Compare & Contrast Arsenic and Old Lace by Joseph Kesselring

Arsenic and Old Lace Compare and Contrast

1941: On December 7, Japan attacks Pearl Harbor, and the United States enters World War II.

Today: The United States is engaged in a war in Iraq that is not supported by many countries around the world.

1941: On December 11, four days later the attack on Pearl Harbor, Germany, along with Italy, declares war on the United States.

Today: The world is threatened by Islamic fundamentalist groups that have declared a holy war against the West. These radical groups have committed terrorist acts in several countries including the United States. The most devastating act of terrorism occurs on September 11, 2001, when terrorists fly planes into the World Trade Center Towers in New York City and into the Pentagon, killing approximately 3,000 people.

1941: Arsenic and Old Lace begins its 1,444 performance run. Audiences herald the play's successful mixture of farce and melodrama.