Question

Use the thesis “The shortened time span of one-act plays allows King Arthur’s Socks to focus on a single issue in depth – women’s struggles with social expectations in the early twentieth century” to write a short critique of the play.

Answer 1

The one-act play keeps the focus on the central issue.The conflict faced by each of the characters highlights issues faced by women of that time.Mary’s guilt shows that society still has not fully accepted the modern woman’s actions.A longer play is not necessary to achieve Dell’s purpose.

Answer 2

It is both amazing and concerning what you see in the play. Women seem to both have advancements in their social chaste, let's call it that, and to have the privileges of being in it at the same time.

The stereotypical gossip between the female characters show them both annoyed by how the wills of one of them might be criticized, while clearly stated that it should be morally wrong, and how the woman wanted to do it anyways (or so it seems, when it comes to be in love with a married man and wanting to be forward about it) but being afraid of the consequences.

It is interesting, though, that the play does show that women are aware of their limitations imposed by culture but do not mistake that with morals, since they seem aware of this separation during their gossip.