From Superiority to Equality?: Men'S Voices in Wendy Wasserstein'S Plays

Abstract

This thesis will focus on Wasserstein’s social commentary through drama and will explore the role of men in terms of their relationships with women through six Wasserstein plays. Moreover, this thesis will examine how American men changed and developed a new sense of identity, alongside women, as a result of the feminist and men’s movements. The first chapter will focus on Isn’t It Romantic (1983) and The Heidi Chronicles (1988) as a means of analyzing men’s responses to the social and political atmosphere of the 1980s. In chapter two, The Sisters Rosensweig (1992) will illustrate how men adapted to American society in flux, while An American Daughter (1997) will analyze how and why they participated in the backlash against feminism. The plays discussed in the last chapter, Old Money (2000) and Third (2005), will respectively emphasize manhood in corporate corporate America and reverse discrimination against men.