Georg Kaiser and Jean-Victor Pellerin in the face of the human alienation, or two concepts of expressionist drama

It is commonly said that expressionism was a purely German movement, however, it is difficult not to notice similar tendencies, albeit with a lesser intensity, also in France. Expressionism was not only an artistic movement. It could be seen above all as a certain spiritual attitude towards the dehumanized industrialization. Expressionism was born of existential anxiety of many German writers leading to a rebellion against the bourgeois society. This rebellion was also expressed by some French writers. In this article, the author compares the theaters of Jean-Victor Pellerin and Georg Kaiser from the perspective of expressionistic aesthetics. Both writers describe the alienation of a modern man in the mechanized civilization. They both put attention on the internal crisis of the main character who in the end decides to fight against the hostile reality. Hence, in their works typically for the expressionist drama, the protagonist embarks on a journey during which his internal change takes place. While Georg Kaiser expresses his pessimism by describing apocalyptic scenes, Jean-Victor Pellerin still believes in the power of love which alone can change the fate of mankind.

It is commonly said that expressionism was a purely German movement, however, it is difficult not to notice similar tendencies, albeit with a lesser intensity, also in France. Expressionism was not only an artistic movement. It could be seen above all as a certain spiritual attitude towards the dehumanized industrialization. Expressionism was born of existential anxiety of many German writers leading to a rebellion against the bourgeois society. This rebellion was also expressed by some French writers. In this article, the author compares the theaters of Jean-Victor Pellerin and Georg Kaiser from the perspective of expressionistic aesthetics. Both writers describe the alienation of a modern man in the mechanized civilization. They both put attention on the internal crisis of the main character who in the end decides to fight against the hostile reality. Hence, in their works typically for the expressionist drama, the protagonist embarks on a journey during which his internal change takes place. While Georg Kaiser expresses his pessimism by describing apocalyptic scenes, Jean-Victor Pellerin still believes in the power of love which alone can change the fate of mankind.