Intergenerational Discrepancies and Alienation in Selected Plays by Horton Foote

Abstract

This paper examines intergenerational discrepancies and consequent sense of alienation in Horton Foote’s theatre, where traumatized youth are brought to life by dramatizing their sufferings in coping with the elderly and transforming into positive and fruitful members in American society. Foote also explores respective tropes, like alcoholism, death, and racism. The subject matter of his plays illustrates the power of cohesion within the society. Foote’s plays present a serious allegation of the parent’s personal intricacies and selfish exploitation of their children; but their essential theme of alienation and intergenerational discrepancies deserves a deeper view and treatment socially and psychologically.The paper shows the varying manifestations of social status as a power (re)shaping the lives of young and old men. Foote visualizes society as a fragmented, disappointed and alienated. He has fought against sentiments of deprivation, deficiency, oppression, and alienation, advocating intimacy, adequacy, and harmony between the two generations. The 20^th cent. American playwright has recently received recognition and praise for his narrative plays about the nuances of negotiations and conflicts between the different generations within the same family. His talent emerged in developing conditions for a better world, a harmonious one that should start with the two generations by evoking real negotiations. His power came clear in illuminating the melancholic history of society around him where the gaps and differences between generations come to surface.