American tragedy The prime focus of American tragedy has been the family. One of the main traditions has centered upon the family house,the yard,the living room... The attention upon the family and its boundaries is a means of exploring the relationship between the private family and the wider society,the connections between the small group of people witnessed by us on stage and the imagined wider society beyond theatre itself.American tragedy The prime focus of American tragedy has been the family. One of the main traditions has centered upon the family house, the yard, the living room… The attention upon the family and its boundaries is a means of exploring the relationship between the private family and the wider society, the connections between the small group of people witnessed by us on stage and the imagined wider society beyond theatre itself