Dr. Ammar Shamil Kadhim Al-Khafaji,
Department of English, College of Arts, University of Baghdad, Iraq
The research examines Susan Glaspell’s Inheritors by placing it back into the charged political climate of post – World War I America. Through a New Historicist lens, the study shows how Glaspell questions the comforting public story that America has always upheld freedom and fairness. One recognizable example is the play’s portrayal of the restricting of free expression, where the standard ideals of democracy crash with the realities of state control. Analyzing figures such as Madeline Morton and Felix Fejevary, this paper emphasizes how Glaspell elucidates the obstacles faced by immigrants, reformers, and youthful idealists during a period characterized by intense debate regarding the concept of patriotism. Rather than conceiving history as a mere static assemblage of events, Inheritors affords its audience the chance to witness the mechanisms through which national memory is constructed, mediated, and, at times, distorted. This analysis asserts that the play retains significant pertinence in contemporary discourse due to its illustration of the ongoing struggle between dissent and authority, which continues to shape cultural and political dynamics.
Keywords: Feminist Drama, Place, Gender, Regionalism, Historicist Perspective
The above abstract is a part of the article which was accepted at The 11th International Conference on Languages, Linguistics, Translation and Literature (WWW.TLLL.IR), 1-2 February 2026, Ahwaz.
