General Knowledge Questions Flashcards
In Machinal, how did Helen’s relationship with her husband end?
She killed him
In Machinal, what (food) was the one-word catchphrase that is repeated in the lifeless cycle of the work space?
Hot dog
What is the reason that the Woman tells the court that she killed her husband?
She wanted to free him, saying having a divorce will break his heart.
What is the attorney using as the evidence to make Young women confession?
The flower bowl
What was the item used by Helen to kill her husband George H. Jones in Machinal?
Bottle with pebbles
From Machinal Episode two, at home, when young woman talked to her mother, what does her mother insist on letting her eat?
Potato
Who “inspired” Helen Jones to put small stones in bottles and use it as a weapon?
Mr. Roe
What message did the husband get from the phone that makes him happy?
The sign of contract related to his property.
What is the job of the young women?
Typewriter
What did Helen Jones’ lover gift her?
water lily
What did Helen initially say about how George was killed?
Two big dark-looking men hit George in the head when he was in bed.
Machinal is a classic example of _____ism?
Expressionism.
Machinal is a representative work of what?
Expressionism.
What type of style is Machinal constructed in?
Stationendrama.
What is the flower that She took from her lover’s apartment?
Lily
Mr.Roe tells Helen a story when he gives the stones to her, what this story briefly about?
Mr. Roe killed several Mexican bandits with a bottle filled with small roves.
Why does Helen’s boss George H. Jones treat Helen so good?
Because Jones likes Helen and wants to marry her.
What is Helen’s reaction and how does she respond when Mr. Jones proposes?
She is hesitant about the proposal but listens to her mother and coworkers to marry George.
What is the young woman’s name in Machinal?
Helen Jones
Author of Machinal?
Sophie Treadwell
Settings? (6)
New York 1920's Office house hotel Courtroom Bar Mr. Roe's house Prison
Who is George H. Jones?
Helen Jones’ Husband
Who is Mr. Roe?
Helen’s lover
What are the themes of Machinal? (4)
Marriage and Gender Equality
Communication
Mechanical world
Fragmentation and Expressionism
Expand on the marriage and gender equality theme
Machinal was written for the stage in the early 20th century, a time when patriarchal norms dictated the dynamics of romantic relationships. In this male-focused environment, women were expected to defer to their husbands, sacrificing their own individuality and agency in order to maintain respectable marriages. These sexist expectations often manifest themselves throughout Machinal in terms of financial stability, as Helen’s coworkers and even her mother urge her to wed her boss, George H. Jones
Expand on the communication theme
The characters in Machinal often fail to effectively relate to one another using language. Instead of communicating clearly and listening to what other people have to say, they hold forth with their own monologues and ideas, showing themselves incapable of engaging in the give-and-take of successful conversation. Under these fraught circumstances, Helen finds herself hopelessly estranged from her husband, who never opens himself up to the possibility that their marriage has made her utterly miserable—instead, he speaks to her at length about things that clearly do nothing but deepen her feelings of unease, rendering it impossible for her to make him see that she’s unhappy.
