Date of Award
12-2000
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Theatre Arts
Abstract
In my thesis I examined various forms of physical and psychological violence within the text Getting Out by Marsha Norman. Getting Out is filled with disturbing visual images of intimate violence. Utilizing various feminist psychoanalytical theorists and critics, I explored the realm of intimate violence. This included paying particular attention to the feminists Rhoda Unger & Mary Crawford in Women in Gender: A Feminist Psychology and Tony Martens in The Spirit Weeps: Characteristics and Dynamics of Incest and Child Sexual Abuse. My exploration focused specifically on the act of violence found in the drama. Not only did I relate these theories to the text, but I also used this research on intimate violence in directing my actors.
After discussing my research on intimate violence and its application to Marsha Norman's text, I examined my staging of the text. To do so, I used Harold Clurman's directing method.
In my conclusion, I found through my own research that the forms of violence Norman portrays in Getting Out are related to many forms of intimate violence noted by the theorists and psychologists I cite.
Recommended Citation
Smith, Aili Marie, "Getting Out: A Feminist Psychoanalytical Analysis of Intimate Violence" (2000). Theses and Dissertations. 962.
https://commons.und.edu/theses/962