Sexual Perversity in Chicago Literary Elements

Sexual Perversity in Chicago Literary Elements

Genre

Drama; comedy

Language

English

Setting and Context

Chicago in the 1970's

Narrator and Point of View

The play is told from the perspective of the characters on-stage, in both the first and third person.

Tone and Mood

The tone is exciting and different; the mood is sexual and powerful.

Protagonist and Antagonist

Danny and Bernie are the protagonists, Joan and Deborah are the antagonists.

Major Conflict

The major conflict of the play occurs when Danny and Deborah meet for the first time, and are quickly attracted to each other sexually.

Climax

The climax of the play is reached when Deborah moves in with Danny, in his apartment and their relationship reaches a new level.

Foreshadowing

The complaints that Danny raises about Deborah are foreshadowed by the fact that they have recently moved in together, and are very different people.

Understatement

The importance of female pleasure is understated throughout the play.

Allusions

The play alludes to the sexual revolution that occurred in Chicago during the 1970's and the impact that it has had.

Imagery

There is significant imagery of romance and sexual activity throughout the play.

Paradox

N/A

Parallelism

There is a parallel between the language and terminology used in the play and its portrayal of a working-class relationship in Chicago.

Personification

N/A

Use of Dramatic Devices

The play uses comic relief effectively in order to engage the audience throughout the play.

Update this section!

You can help us out by revising, improving and updating this section.

Update this section

After you claim a section you’ll have 24 hours to send in a draft. An editor will review the submission and either publish your submission or provide feedback.

Cite this page