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Literature vocabulary · Drama and Theatre

Alienation effect

Meaning in literature, with examples

nounAdvanced term

In literature, alienation effect means: A technique that makes familiar action seem strange so audiences examine it critically.

In Turkish: yabancılaştırma etkisi

How it is used

Use when theatrical devices interrupt automatic acceptance; it does not simply mean making the audience bored or confused.

Example sentences

  1. The alienation effect begins when a caption reveals the result before the scene unfolds.

    Knowing the outcome directs attention toward causes rather than suspense.

  2. The actor created an alienation effect by briefly demonstrating two ways to obey the order.

    Showing alternatives makes obedience appear as a choice rather than an inevitability.

Common collocations

  • create an alienation effect
  • use the alienation effect
  • dramaLiterature written to be performed by actors on a stage, telling a story through dialogue and action; also a single serious play.
  • interpretationAn explanation of what a text or a part of it means, supported by evidence from the text; also the act of explaining it.

More terms: Drama and Theatre

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