Domestic Drama

Domestic drama: genre

Domestic drama is a genre that focuses on the dramatic stories of middle and lower-class people. Its advent in the 18th century marked an important shift in European society as the bourgeois interests proved more dominant than those of the upper class.

During the 18th century, there began a shift in the focus of dramatic stories. Where the theatre of the 17th century was epic and lofty, with high-class characters (i.e. nobles and aristocrats) and settings, the new century saw stories exploring bourgeois realism, representing the lives of ordinary people on stage.

By the 19th century, realism had become the primary mode of domestic dramas, which now had begun to explore more philosophical themes.

Bridging the gap between the 19th and the 20th century, the domestic drama was the incorporation of the philosophy of naturalism, which functioned similarly to realism but allowed for even more complexity in plot and characterisation.

During the 20th century, the genre became less homogenous, with more variations in the kinds of dramas being written and performed, making it harder to classify domestic dramas.

Increasingly, playwrights began using symbolism, which introduced more abstract representations of ideas, leaning away from the literary philosophies of realism and naturalism.

Modern domestic dramas follow on from this, expanding the ways in which these stories can be told. With less of a focus on realism, domestic plays now use a various array of literary and dramatic methods but still remain faithful to portraying the lives of ordinary people and societal issues.

Characteristics of domestic drama

The main characteristics of domestic dramas include:

• A story that focuses on 'ordinary' people from the middle or lower classes.

• Everyday settings, with particular focus on the domestic sphere, i.e. within the home or familial unit.

• Subject material concerning ordinary problems, such as family strife, economic injustices, poverty, or civil rights.

• Linear structure with few time jumps.

• A patriarchal figure, who represents order and power, upholding the structure of the family and society in general. Usually, domestic dramas present a confrontation involving this character, representing family turmoil and conflict.

• Plain, unembellished language reflecting the realistic speech of ordinary subjects. Characters should speak as is appropriate to their environment and socio-economic status.

Domestic drama: plays

Some of the most famous plays are domestic dramas, with examples such as Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House (1879), Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman (1949), Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1962) and August Wilson's Fences (1985). In these works, the focus is on interpersonal relationships and conflicts within a family or household, with themes ranging from gender roles and societal expectations to family dynamics and the American Dream.

A Doll's House

Perhaps the most renowned writer of domestic dramas was Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. His most famous work, 1879's A Doll's House, is an important work of the genre, embracing realism in its groundbreaking consideration of contemporary feminism.

The play focuses on Nora Helmer, an upper-middle-class married woman, as she considers her role as wife and mother, her relationship with her husband, Torvald, and how they might conflict with her true aspirations and desires.

Upon its premiere, the play caused great sensation and controversy, expanding beyond the world of theatre and bringing up questions about women's roles in the male-dominated, patriarchal 19th-century society. In Norway and most European countries during this time, women were not provided with many opportunities for financial independence or self-fulfilment; instead, they were encouraged to stay within the domestic sphere, remaining reliant on a husband.

This real-world issue is conveyed through the character of Nora, an 'ordinary' woman whose journey was able to reflect the struggles of many other women of the time.

Death of a Salesman

Arthur Miller's 1949 play Death of a Salesman is a specific kind of domestic drama known as a domestic tragedy.

The main character, Willy Loman, is an ailing travelling salesman, slowly descending further into mental instability and delusion. The play is largely set in the Loman home, involving Willy's wife, Linda, and his two sons, Biff and Happy.

The story retains elements of realism, focusing on economic and social issues prevalent in post-World War II America. However, in using a non-linear structure with flashbacks, Miller can represent Willy's mental instability and thereby consider more psychological, abstract themes.

Death of a Salesman is a great example of the modern domestic drama: it centres around ordinary people with commonplace lives, occupations and problems but uses various experimental, non-traditional techniques to express them. Miller's presentation of life is made more complex by dramatic illusions, which serve to confuse the audience in an attempt to recreate Willy's frame of mind.