‘A glimpse on Techniques and Art of Characterization’ in Miss Lillian Hellman’s The Searching Wind

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to examine Hellman’s techniques and art of characterization
in her play The Searching Wind. It is to discover how the dramatist has given form to the central
theme in her play, how she has developed her characters and their situation. The Searching
Wind is remarkable for its novel plot with its multiple-scene scheme, bringing some film
techniques to bear upon its structural unity. Although Hellman never held the movie industry in
high esteem, she learned its techniques well enough to use them in her most ambitious play, The
Searching Wind. Hellman's characters in The Searching Wind are more vulnerable than the
superhuman characters in Watch on the Rhine because of their patriotic fervor. We should also
remember that in The Searching Wind Hellman has painted her characters on a historical
canvas. On top of that she seeks to convey the helplessness of individuals in responsible positions
when they cannot take their own stand.