earticle

영어

This essay examines spatial division as a metaphor for class struggle and social inequality in Maria Irene Fornes's early plays—Tango Palace, Promenade, and Dr. Kheal. Drawing on Pierre Bourdieu's theory of symbolic violence, it analyzes how theatrical space is the product of social forces, observing that class difference influences the spatial arrangement on their stages. This gentle violence legitimizes domination by conveying the ideas of the ruling class, thus forcing the lower classes to remain trapped in their differentiated space. By spatializing the mechanism of this violence as an effective means of oppression, Fornes allows the audience to recognize the ways in which the lower classes have been illegitimately placed within the physical and imaginative frame of the ruling class. Instead of providing answers to these class discriminations, Fornes's early plays pave the way for metaphorically challenging the audience to act out against ruling class domination.