prosperity, setting the stage for Sam Evans’s business achievements inStrange Interlude. Wealth was accumulated, people had disposable income, and unemployment rates were low. This economic surge was partly fueled by the expansion of assembly line production, which increased the availability of consumer goods at reduced prices. A Ford vehicle was priced at $290, while the average annual income was $1,236.

Additionally, consumers could access more products due to new credit plans, allowing them to purchase items and pay over time. The rise of mass advertising through radio, magazines, films, and billboards further encouraged consumerism, which explains why Sam Evans in the play enters the advertising industry and becomes wealthy.

Another factor contributing to the 1920s boom was the implementation of high tariffs on imported goods. This protectionist approach ensured that American products remained more affordable than foreign ones, helping U.S. industries continue to thrive.

The economic prosperity came to an abrupt halt with the unforeseen stock market crash on October 29, 1929, known as Black Thursday. Between 1929 and 1931, stock losses were estimated at $12 billion, ushering in the most severe depression in American history. By 1932, there were twelve million people unemployed. In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt introduced the New Deal, a series of economic and social initiatives aimed at mitigating the depression's impact.

Soliloquies and Asides

The primary dramatic techniques used in the play are soliloquies and asides. A soliloquy occurs when a character is alone on stage and vocalizes their thoughts. This allows the playwright to provide the audience with direct insight into a character's motivations or mental state. The assumption is that the character always speaks truthfully, as they perceive it. Acts 1 and 2 commence with lengthy soliloquies by Marsden; Acts 1 and 5 feature soliloquies by Nina; and Act 4 includes a soliloquy by Evans.

An aside is a similar technique where a character speaks their thoughts out loud, but these are unheard by other characters on stage.

Soliloquies and asides were common in Elizabethan drama but fell out of fashion in the 19th century. When O’Neill reintroduced them, he expanded the function of the aside. Traditionally, an aside was a brief comment used sparingly throughout a play. In Strange Interlude, however, the asides are not only significantly longer than earlier examples, but they also occur much more frequently, becoming an integral part of the drama's structure.

O’Neill’s use of this technique allowed him to illustrate not just the gap between the characters' inner thoughts and their spoken words and actions, but also the conflicting nature of those thoughts. A character might think one thing, then something completely contradictory, followed by a thought that reaffirms the original idea. This approach shares similarities with the stream of consciousness technique found in fiction (often known as interior monologue), which seeks to depict the ongoing flow of thoughts and emotions within a character's mind. While these terms are more applicable to fiction than drama, O’Neill’s evolution of the aside lends the play a novel-like quality, especially when read rather than performed.

When Strange Interlude was performed on stage, characters delivering asides would do so while other characters remained motionless, making it evident to the audience that they could not hear the aside.

• 1920s: Hollywood's movie industry experiences rapid growth, with cinema overtaking theater as the primary form of mass entertainment. This final era of silent films brings forth stars like Charlie Chaplin.

Today: Hollywood remains the leading movie hub of the Western world. Watching movies is a beloved cultural pastime for millions of Americans.

• 1920s: The Volstead Act, enacted in 1920, prohibits the production and sale of alcoholic beverages across the United States. However, Prohibition is largely unsuccessful due to enforcement challenges. Alcohol is illicitly sold in establishments known as speakeasies, with several thousand operating in New York City alone. Prohibition also leads to a rise in organized crime, as significant profits are made from illegal alcohol sales.

Today: Alcohol abuse remains a major social issue, significantly contributing to traffic fatalities. In 2001, 17,400 people died in alcohol-related crashes, accounting for 41 percent of the 42,116 total traffic fatalities. Alcohol abuse is also linked to criminal activities, including domestic violence and other forms of aggression.

• 1920s: On August 26, 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment is ratified, granting all women the right to vote. During the 1920 presidential election, women vote similarly to men, aligning with party lines based on class, economic status, region, and other factors. In 1924, Nellie Tayloe Ross is elected as the governor of Wyoming, becoming the first female governor in the United States.

Today: In the 2000 presidential election, women constitute 52 percent of the voting population. Analysts examine the "gender gap," noting that women are more inclined than men to support Democratic candidates. According to the non-partisan Center for Policy Alternatives, if only women's votes were counted, Democratic candidate Al Gore would have secured the popular and electoral votes in 32 states and tied in Colorado, resulting in a decisive victory. In the 2000 elections, the number of female governors increases from three to five, female senators from 9 to 13, and female representatives from 56 to a record 59.

• In 1932, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer produced a film adaptation of Strange Interlude. The movie was directed by Robert Z. Leonard and featured Norma Shearer as Nina and Clark Gable as Darrell.

SOURCES

Bogard, Travis, Contour in Time: The Plays of Eugene O’Neill, Oxford University Press, 1972, p. 297.

Carpenter, Frederic I., Eugene O’Neill, Twayne, 1964, pp. 121–27.

O’Neill, Eugene, Strange Interlude, in The Plays of Eugene O’Neill, Vol. 1, Random House, 1964, pp. 2–200.

Ranald, Margaret Loftus, The Eugene O’Neill Companion, Greenwood Press, 1984, pp. 648–71.

Robinson, James A., Eugene O’Neill and Oriental Thought: A Divided Vision, Southern Illinois University Press, 1982, pp. 147–61.

Schopenhauer, Arthur. The World as Will and Representation, translated by E. F. J. Payne, Dover, 1969, Vol. 1, p. 196; Vol. 2, p. 350.

FURTHER READING

Alexander, Doris, Eugene O’Neill’s Creative Struggle: The Decisive Decade, 1924–1933, Pennsylvania State University Press, 1992, pp. 103–28. Strange Interlude is one of the nine plays thoroughly examined. Alexander illustrates how O’Neill worked through his personal challenges in his theatrical works.

Floyd, Virginia, The Plays of Eugene O’Neill: A New Assessment, Ungar, 1987, pp. 334–52. Floyd explores the development of the play from O’Neill’s initial notes and outlines, analyzing it scene by scene. She contends that while the plot is weak, the play's strength is found in its character development.

Mannheim, Michael, Eugene O’Neill’s New Language of Kinship, Syracuse University Press, 1982, pp. 60–71. Mannheim highlights the autobiographical aspects of the play, showcasing O’Neill’s efforts to cope with the sorrow of losing loved ones and discovering his mother's addiction to drugs.

Mannheim, Michael, ed., The Cambridge Companion to Eugene O’Neill, Cambridge University Press, 1998. This collection of essays includes examinations of O’Neill’s life, his intellectual influences, and his connection to the theatrical scene during his active years from 1916 to 1942. It also features a history of the play's productions on both stage and screen.