Man and the Masses

Man and the Masses is an Expressionist play written by Ernst Toller while he was imprisoned in 1920. The play, which brought Toller widespread fame, is a significant work within German Expressionism, a literary and artistic movement that emerged as a response to the chaos and suffering of modern life.12

Expressionist drama, including Toller's work, often used distorted realities to critique the dehumanizing effects of technology and the exploitation of workers. Man and the Masses specifically portrays a woman worker's tragic attempt to lead a revolution, advocating for a move beyond violence towards peaceful coexistence. Toller, a prominent Marxist and pacifist, used his plays to express social protest and call for socialist change.213