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. The reasoning above is questionable because it ['overlooks the fact that some citizens prosper in times of high unemployment', 'takes for granted that Arton was attuned to the predominant national attitude of her time', 'posits an unstated relationship between unemployment and crime', 'takes for granted that straightforward patriotism is not possible for a serious writer']