatic effectiveness and emotional resonance.
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Paul Green of Chapel Hill
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In the following essay, Agatha Boyd Adams explores Paul Green's dedication to social justice and realism in his works, while highlighting his poetic sensibilities and innovative contributions to American theater, particularly in portraying the rural South with authenticity and compassion.
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The Group Theatre: Theatre is Collective Art
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In the following essay, Gerald Rabkin argues that Paul Green's early plays, such as The House of Connelly and Johnny Johnson, reflect deep social and psychological insights, but his later works devolve into patriotic spectacle, losing the serious dramatic purposes that initially marked his contributions to American theatre.
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From Folklore to Mythology: Paul Green's 'Roll Sweet Chariot'
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In the following essay, Howard D. Pearce argues that Paul Green's dramatic works, particularly from his experimental period, represent a journey from American regionalism to a sophisticated exploration of universal human experiences through myth, symbol, and innovative forms, while addressing themes like justice and the essence of human nature.
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Transcending the Folk: Paul Green's Utilization of Folk Materials
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In the following essay, Howard D. Pearce examines how Paul Green's plays utilize folk materials, transforming them into poetic and symbolic drama, reflecting universal human conflicts and values, while also exploring the dualistic nature of folk characters and striving towards the creation of folk heroes through a blend of realism and romantic idealization.