Spring Awakening Analysis - Essay Example

Spring’s Awakening, was published by Wedekind in 1891. However, it was not actually performed until 1906. “Spring’s Awakening investigates and explores the theme of adolescent sexuality in a noticeably modern and expressionistic approach. In nineteen episodic scenes, Wedekind imparts and communicates the stories of a few teenagers. It tells of the experiences and feelings of these teenagers as they move violently through sexual maturity. What the play examines is the lack of knowledge and sheer ignorance of their teachers and parents.

In essence, the adolescents are having such a difficult time because of the ignorance of their elders who do not guide them or assist them in getting through this difficult time. In actuality, their teachers and parents are themselves sexually self-conscious, repressed and withdrawn. This becomes apparent in the scenes of the play and they present themselves well to represent this aspect of the teachers and parents as well as the struggles of the adolescents in the play. Wedeknd’s Expressionism is unmistakable in his use of heavily stylized dialogue.

He mixes this dialogue with lyrical and cutting irony with prosaic speech to create a seriocomic tone. In addition, Wedekind has a character return from the dead. This is significant because it is something that could not happen in naturalistic theater. Through the dialogue and expressionist theme of the scenes Weekend presents a mocking and satirical measure of inadequacy and condemnation of the hypocrisy and prudery of middle-class German society, At the time of its release, Wedeknd’s play was seriously censored.

However, in spite of this it was also one of the playwright’s most successful works. In Act One Scene 5, it becomes apparent why Wedeknd’s work can be thought of as a tragi-comedy of teenage sex. In the first Act the audience is introduced to all of the teenagers of the play in a manner that setrs up the remainder of the play. In this scene a