How did Expressionist theatre rebel against middle-class materialism?

Expressionist theatre rebelled against the materialist values of the middle-class generation by rejecting the surface-level realism and decorum favored by traditional society. Instead of simulating objective reality, Expressionist dramatists sought to expose the essence of human experience through a highly subjective, often violent, visual language.12

This rebellion manifested through several key techniques:

• Distortion and Subjectivity: Settings were often abstract or distorted—such as walls leaning at sharp angles—to reflect the internal state of mind of the protagonist or the ideological position of the playwright, rather than a realistic environment.1
• Symbolic Characters: Characters were frequently depersonalized, serving as emblems or fragments of a unified consciousness rather than realistic individuals.12
• Fragmented Structure: Plays often abandoned continuous narrative progression in favor of Stationendrama (station drama), a series of self-contained, episodic scenes that prioritized emotional impact over logical sequence.12
• Focus on Spirit: Before World War I, the movement emphasized a "screaming protest" against the loss of spirituality and the perceived banality of modern life, later evolving into a more overtly political call for social change.12

By breaking with literary traditions, Expressionist theatre transformed the stage into a platform for direct, intense statements about the human condition.1