Abstract:
The first two chapters of this thesis consist of an outline of the development of the theatre of the Rio de la Plata region from the first performance of the play Juan Moreira in 1886 to the disintegration of the independent theatres in 1943. This includes the role of the Podesta family in fostering the rise of the drama gauchesco, and traces the origins and development of the sainete criollo, before going on to the so-called epoca de pro of platense drama and its aftermath, through the fluctuating fortunes of indigenous drama as it competed with overseas companies, to its commercialization and the attempts by the independent theatres in the late 1920s to provide a viable alternative. Arlt's introduction to the theatre through the activities of the Teatro del Pueblo concludes the first section. The following chapter examines the themes treated by Argentine dramatists throughout the period 1900-43, considered under the two broad heads of national concerns and social questions. Arlt's particular contribution in the treatment of personal conflicts and dilemmas is the subject of the final section of the thesis. His six main themes - humiliation, love, guilt, madness, dreams, and death and the search for faith - are considered, with comparisons drawn between his treatment and that of his predecessors and con temporaries, both national and foreign. The last part of this section examines his techniques in the three areas of characterization, construction and dialogue. The conclusion reached by this study is that he was a genuine innovator whose true contribution has been obscured by his early death and by the disruption of the Teatro del Pueblo, but which seems clearly demonstrated when his plays are considered in the context of his time.
