The Dark at the Top of the Stairs by William Inge

Characters:

Cora Flood	Young housewife, over protective of her children, buys Rennie a really expensive dress
Rubin Flood	Her husband, who is never home for his family
Sonny Flood	10 year old son, loves the movies and hates playing outside with the other boys because he is always picked on
Roy Outside
Rennie Flood	16 year old daughter, goes to the party with Sammy, introduces Sammy to the Ratsons
Flirt Conroy	Friend of Rennie’s
Morris Lacey	Cora’s brother in law
Lottie Lacey	Cora’s older sister
Punky Givens	Flirt’s boyfriend

Time:	1920s
Setting:	Oklahoma
Mode:	Realism
Form:	Drama

Themes: -      Modernism- materialism, ethnic issues -      American money is important, character driven, a sense of belonging, betterment of next generation

Plot:

Cora and Rubin fight about money. After hitting Cora, Rubin storms out. Reenie goes to a party with Sammy. Mrs. Ralston kicks Sammy out because he is Jewish. Sammy kills himself. Rubin comes back

Quotes:

Rubin	All these years we been married, you never once really admitted to yourself what kinda man I am. No, ya keep talkin’ to me like I was the kinda man you think I aughta be
Rubin	Everybody’s gotta figure out his own way of handlin’ thin, Cora. Whether he fights of whether he runs
Lottie	Sometimes the people who act the happiest are really the saddest

Notes:

What is to be American and raise a family? Wanting betterment for the next generation, all names are ideas

Playwright:

Born: 1913 Died: 1973 Year Written: 1857

Bio: Began writing because Tennessee Williams encouraged him to write. Used the pen name of Walter Gage in a lot of his writings. Spent most of his life depressed and died of suicide. Known as the Playwright of the Midwest and several of his plays have been recently uncovered, never produced, and never published.

Other Work:

1947	Farther Off From Heaven
1949?	Come Back, Little Sheeba- Tony awards in 1950
1951	Splendor in the Grass- screenplay, won Oscar and  Academy Award (Best Writing, Story and Screenplay- Written Directly for the Screen)
1952	Come Back Little Sheeba- screenplay, won Oscar and Golden Globe
1953	Glory in the Flower
1953	Picnic
1955	Bus Stop
1959	A Loss of Roses
1962	The Boy in the Basement
1963	The Stripper
1966	Where’s Daddy?
1970	Good Luck, Miss Wyckoff- novel
1972	The Last Pad
1975	Summer Brave
	Off the Main Road
	The Killing
	All Fall Down- screenplay
	Natural Affection