Although it has been suggested that Arton' s plays have a strong patriotic flavor, we must recall that, at the time of their composition, her country was in anything but a patriotic mood  Unemployment was high, food was costly, and crime rates were soaring  As a result, the general morale of her nation was at an especially low point
Realizing this, we see clearly that any apparent patriotism in Arton' s work must have been intended ironically
takes for granted that Arton was attuned to the predominant national attitude of her time