What are 2 symbols from Sophie Treadwell's play "Machinal?"

Answer 1

The Electric Chair & Stones

Answer 2

The Ocean

In Episode 3 Young Woman goes with Husband to a fancy hotel for their honeymoon. She is disappointed that she cannot see the ocean out the window of the room and wants to walk outside. She feels stifled in the room with Husband and seeks the freedom and fresh air of the beach.

Later Young Woman tells a story that adds depth to her desire to see the ocean years before. When she is with Man in his apartment in Episode 6, she describes going to visit her grandmother and listening to the sea inside of a seashell. This is a happy memory for her and she tells it when she is feeling happy for the first time in the play. She admires Man's freedom and feels free and "purified" when she is with him. The Ocean represents the freedom and fresh air that Young Woman desires throughout the play. It also represents a comforting memory.

Lily in a Bowl of Pebbles

Young Woman sees a water lily in a bowl full of pebbles at Man's apartment and is surprised to learn that he bought it for himself. It reminded him pleasurably of his childhood and he bought it. When she is leaving his apartment she asks for it and he gives it to her. It is a representation of their connection. It is also a symbol of the free and easy way that Man lives his life.

Later in the play the pebbles also gain another layer of significance. After Man has left and the lily has died, Young Woman puts the pebbles inside the glass bottle she uses to kill Husband. She kills Husband in the exact same way that Man described killing bandits in Mexico. She uses the symbol of freedom and happiness to gain freedom from her oppressive marriage.