alienation effect (A‐effect) The usual English translation of the German Verfremdungseffekt or V‐effekt, a major principle of Bertolt Brecht's theory of epic theatre . It is a dramatic effect aimed at encouraging an attitude of critical detachment in the audience, rather than a passive submission to realistic illusion; and is achieved by a variety of means, from allowing the audience to smoke and drink to interrupting the play's action with songs, sudden scene changes, and switches of role. Actors are also encouraged to distance themselves from their characters rather than identify with them; ironic commentary by a narrator adds to this ‘estrangement’.
By reminding the audience of the performance's artificial nature, Brecht hoped to stimulate a rational view of history as a changeable human creation rather than as a fated process to be accepted passively. Despite this theory, audiences still identify emotionally with the characters in Mother Courage ( 1941 ) and Brecht's other plays. The theory was derived partly from the Russian Formalists ' concept of defamiliarization .
How to cite this entry:
"alienation effect" The Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms. Chris Baldick. Oxford University Press, 2008. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. 12 November 2011
How to cite this entry:
"alienation effect" The Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms. Chris Baldick. Oxford University Press, 2008. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. 12 November 2011
