Suspense in Eric Emmanuel Schmitt works: (Petty Crimes of Couples, The Enigma variations, Love Quake)

Reviewing the works of foreign contemporary playwrights written based on daily life issues is among the critical discussions in our drama which can lead to the enhancement of its quality. In different periods, French writers have established their works based on deep human issues and also have always been progressive in terms of writing techniques. One of the characteristics of France contemporary drama includes the diversity of its approaches. Works of Eric Emmanuel Schmitt, the contemporary French writer, have been translated, played, and also welcomed by different societies. He has created noteworthy works by employing suitable and effective techniques and focusing on critical human issues. In recent decade, his works have been of prime interest and been translated, performed, and welcomed. The very human content of the works concerning life, death, love, and philanthropy with their unique and technical structure is the reason underlying the interest. Schmitt is amongst the writers who have a special technique in writing plays that tends to attract the audience; that is, using different and successive suspensions in the plays. With respect to his background regarding philosophical studies, he presents a genre of drama integrated with philosophy; of course, a simple and comprehensive philosophy talking about tangible and evident issues in human life. Schmitt’s drama is a sort of looking at being through the window of the philosophy of life. The philosophy which considers an end and destiny for human to which one can achieve by relying on spiritual attitudes such as love, honesty, and devotion. Most of his works can be regarded as social realism and/or thorough melodramas. In his works, Schmitt makes attempts to look at humans’ life from a social aspect with acuity and accuracy. The humans in his works have no supernatural and extraordinary aspect, but they face special situations and reactions to those situations which multiply the attraction of his works. In this article, first, we try to define the suspension and its usage in dramatic arts by using technical and professional books, dictionaries, and encyclopedias. Then, we present a selection of his plays all of which are considered among realistic works. In each of the plays, Schmitt places the humans in special situations and depicts their acts. The element of suspension plays a key role in creating attraction for the plays which we have analyzed (in Petty Crimes of Couples, The Enigma variations, Love Quake) and assessed the use of it so that we can depict the famous contemporary writer’s performance regarding the description of 21st century human which are common in most societies.